Tilia Cordata Research Articles

The use of attractants in reducing the occurrence of the Prunus serotina (Ehrh.)

Abstract Black cherry, which occurs in European forests, contributes to their distortion or degradation of native ecosystems. Therefore, measures are taken to reduce its occurrence. One of them is the biological method involving grazing animals. The aim of this research was to develop and identify an attractant that would increase the attractiveness of black cherry as a feeding base for deer, which would limit its occurrence. This research was carried out in Zielonka (17.10941 E 52.553975 N). In the experiment, 3-year-olds were used: Tilia cordata, Acer pseudoplatanus, A. platanoides, Fagus sylvatica and Prunus serotina. Before planting the seedlings, their height was measured. The control (K, 10 trees) consisted of trees of each species that were not sprayed with attractants. Another set of 10 trees were treated over the entire surface of the shoots with a bait mixture (MW), and the next 10 trees were sprayed with a 10% aqueous solution of NaCl. The attractant spraying was repeated six times. All damage observed was recorded. The inventoried tree damage was divided into four categories: 0%, no damage; I, 1–20% damaged trees; II, 21–50% damaged trees and III, more than 50% damaged trees. The results of the Mann–Whitney U test (p = 0.0109), at the assumed level of significance (α = 0.05), showed that slightly higher seedlings were browsed. These studies indicate the potential of using attractants as preparations influencing the palatability of the black cherry for deer. All recorded bites were classified as degree I damage. The trees were gnawed by fallow deer, 35.33% of trees were not damaged by game at all, and 64.66% of trees were damaged in degree I. In the case of sycamore maple, Norway maple and linden, the bait mixture did not increase the number of nibbled buds and leaves, while NaCl increased the attractiveness of beech and black cherry as a feeding base. Conducting further research studies on the improvement of preparations may give a chance to reduce the use of chemicals in forest protection and give the possibility of using attractants where it is impossible to use herbicides.

Diversity of acarine fauna (Acari: Parasitiformes, Acariformes) inhabiting ornamental trees and shrubs in Hungary: A review

AbstractThis paper reviews of the recent progress in the acarological researches and knowledge on mites occurring in the canopy of ornamental trees and shrubs. The inventory of Acari includes 444 mite species belonging to 33 families which were recorded from 283 hardwood tree and shrub species of 45 plant families. The highest number of mite families and species were reported from the families Rosaceae (21 mite families), Salicaceae (20) and Oleaceae (17), and Salicaceae (99 mite species), Rosaceae (98) and Fagaceae (63), respectively. The most diverse acarine fauna was found on Acer campestre (37 mite species), Prunus spinosa (37), Acer pseudoplatanus (33), Tilia cordata (33) and Salix alba (31). The most frequently occurring mite species were Euseius finlandicus (on 78 host species), Tydeus californicus (64) and Zetzellia mali (60).

Effect of Osmia bicornis supplemental pollination on seed yield of forest seed orchards

Our study investigated the possibility of using the red mason bee Osmia bicornis as a pollinator of forest seed orchards of frequently grown European trees: insect - pollinated Tilia cordata and Prunus avium. Moreover, we checked whether the presence of O. bicornis has an impact on the pollination results of Quercus petraea, which is wind - pollinated. Data were collected from 8 forest seed orchards in western Poland between 2018 and 2020. We assessed whether the presence of O. bicornis populations affects the number and mass of seeds and seed quality. Supplementing forest orchards with O. bicornis affected seed yield. The generalized linear mixed models indicated that the number of seeds and the proportion of viable seeds, but not seed mass, were higher in the Tilia cordata trees, when additionally pollinated with O. bicornis added as a pollinator.

Параметры засухоустойчивости некоторых представителей рода Tilia L. при интродукции и в городских насаждениях

Abstract. Drought resistance of plants is the key to successful cultivation of new taxa under climatic conditions. Linden is a valuable ornamental, melliferous and medicinal woody plant, often used for landscaping certain areas. The purpose is the determination of indicators of drought resistance of some species and varieties of lindens from the collection of the South Ural Botanical Garden-Institute of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the conditions of introduction and urban environment. Methods. The objects of research were 3 species, 1 cultivar and 1 form of the linden collection (Tilia cordata Mill., T. caucasica Rupr., T. × europaea L. f. vitifolia (Host) V. Engl., T. platyphyllos Scop. ‘Aurea’, T. taquetii C. K. Schneid.), as well as specimens of Tilia cordata from urban plantations in Ufa. The total water content, water-holding capacity and the amount of mobile moisture in the leaves are found according to generally accepted methods. Results. The indicators of drought resistance of linden species and cultivars under the conditions of introduction and the urban environment have been determined. It has been established that almost all taxa are sufficiently drought-resistant in the climatic conditions of Ufa. The maximum indicators of water content and water-holding capacity, as well as the minimum amount of mobile moisture, were found in the variety T. platyphyllos ‘Aurea’ from the collection of the botanical garden (70.2 %, 30.7 %, 39.4 %, respectively). It has been confirmed that T. cordata from urban greenery tolerates technogenic loads well; some indicators of drought resistance of this species are higher than in the botanical garden. T. taquetii turned out to be the least drought-resistant of all the taxa studied, which is probably due to sharp differences in the climatic conditions of natural origin from the conditions of introduction. Scientific novelty. For the first time for the city of Ufa, comparative studies of the drought resistance of some representatives of the genus Tilia under the conditions of introduction and the urban environment were carried out.

Acoustic Tomography as a Supporting Tool in the Sustainable Management of Historic Greenery: Example of the Church Garden in Horostyta (Poland)

Senile trees in historic church gardens have natural, aesthetic, historical, and cultural value. Cutting them down too hastily annihilates the achievements of entire generations. We should try to preserve the greenery surrounding historic churches and integrate it into a clear compositional arrangement with the sacral architecture. The primary purpose of the paper was to describe the process of inventorying 200-year-old trees and to present the revalorization project for the garden around the historic Orthodox church in Horostyta, located in the Lublin Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. The church complex consists of a wooden 18th-century building, bell tower, garden, and cemetery. Within the church garden’s boundaries, there are 15 trees, with two predominant species: Acer pseudoplatanus L. and Tilia cordata Mill. These trees are of varying ages and health conditions. We used acoustic tomography to perform tree health diagnostics. Three trees, for which the initial visual assessment was disturbing, were examined thanks to detailed tomography tests. Then, through a project adapting the church garden to the health conditions of the ancient trees, they were separated from users by flowerbeds and no small architectural objects were placed around them. The presented development concept forms a compromise between tradition and the modern user’s needs. In 2007, a general renovation of the temple building was completed. Currently, the presented project for the church garden is being implemented.

Interrelation of the Radial Increment of Trees with Various Factors

Radial increment objectively reflects the quality of the assimilation apparatus of a woody plant. Its features indicate the influence of various anthropogenic, biotic and abiotic factors as well as the stability of the plant under stress. The aim of this study was to survey the long-term dynamics of the radial growth of six tree species: Betula pendula, Ulmus glabra, Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Picea abies and Pinus silvestris, depending on the impact of creating a reservoir and the fluctuations of the water level in it. Additionally, another aim was to determine whether there is a dependence between the annual radial increment of these tree species and the change in the temperature factor during the growing season. We studied cores of trees growing in a park on the coast of the Sheksna river, the level of which is regulated by the water level in the Rybinsk Reservoir and changes along with it. This research presents the dynamics of the annual radial growth of Betula pendula over 59 years, Ulmus glabra over 50 years, Quercus robur over 59 years, Tilia cordata over 82 years, Picea abies over 128 years and Pinus silvestris over 125 years. The average annual radial growth decreases in the series Ulmus glabra > Betula pendula, Quercus robur > Tilia cordata > Picea abies > Pinus silvestris. The radial increase does not correlate with the annual water level in the Rybinsk Reservoir. However, years with extreme minimum and maximum reservoir filling affect the radial growth of Quercus robur (r = 0.56) and Tilia cordata (r = 0.52). It was found that after the creation of the reservoir, the radial increment of Picea abies was significantly reduced by 1.10 mm. The clearest dependence of ring width index was obtained for Picea abies on temperature in May (r = −0.30 at p ≤ 0.05) and for Pinus sylvestris on temperature in July (r = −0.25 at p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, a weak correlation of ring width index with temperature in some months was noted for deciduous trees. Picea abies is notable for its particular display of moderate inverse correlation to the radial growths of other trees.

Field forest strips of the Middle Dnipro Area Forest- Steppe as raw areas for beekeeping

Studying the supply of beekeeping industry with a spectrum of nectar- and pollen-bearing plants is quite important for increasing the quantitative saturation of bee colonies in certain areas. To do this, it is necessary to analyze the entire phytodiversity of artificially created plantations, spontaneous and natural forest communities, which are widespread on the territory of the Middle Dnipro Area Forest-Steppe. We previously investigated the participation of these raw plants from the list of tree and shrub species of forest plantations of this territory, and in this work we analyzed the full participation of available plant species in the groupings of field protection forest strips. Analysis of the spreading of nectar-bearing and pollen-bearing species made it possible to identify 91 species of plants that have a diverse representation in these plant communities. The most valuable raw material species are Tilia cordata Mill. and Robinia pseudoacacia L., which prevail in some of the studied groups and are promising for the main productive honey collection. Also, in these plantations there are some species with a fairly high value of raw materials, but they mostly have a small spreading. In ad- dition, a significant widespread group of plants was noted, but they do not belong to good honey plants. The investigated plantations in the combination of tree, shrub and herbaceous plant species present in them can also be actively used by bees as a source of supporting food practically throughout the entire period of their flight activity. Especially important is the use of field-protective forest strips as raw land, due to their frequent finding near settlements where apiaries are usually located, as well as the possible use of protective forest plantations for the location of apiaries during migrations. A partial correction of the values of nectar and pollen activity of individual species and the total raw value of some of these species was also performed

A consolidation of degraded lime wooden support from heritage objects using two types of consolidant,

The novelty of the research consists in the fact that the decayed wood was taken from an old icon, on which several consolidation treatments were applied, and the improvement indices of the decayed wood (by Anobiidae insects) were also determined. This research investigated two types of the most used consolidant (Paraloid B72 10% and Regalrez 1126 25%) solubilized in three types of solvents, to improve the properties of lime wood samples coming from cultural heritage objects that presented different degrees of degradation. Testing methodology for dimensional changes and wood swelling due to solvents impregnation, retention of consolidant in the degraded Tilia cordata wood, and the effectiveness of the consolidation treatment by the Mark hardness method was extensively presented. The highest amount of consolidant was observed when using Regalrez solution, and the lowest amount of consolidant was determined for Paraloid B72 solubilized in acetone. As a general conclusion, the use of Paraloid B72 or Regalrez 1126 for the consolidation of old and degraded lime wood, regardless of the type of solubilizer, will lead to stabilization of the wood degraded properties and the life span of the heritage object.

Selected Mechanical and Physical Properties of Thermally Modified Wood after Field Exposure Tests

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of thermal modification on the physical and mechanical properties of three different wood species from Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.), linden wood (Tilia cordata), and silver fir wood (Abies alba). The samples underwent thermal modification at five different temperatures (170 °C, 180 °C, 195 °C, 210 °C, and 220 °C) for varying durations (ranging from 78 to 276 min). After treatment, they were exposed to outdoor conditions for twelve months. The study examined the four-point bending strength, tensile force, color change, and surface quality of the modified and unmodified samples. The results showed that outdoor exposure negatively impacted the mechanical properties of the unmodified samples, especially in the linden wood which was 41% and the beech wood which was 42%. Additionally, outdoor exposure caused significant surface cracks in the thermally modified linden and beech wood. The study also found prominent color changes in the modified and unmodified samples during twelve months of exposure. The roughness of the samples was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope, which showed that the roughness increased on both the axial and the longitudinal surfaces after weathering. The highest roughness for the fir wood was determined to be 15.6 µm. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of wood modification and its impact on the use-value of wood products.

Yeasts associated with mines on tree leaves in the urban areas.

Mines on tree leaves and undamaged leaves were studied to investigate yeast complexes in urban areas (Aesculus hippocastanum, miner - Cameraria ohridella; Betula verrucosa, miner - Caloptilia betulicola; Populus nigra, miner - Lithocolletis populifoliella; Quercus robur, miner - Tischeria companella; Salix caprea, miner - Trachys minuta; Syringa vulgaris, miner - Caloptilia syringella; Tilia cordata, miner - Phyllonorycter issikii; Ulmus laevis, miner - Carpatolechia fugitivella). The abundance and taxonomic structure of yeasts were studied using a surface plating method on solid media (GPY agar). Identification of yeast species was based on the ITS rDNA nucleotide sequence. The average abundance of yeasts during the first stages of mine formation in the internal tissues of leaves was 103cfu/g. After 23-25days, during the last stage of larval metamorphosis before mine destruction, the abundance of yeasts in the mines increased by two orders of magnitude to 105cfu/g. No significant differences were observed in the abundance of yeasts in mines formed by different insects on different trees. A total of twelve yeast species were observed. The fast-growing ascomycetous yeasts Hanseniaspora uvarum and H. occidentalis dominated the mines. On undamaged leaves, the basidiomycetous yeasts Papiliotrema flavescens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, typical in the phyllosphere, dominated. The opportunistic yeast Candida parapsilosis was detected in the yeast complexes of all mines examined and was not found on the surface of leaves. Comparison of the relative abundance of yeast species between the studied mines and undamaged leaves using principal component analysis showed that all studied yeast communities in the mines were significantly different from the epiphytic yeast complexes of the undamaged leaves. Thus, miners in urban environments provoke the formation of short-lived endophytic yeast complexes with high abundance of Hanseniaspora. For leaf miners, the yeasts serve primarily as a food source for insect larvae rich in vitamins and amino acids. The adult leaf miners, in turn, contribute to the reproduction of the yeasts and create favorable conditions for their development.

Rational use of forest land honey reserve for honey collection of the Toratau geopark of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Besides obtaining valuable beekeeping products, bee families have a positive effect when pollinating forest plants, ensuring both high productivity of resources and promoting the conservation and favourable development of natural populations of forest species. The object of the study, the lands of the forest fund of the Toratau geopark of the Republic of Bashkortostan, serve as an optimization of the number, expansion of the range and maintaining the genetic purity of the population of the indigenous Burzyan side bee (Apis mellifera L). There needs to be more information on the inventory of honey resources on the territory of the Geopark. Therefore, the goal was to determine the honey stock of forest land for productive medical collection and rational use of resources. As a result of research, land with an area of 479,640 hectares was covered with forest, which includes significant territories of linden stands (213335 hectares - 44.5%) and broad-leaved forest that does not have nectarines of linden and maple (194924 ha - 40.6%). Lipnyak is characterized by a biological resource potential of 96117283.3 kg and a broad-leaved forest, respectively, 904447.36 kg. The total estimated honey reserve of the territory of the Republic of Belarus mountain-forest zone consists of 104 595 108 kg, which will allow for keeping up to 560,704 bee families. Small-leaved linden accounts for 89.3%, located extremely unevenly in the studied territory. In the years favourable for the production of linden, the organization of nomadic beekeeping is necessary. The share of nectar reserves of maple, willow and grassy communities relative to but is small and amounts to 9.6%. However, given the instability of colour and nectar release of linden, the presence of alternative sources of nectar allows the preservation of the number of stationary bee families in the “lean years.”

The prevalence of micromycetes of the genera <i>Alternaria</i> and <i>Cladosporium</i> in an urbanized environment using the example of the city of Moscow

Fungi of the genera Alternaria and Cladosporium, can cause mycoses in a significant part of people. To reduce air pollution by spores of fungi dangerous to human health, the degree of involvement of ornamental and fruit crops, lawn grasses, as well as weed plants with fungi from the genera Alternaria and Cladosporium was studied. To determine the prevalence of fungal pathogens during 2017-2020, collection and microscopic analysis of plant samples of 64 species of higher plants from 12 botanical families was carried out in 12 administrative districts of Moscow. Species diagnostics of fungi of the genus Alternaria were carried out according to the morphological features of conidia and the habit of sporulation. It has been found that most species of fungi identified in the urban area belong to the toxic non-specialized species A. tenuissima, A. infectoria and A. alternata. A high degree of lesion with fungi of the genus Alternaria is determined – at the level of 20-40 % – introduced species: Ash maple (Acer negundo), Hawthorn semi-soft (Crataegus submollis), as well as such crops common in urban landscaping as small-leaved Lipa (Tilia cordata). A high degree of damage to Cherry acidic (Prunus cerasus) fungi of the genus Cladosporium has been established, with a maximum degree of development of up to 30 %. The least affected ornamental and fruit crops suitable for urban landscaping have been identified, species suitable for landscaping areas of new buildings and areas with a large wind load have been described.

Assessment of Total Mineral Content in Raw Materials of Ten Medicinal Plants from Roadside Biotopes (Voronezh Region)

Abstract—The total mineral content in medicinal plants from the roadside and railside coenoses of the Voronezh region was studied. The pharmacopoeial plant raw materials of 10 species were evaluated: roots of Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg and Arctium lappa L.; herb of Polygonum aviculare L., Artemisia absinthium L., Leonurus quinquelobatus Gilib., and Achillea millefolium L.; leaves of Urtica dioica L. and Plantago major L.; flowers of Tanacetum vulgare L. and Tilia cordata Mill. For collecting medicinal plant raw materials, the minimum allowable distances from different types of roads and railways were determined based on the total ash content indicator. For different natural zones, the minimum allowable distance from the heavy traffic motorways is: forest zone – 210 m, forest–steppe zone – 240 m, and steppe zone (devoid of tree and shrub vegetation) – 380 m. For secondary low-speed roads and railways, the minimum recommended distance is 80 m.

First Record of the Invasive Scale Insect, Pulvinaria hydrangeae Steinweden, 1946 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in Romania.

Over the last few decades, globalization and global trade have increased the risk of the vehiculation of invasive organisms, which has had multiple negative effects, both economic and ecological. Through this study, we aimed to produce a report on the first record of the invasive scale insect Pulvinaria hydrangeae (Stein. 1946) in Brașov County in central Romania. It was found on two native tree species: sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and linden (Tilia cordata). In this paper, we (i) highlight the list of possible hosts, (ii) provide a general outlook on infestations and (iii) review the control options for this particular pest. Because early detection and quick reporting are the most important actions in the successful management of invasive species, in general, we also provide a synthetic morphological description of the adult female specimens and ovisacs. Due to natural occurrence, our findings highlight the potential risks posed by the infestation of this insect to native tree species belonging to the Acer and Tilia genera. Because of the temperate climate in Romania and the fact that females are wingless, the new infestations will probably be made through the vehiculation of infested plants, rather than through natural spreading. However, because of global warming, the chances of this species surviving during the winter are likely to increase, making northern expansion of the cottony hydrangea scale feasible.

Urban Green System Planning Insights for a Spatialized Balance between PM10 Dust Retention Capacity of Trees and Urban Vehicular PM10 Emissions

Reducing air pollution is a crucial challenge in urban areas. In this regard, urban green infrastructures could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars analyzed both the ability of species-specific and layout-specific green infrastructures to reduce air pollution and the best location sites of new green infrastructures to increase the provision of overall ecosystem services. There is a lack of studies helping green urban planners and designers choose where and which green infrastructure to implement based on vegetation species-specific performance and differentiated demand for the ecosystem services of city areas. This paper uses tree cadastre data from a medium-sized city in central Italy (Perugia) and the traffic open-layers of Gmaps to develop a spatial analysis of the urban trees’ performance in PM10 dust retention, and the PM10 produced by vehicular emissions, respectively. The method generates a spatialized balance between demand (air-polluted sites by traffic) and supply (PM10 dust retention by trees) to support local decisions about the best locations for new green infrastructures and the choice between species. The paper analyzed 6710 urban trees in an area of 42.62 km2 with a linear road density of 15 km/km2. Platanus hybrida Mill. ex Münchh, Celtis australis L., Ulmus carpinifolia L., Pinus pinaster Aiton, Quercus ilex L., Quercus robur L., and Tilia cordata Mill. are the resulting optimal species to reduce PM10, with median values of 219.62, 181.47, 166.67, 154.66, 143.90, 118.61, and 118.04 g tree−1 yr−1, respectively. The paper is a first contribution in developing GIS-based tools that vary the recommended location sites and species for new green infrastructures based on the demanded ecosystem service. Urban planners are called to dynamically use and integrate numerous tools, such as the one developed here, to seek complex solutions capable of increasing the sustainability of urban systems.

Identification of the Coding-Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Cytorhabdovirus in Tilia cordata Showing Extensive Leaf Chloroses

Here, we report the coding-complete sequence (14,152 nucleotides [nt]) of a novel cytorhabdovirus detected in Tilia cordata and tentatively named cytorhabdovirus tiliae. The assumed genome organization is 3'-N-P-P3-M-G-p6-p6'-L-5'. The N gene encodes the putative nucleoprotein (59.1 kDa), P encodes the phosphoprotein (34.7 kDa), P3 encodes the movement protein (23.1 kDa), M encodes the matrix protein (23.1 kDa), G encodes a glycoprotein (64.4 kDa), and L encodes the viral RNA polymerase (247 kDa). P6 and P6' are overlapping open reading frames (ORFs), which may encode gene products of 7.9 and 9.5 kDa, respectively, of unknown functions.

Pruning revisited – effect of pruning season on wood discoloration and occlusion in four temperate broadleaved tree species

Abstract Pruning is a necessary part of tree management both in silvicultural systems and in urban forestry. For the wood industry’s production of high-quality timber, as well as for the urban forest’s risk reduction and ecosystem services enhancements, it is essential that the pruning is accurately implemented. This study aimed to determine the effect of pruning season on discoloration amount and occlusion rate in four broadleaved tree species. In 2014, 84 trees were pruned in January, May and September. Six years later, the 252 samples from the three pruning points per tree were collected and analysed. ‘Common oak (Quercus robur L.)’ and ‘small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.)’ showed least discoloration when pruned in January, ‘wild cherry (Prunus avium L.)’ showed least discoloration when pruned in September and ‘Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.)’ did not show any significant differences. All species occluded fastest when pruned in January, but at different rates. Common oak occluded 84 per cent of the samples, Norway maple 42 per cent, small-leaved lime 32 per cent and wild cherry 13 per cent. In summary, the pruning month affected discoloration amounts and occlusion rates of the tested tree species in varied ways. Our research suggests an important knowledge gap regarding optimal species-specific pruning times and underlying reasons for different reactions to pruning.

Evaluation of the growth, adaption, and ecosystem services of two potentially-introduced urban tree species in Guangzhou under drought stress

Under rapid urbanization and agglomeration of population, cities are facing various environmental challenges. As urban forests play a crucial role in mitigating native environmental problems and providing ecosystem services, cities might enhance their urban forest construction through multiple approaches, of which the introduction of exotic tree species could be an effective way. Under the background of constructing a high-quality forest city, Guangzhou was considering introducing a series of exotic tree species to improve the local urban greening, among which Tilia cordata Mill. and Tilia tomentosa Moench became the potential objects. As Guangzhou was reported to experience higher temperatures with less precipitation and face drought events with increasing frequency and intensity, whether the two tree species could survive in the dry environment required to be investigated profoundly. Thus, we launched a drought-simulation experiment and measured their above- and below-ground growth in 2020. In addition, their ecosystem services were also simulated and evaluated for their future adaption. Furthermore, a congeneric native tree species Tilia miqueliana Maxim was also measured in the same experiment as a comparison. Our results showed that Tilia miqueliana exhibited moderate patterns of growth and advantages in evapotranspiration and cooling. Besides, its investment in root development at horizontal level could account for its special strategy against drought stress. Tilia tomentosa’s vigorous root growth could be the most positive behavior of coping with water deficit, which explained its maintenance of carbon fixation and implied a well adaption. Tilia cordata showed a complete decrease in above- and below-ground growth, especially for its fine root biomass. In addition, its ecosystem services were significantly reduced, reflecting a comprehensive failure when it faced a long-term scarcity of water. Therefore, it was necessary to supply sufficient water and under-ground space for their living in Guangzhou, especially for Tilia cordata. In the future, long-time observation of their growth under different stresses can be practical approaches to amplify their multiple ecosystem services.

RESEARCH OF THE STATE OF WOODY AND BRUSHWOOD PLANTS UNDER ANTHROPOGENIC STRESS CONDITIONS

Objective. The study of anthropogenic impact on environmental components, primarily on woody and shrub plants, which are the main medium-forming element in natural and artificial ecosystems, is relevant. The subject of this study was the ecological and biological state of plants under conditions of technogenic stress.
 Materials and methods. The article presents the results of a study of the life state of woody plants. For this, test plots were laid on the territory of sanitary protection zones of industrial enterprises and in the plantings of main plantings. The quantitative content of tannins and polyphenol oxidase in plant leaves during the active growing season was determined by spectrophotometry and titrimetric analysis.
 Results. Vitality decreases in the following order: Betula pendula Roth.> Sorbus aucuparia L.> Rosa majalis Herrn.> Acer negundo L.> Tilia cordata Mill. In plantations of technogenic territories, an increase in damage to the leaf blade is noted, a greater number of dry branches appear in the crown of a tree, compared to the control zone. Thus, in the study area, the lowest life state scores were recorded in Tilia cordata Mill., And the highest vital state scores were recorded in silver birch. In mountain ash, wild rose and American maple, the vital state is average. The increase in the activity of polyphenol oxidase was observed in plantations of technogenic territories, which is a consequence of intensive anthropogenic load on woody plants. Increased activity of polyphenol oxidase helps to decrease the content of tannins in plant leaves. Betula pendula Roth. Sorbus aucuparia L. in the SPZ of industrial enterprises in July, the accumulation of tannins is more intense than in the control plantations.
 Conclusion. Betula pendula Roth., Sorbus aucuparia L. in the SPZ of industrial enterprises in July, the accumulation of tannins is more intense than in the control plantations. Spectrophotometric determination of activity helps to understand the reasons why the content of tannins increases or decreases. This fact indicates the participation of tannins in the complex of adaptive reactions of plants, which are associated with protection from aerogenic pollutants. As a result of the study, the most resistant to anthropogenic stress plant species were identified: silver birch, cinnamon rose, and rowan tree.

Increased brick ratio in urban substrates has a marginal effect on tree saplings

From construction and demolition of buildings, brick wastes accumulate in large quantities and are difficult to recycle. Re-using bricks as planting substrate could partly substitute gravel or other raw materials, and would reduce deposition of bricks in landfills. High water-holding capacity and a high specific surface of such substrates are beneficial for plant growth, while high pH could be a disadvantage. This study focuses on potential effects of brick-based substrates on survival, growth and functional traits of two urban trees (Acer platanoides, Tilia cordata). We compared the effects of brick quantity (5 vs. 30%), pre-treatment with phosphoric acid, nutrient-poor vs. -rich soil, and mycorrhiza inoculation upon saplings in two greenhouse experiments. There were no effects on survival, while a high brick ratio slightly reduced growth of A. platanoides and its branching in nutrient-rich soil, and tend to increase the root-to-shoot ratio in both species. The acid pre-treatment caused negative effects on relative growth rate of A. platanoides. Mycorrhiza inoculation had a tendency for a positive effect on growth in T. cordata, but only with 5% brick ratio. Overall, the brick-based substrates have no clear effect on the study species. Thus, bricks can be recommended as a neutral component within constructed Technosols, and can be used to modify grain size distribution without negative effects on survival, growth and performance, while further studies are needed on bricks with cement and gypsum contaminations.