Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Microelement Composition of Conifers and Soils Under Industrial Pollution

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630*581.192:630*425:631.811

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Abstract

The paper considers microelement composition of conifer leaves and soils of northern taiga forests after the most powerful source of air pollution in Northern Europe – copper and nickel “Severonickel Combine” (Monchegorsk) ­­– reduced its emissions. Long-term anthropogenic impact on the air changed the mineral composition of plants and soil within a radius of 100 km from the emission source. Defoliating forests and woodlands showed increased concentrations of Ni, Cu and Fe and low values of Mn and Zn in the needles and organic horizon of Al-Fe-humus podzols, which is the key nutrient for plants. Based on the monitoring data of two observation periods (1992 and 2007) we detected a reduction in the concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Fe) in the needles of Siberian spruce and Scots pine at various levels of air pollution. The most obvious changes are observed in the chemical composition of pine and spruce woodlands, which have the highest levels of anthropogenic impact on plant communities. Lower concentration of major pollutants did not contribute to optimization of mineral nutrition of dominant plant species in boreal forests. Negative changes in microelement composition, which occurred over many years, are associated with manganese and zinc impoverishment of the needles, which is especially pronounced in spruce. The soil maintains high concentrations of contaminants preventing optimization of the nutrient regime of forest ecosystems. The soil of spruce woodlands is depleted of manganese and zinc, which is one of the reasons for their content decline in spruce needles. Conifers, with their assimilative organs being highly sensitive to changes in growth conditions, can with advantage be used as informative bioindicators of air pollution in forest ecosystems.

Authors

T.A. Sukhareva Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences

Affiliation

Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences

Keywords

needles, soil, microelements, pollution, copper and nickel production.