Comparative Characteristics of the Environmental Conditions of Industrial Cities in the Central Black Soil Region Using Bioindication Methods

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare the ecological conditions of woody plants growing in two industrially developed cities of the Central Black Soil Region - Voronezh and Lipetsk. Materials and methods. During the summer of 2021, a survey of green spaces was conducted. The indicator species were the overhanging birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and Italian poplar (Populus italica (Du Roi) Moench). A total of 65 monitoring sites in Voronezh and 44 sites in Lipetsk were investigated. The morphometric parameters used for comparative characterization of environmental conditions were the following: length, width, area, and fluctuating asymmetry of leaf laminae. More than 4,500 leaf samples were analyzed using bioindication methods. Results and discussion. A decrease in the size of leaf plates and an increase in fluctuating asymmetry in the zone of influence of industrial emissions of enterprises (in Voronezh in the neighborhood of JSC Voronezhsintezkauchuk, in Lipetsk - in the zone of influence of metallurgical plant) were revealed. High values of integral index of fluctuating asymmetry were also recorded at major intersections of main streets. Cluster analysis on the basis of four morphometric parameters allowed to group similar in terms of conditions sites. Thus, in most cases (for the indicator birch tree species), points located in the same functional area or territorially close to each other have a closer relationship. Conclusions. The morphometric parameters of woody plants when growing in urban environments are affected by modified abiotic factors, pollutant emissions from stationary and mobile sources.