Forest dimensional structure and tree species composition strictly define ecosystem resilience, success of its functioning and development. Spatial structure of forest compartments provides an additional information on the forest stand heterogeneity. The aim of this study is to examine structural patterns (both spatial and nonspatial ones) in European oak (Quercus robur L.) urban forests located in Kyiv city, Ukraine. We compared two middle-aged (~ 80 years) and two mature (~ 180 years) oak stands in terms of structural metrics collecting a data from geo-referenced trees on the established permanent sample plots. Younger stands reached similar tree diameter diversity (9.07 and 10.45 vs. 11.42 and 14.05 of Shannon indices), while the compositional diversity was driven by the dominance of either oak or European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.). We have not found any differences in the species mingling and deadwood distribution indices except a clear occurrence pattern for the stand located near roads. Herewith, the largest distance between the plot and park pathways was an indicator of changed spatial variation and tree dimensional differentiation within one middle-aged stand. We hypothesize that human impacts can alter structural development in urban deciduous forests providing both positive (gap formation, deadwood occurrence and ecosystem complexity) and negative (shifts in compositional and successional trajectories) effects on such forest stands.
The research aim was inventory of modern specific variety of dendroflora of introduced species of memorial park of landscape gardening art (MPLGA) «Feofania», analysis of its spatial and life-form distribution, creation of a dot map of landscape gardening elements involving modern GPS and GIS (geographical informative systems) technologies. Scope of the study: taxonomical variety and biomorphological structure of dendroflora of introduced species. Research methods: field rout methods; cartographic methods involving GIS; methods of biomorphological and systematic analysis of flora; methods used in dendrology and descriptive statistics methods. Subject matter of the study: dendroflora of introduced species and cultivars of landscape gardening elements in the of memorial park of landscape gardening art «Feofania» (Kyiv). The «Feofaniya» park is created on the basis of natural forest of Carpineto (betuli) – Querceta (roboris) in forest type of a landscape-gardening landscape where the main are sites of century Querceta roboris. Its invaluable wealth is a specific variety of natural vegetable cover together with the introduced species and artificially created plantings on which depends the environment of men. The work on inventory of a century usually-oak grove (Querceta roboris)(Querceta roboris plantation) which is earlier finished by authors with use of materials of aerial photography and global system of positioning Navstar (GPS) provided possibility of creation of an electronic database and the card of geospatial placement of century trees of Quercus robur L. at the territory of memorial park of landscape gardening art «Feofaniya». As MPLGA «Feofaniya» is unique natural and landscape-gardening object, this work covers results of inventory of plantings of its park part (these are nearly 17 ha, or 11 % of the area of the territory). The made analysis of taxonomical structure of wood plants and biomorphological structure of ornamental plants was combined with creation of a schematic map of spatial placement of park basic elements of gardening. The taxonomical structure of park plantings was investigated by method of route inspections. For determination of objects coordinates used GPS map76CSx (mistake within 3–1 m). The cartographical basis is received by means of SAS Planet. Vector cards are constructed in QGIS system. It is established that a variety of perennial plants in landscape compositions of the central part of MPLGA «Feofaniya» is presented by 130 taxons relating to 3 departments, 3 classes, 34 families and 64 genuses. In biomorphological structure of elements of gardening 53.0 % are the share of trees; 46.1 % – bushes and only one specie of lianas. Total number of elements of gardening is 2915 pieces, from them 784 pieces of coniferous and deciduous 2116 pieces. The created schematic map of spatial placement of basic elements of gardening in landscape compositions of park is a basis for projects of enrichment of the existing variety of memorial park of landscape gardening art «Feofaniya».
Wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis) is a rare, endangered, relict species, that is protected by law in many European countries. Outside the species distribution range, the trees are usually planted in botanical gardens, parks, arboretums, and at the roadside. Such old introduced trees are an important source of knowledge about species’ acclimation process and current growth-limiting factors in the new environment. In Kyiv, the oldest live S. torminalis trees have been planted in botanical gardens and arboretums after the 1950s. In addition, some trees of this species are preserved in front of the historical building Liberman’s mansion, but the year of their planting remains unknown. Regarding dendroclimatological investigations of this species are scarce and have been provided only in Central European forests, a detailed analysis of the species growth-to-climate relationships should be performed not only the species’ natural range but also in its secondary ranges. In this article, we studied three S. torminalis trees in a historical place in Kyiv to determine their age and evaluate environmental conditions driving the growth of this rare species out of its natural range in Kyiv. To reach our goal we used the dendrochronological approaches, i.e. tree-ring dating, partial correlation analysis using stationary and moving time windows. Our results showed that S. torminalis trees were planted after the last building owner S. Liberman’s death (1917). The studied trees are the oldest of known alive S. torminalis trees in Kyiv. Dendroclimatological results revealed S. torminalis is sensitive to higher air temperature and moisture excess in the period of wood formation in Kyiv. S. torminalis trees at 2 Bankova Street are the oldest species examples in Kyiv and have important historical, cultural, and scientific values. S. torminalis species could be widely used in urban forestry, particularly in regions with projected soil moisture shortening.
It is especially important to assess the potential mutagenicity of the air environment in the area of active life and human respiration. In our opinion, perennial shrub plants are the most informative objects of such research. Purpose. Study of the sensitivity of the male haploid generation Forsythia suspensa Vahl. to the state of atmospheric air of Kyiv in the surface layer; the prospects of using this species to indicate the quality of atmospheric air and assess possible risks to public health. Methods. Fields, statistical. The state of the generative sphere of F. suspense was determined by fertility and morphometric parameters of pollen, determination of the index of shape and proportion of abnormal grains in the population of non-hydrated pollen. Results. It is established that the pollen of F. suspense is sensitive to a complex of exogenous factors of the growing environment in the park ecosystems of Kyiv. The statistical significance of the complex influence of plant growing factors and weather conditions on the variability of F. suspensa pollen quality traits and its sizes has been confirmed. There is a greater influence of air pollutants in the surface layer of atmospheric air on the size of the equatorial diameter of the pollen grains of this plant species. Introduction of restrictive anti-epidemic measures in 2020 and 2021 has reduced the level of integrated air pollution in most of the studied areas of the capital. These changes in the conditions of the growing environment, especially in the absence of the influence of the developed network of highways, affected the share of abnormal grains in pollen populations in the studied areas. Conclusions. The expediency of further use of plants of F. suspensa to assess the state of the environment on a toxic-mutagenic background and zoning of park ecosystems on a gradient of anthropogenic impact is noted. Complementing the results of bioindication studies using, in particular, F. suspensa pollen, information on the state of health of the population and data on air pollution increases the effectiveness of indicating the state of the environment in Kyiv
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