Impact of Heavy Metals on Forest Ecosystems of the European North of Russia

• Main Authors: Lyanguzova, Irina, Yarmishko, Vasily, Gorshkov, Vadim, Stavrova, Natalie, Bakkal, Irina
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: IntechOpen 2018
• Subjects: Heavy Metals; Kola Peninsula; kola peninsula
• Online Access: https://mts.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/impact-of-heavy-metals-on-forest-ecosystems-of-the-european-north-of-russia; https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73323

The article presents the results of long-term monitoring of the state of boreal forest ecosystems (Kola Peninsula, European North of Russia) experiencing industrial pollution. The general regularities and distinctive features of the reaction of various components of pine forest ecosystems to joint action of gaseous and solid pollutants and contamination of albic rustic podzols by heavy metals under field experiment are characterized. A dynamic trend in soil and plant contamination levels has been identified, a vitality structure and growth rates of stands have been compared, as well as the state of undergrowth under airborne and soil pollution, the dynamics of the ground cover under soil pollution by heavy metals is characterized. Based on a comparative analysis of the level of soil contamination and the state of the components of pine forest communities, the limits of their tolerance to the toxic effect of heavy metals have been established.