Biochemical indicators of woody plants in the diagnosis of air condition

It is found that anthropogenic pollution has a significant effect on the change in the content of total nitrogen, glutathione and vitamin E, which increases the resistance of woody plants to stress. A series of woody plants with regard to their sensitivity to aerosol pollution has been compiled: according to the degree of decrease in total nitrogen – Picea abies > Thuja occidentalis > Syringa vulgaris > Acer platanoides > Tilia cordata > Sorbus aucuparia; the degree of decrease in glutathione content – Picea abies > Thuja occidentalis > Syringa vulgaris > Acer platanoides > Tilia cordata > Sorbus aucuparia; the degree of decrease in the content of vitamin E – Picea abies > Thuja occidentalis > Sorbus aucuparia > Tilia cordata > Syringa vulgaris > Acer platanoides. A positive correlation was revealed between the biochemical parameters of woody plants and the monitoring complex indices proposed by the Russian meteorological service. A close direct regression dependence of the air pollution index and the average stability coefficient for the content of total nitrogen, vitamin E and glutathione in the biomass of model woody plants was revealed: with an increase in the degree of air pollution, the average stability coefficient for certain biochemical indicators increases.

Features of formation of parks-monuments of lanscape art of the second half of the XX century of Ukrainian Polissia

The formation of park-monuments of landscape art was analyzed from a historical perspective. In the second half of the twentieth century, two national and nine local park-monuments of landscape art were created in Ukrainian Polissya. The purpose of PMLA is the protection and the preservation of the most prominent and valuable examples of park construction in order to use them for aesthetic, educational, scientific, environmental and health purposes. By the placement in the planning structure of inhabited localities are defined city, village and district parks. The motivation for the creation of parks was the preservation, reproduction and enrichment of tree diversity in the conditions of the Ukrainian Polissya. In the parks were planted technical, fast-growing, rare species, and species of woody plants valuable for forestry and landscape gardening with their subsequent use for scientific and economic purposes. Some of the plantations in the parks were memorable, anniversary, or dedicated to significant events (the anniversary of the October Revolution and the birthday of V.I. Lenin). In Ukrainian Polissya, there are three parks created on the basis of existing oak plantations “Klevanskyi Park”, “Park Antonivka”, “Bondaretskyi”); one - on the basis of man-made plantations with Acer platanoides L., Carpinus betulus L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Tilia cordata Mill. (“Ovrutskyi”); three parks of culture and recreation (“Horodnianskyi”, “Vysokivskyi”, “Slovianskyi”) including a meadow park (“Slovianskyi”), a children's park (“Bondaretskyi”), three arboretums (“Dubechnenskyi”, “Bairak”, “Novostavskyi dendropark”, “Zhornivskyi”), which were transformed over time, or which were granted the status of PMLA. By the size, PMLA were small, medium, and large with star, axial, fan, loop, cross-shaped and combined planning structures. In four PMLA, there were man-made and natural reservoirs, and a fountain. Five parks were combined (memorial and park of culture and rest); there were concentrated memorial complexes, monuments, and an obelisk. Plantings of parks are represented by groups, solitairs, alleys, ordinary plantings, hedges, and sometimes by groves and massifs. On the territory of 11 PMLA grew 178 species of woody plants, with 121 of them being included to the IUCN Red List. In 4 parks, since their creation the number of species increased by 75–129%; in 6 parks tree diversity decreased, with 29 to 87% of tree plant species remaining, among them 66–94% of trees were rare. 11 PMLA are valuable centers of tree diversity and unique plantings of Ukrainian Polissya; and an example of the formation of didactic, ethnographic, memorial, children's, culture and recreation, and combined parks that need further protection and expansion of the area and collection. Some parks are in need of planting reconstruction.

Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soils: A Review

Heavy metals represent a major threat to public health and the environment if they are intentionally or unintentionally introduced into the soil. They are elements that cannot be degraded and can be teratogenic, mutagenic, and endocrine-disrupting. Carcinogens and toxins in humans can be caused by heavy metals, which are difficult to regulate. Phytoremediation has been recommended as an alternative to classic physicochemical remediation methods since it is more efficient for combating heavy metals pollution in soil or water bodies and ecologically friendly. Biomass produced as a result of phytoremediation can be utilised for cogeneration of energy and/or the creation of biofuels, all of which contribute to health, the environment, and cost-effectiveness. In order to improve the usage of phytoremediation in the coming years, a deeper understanding of the technique's potential is necessary. Additionally, this study provides information on the use of herbaceous and woody plants for phytoremediation in soils affected by heavy metals.

Woody plants of public gardens in Ussuryisk city (Primorye Territory)

The species and quantitative composition of woody-shrub plants in public gardens in Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory) have been studied. A total of 63 taxa from 41 genera and 21 families have been recorded. Among them, by the number of species the rose family is the leader (28,6% of the total number of species), 10 families are represented by only one genus and species. The largest genus is the genus Acer L., 6 species of which are used in landscaping in the studied public gardens. The composition of woody plants is dominated by aboriginal species (69,8% of their total number), among introduced species there are plants of East Asia (9 species), North America (4 species), as well as plants of Eurasian (3 species) and European (3 species) origin. Life forms (biomorphs) are dominated by summer-green trees over 10 m in height (23 species), summer-green shrubs over 2 m in height (13 species) and summer-green shrubs 1-2 m in height (12 species). Most often in the landscaping of public gardens in the Ussuriysk city there are Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila L.), Asian white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukacz.), common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolia (L.) Maxim.), ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L.) and Manchu ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.). Keywords: PUBLIC GARDEN, LANDSCAPING, ARBORIFLORA, LIFE FORM (BIOMORPH), USSURIYSK, PRIMORYE TERRITORY, RECREATION ZONE

Crassoascoma gen. nov. (Lentitheciaceae, Pleosporales): Unrevealing Microfungi from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China

Microfungi associated with woody plants on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) were investigated, and four collections associated with Potentilla fruticosa were obtained from Gansu and Qinghai provinces in China. Morphologically, they line well with Lentitheciaceae in having subglobose to globose ascomata with brown setae on the papilla but can be distinguished from other genera by its superficial, globose, black, thick-walled ascomata, and fusiform, hyaline (rarely pale brown), one-septate ascospores, surrounded by an entire mucilaginous sheath. The phylogenetic analyses based on a combined SSU, ITS, LSU and TEF1-α sequence data showed that four isolates formed a monophyletic clade among the genera of Lentitheciaceae, and present as a distinct lineage (sister clade to Darksidea). Therefore, we introduce a new genus Crassoascoma, with C. potentillae as the type to accommodate these taxa. Detailed description and illustration are provided, and the establishment of new taxa is justified with morphology and phylogenetic evidence.

Reconstruction of the landscape section “G. Potiomkin’s garden” in the dendrological park “Oleksandria” of NAS of Ukraine

The historical landscape area “G. Potemkin’s Garden” is located in the western part of the park and is one of the components of the “ Druzhnii Garden”. After conducting an inventory of woody plants, it was found that the plantings of the Potemkin Garden are represented by 19 species belonging to 2 divisions — Pinophyta (2 species from 2 families and 2 genera) and Magnoliophyta (17 species from 13 families and 16 genera). The dimensions of Potemkin' s garden were specified, the boundaries of Potemkin' s garden were delineated, the center of the flowerbed, the foundation of the rotunda and the walls of the garden were excavated, and the road surface was marked.