Complex assessment of forest condition under air pollution impacts

Abstract

Studies of coniferous forests have been carried out in the Baikal region (East Siberia) - one of the greatest regions in the boreal zone. The region is characterized by presence of large industrial centers emitting considerable amounts of pollutants. The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as a predominant region's species is the main subject of the investigations. Air pollution effects on pine treestands have been assessed using a set of morphostructural and physiological parameters as well as needle elements content. According to the results obtained, within the polluted areas the following parameters such as trees crown defoliation, length of shoots, needles mass, intensity of photosynthesis and respiration, content of elements in the needles are found to have changed to a great extent. A high level of a reverse correlation has been found between accumulation of elements-pollutants in the needles and most of the morphostructural parameters of pine trees polluted by industrial emissions.