The Species Diversity and Life Conditions of Dendroflora of the Clinical Hospital of Ukrzaliznytsia Jsc, Dnipro City

Abstract

The role of the landscaping of hospital areas is considered. The purpose of the study is to identify the species composition and assess the life conditions of green spaces of the Clinical Hospital On Railway Transport of the “Healthcare Centre” Branch of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC inDniproCity. To achieve it, the methods of route and visual surveys, analysis and calculations are applied. The range of tree and shrub vegetation is examined and 44 species belonging to 35 genera and 18 families are found. The heterogeneity of dendroflora in terms of species diversity depending on the place of plant growth on the territory of the hospital is established. The rate of coniferous and broadleaved species in green spaces with the distribution of life forms is illustrated. The range of gymnosperms is assessed as insufficient. The most diverse in terms of taxonomic and the most numerous in terms of quantitative composition of the family are determined – Rosaceae and Cupressaceae, respectively. Trees and shrubs are singled out for their decorative properties. Attention is focused on the problem caused by uncontrolled self-reproduction of some tree species: Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer negundo, Acer ptatanoides, Morus alba, Fraxinus lanceolata, Ulmus pumila, Padus racemosa. It is found that the landscaping of the specified area is formed mainly by introduced species. The representatives of North America are dominant. The most common species are found to be Thuja occidentalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer negundo. An analysis of the compatibility of trees and shrubs in relation to moisture is made: mesophytes are identified as the dominant group (40.5% of the total number of plants), xerophytes, xeromesophytes and mesoxerophytes cover 56.7%. The data of measurements of trunk diameters (in the range of 2 to 106 cm) and plant height with justification of its variation, depending on age, are published. The tallest individuals are found among the Populus nigra and P. Simonii species. The life conditions of green spaces are assessed based on the distribution by appropriate categories. The number of healthy specimens is recorded at the level of 63.7%. The rest (36.3%) are represented by the species of varying degrees of weakening and damage. Among them, the lion’s share of plants (23%) belongs to the first category. Recommendations for the optimization of the range of studied dendroflora are given and the perspective of further scientific research is outlined.