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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «BIOLOGIYA. ECOLOGIYA»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «BIOLOGY. ECOLOGY»
ISSN 2073-3372 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Biology. Ecology». 2025. Vol 54

Morphometric Diagnostics of Technogenic Degradation of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Needles in Industrial Landscapes of Irkutsk Region (East Siberia)

Author(s)

E. A. Vereshchagina

Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
Atmospheric air is a critical component of the environment, and its quality determines public health and ecosystem stability. In conditions of intensive urbanization and industrialization, monitoring of atmospheric pollution becomes particularly significant for territories with high concentrations of industrial enterprises, transport arteries, and communal emission sources. This study presents the results of a morphometric assessment of the assimilation apparatus of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) under conditions of multiple exposure to various pollution sources in the Irkutsk urban agglomeration. Morphometric analysis of needle length was conducted across six settlements differentiated by the type of dominant anthropogenic impact. A reference point was selected at a 30 km distance from pollution centers. Six observation points were established along transects following the “pollution source – background biotope” gradient in each settlement. The study revealed significant spatial differentiation of the anthropogenic field within the agglomeration. In zones with maximum contaminant influence (towns of Shelekhov and Usolye-Sibirskoye), substantial deviations in morphophysiological parameters were observed, including reduction in brachyblast length and manifestation of phytotoxicity symptoms (chloroses, necroses). The research demonstrates that morphometric parameters of Scots pine needles serve as sensitive bioindicators of technogenic stress in industrial landscapes. The observed morphological changes reflect adaptive responses of the assimilation apparatus to chronic atmospheric pollution, confirming the effectiveness of phytometric markers for environmental monitoring in urban agglomerations with complex emission sources.
About the Authors
Vereshchagina Elena Alekseevna, Lecturer Irkutsk State University 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation e-mail: zizograf1@mail.ru
For citation
Vereshchagina E.A. Morphometric Diagnostics of Technogenic Degradation of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Needles in Industrial Landscapes of Irkutsk Region (East Siberia). The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Biology. Ecology, 2025, vol. 54, pp. 83-91. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3372.2025.54.83 (in Russian)
Keywords
Scots pine, phytometric markers, phytotoxicity index, morphological barrier, Irkutsk urban agglomeration.
UDC
581.5(581.6)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3372.2025.54.83
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