Soil Technological and Other Ecological Aspects of State of Trees in Moscow
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Soil technological and other ecological aspects of state of trees in Moscow O.V. Makarova Promotor: prof. ir. U.D. Perdok Hoogleraar in de bodemtechnologie Co-promotor: dr.ir. A.J. Koolen Universitair hoofddocent, Leerstoelgroep Bodemtechnologie Promotiecommissie: prof. ir. K. Kerkstra, Wageningen Universiteit prof. dr. agr. J. Müller, Wageningen Universiteit prof. dr. S. Schütz, Universität Göttingen, Duitsland dr.ir. J.H.M. Wösten, Alterra, Wageningen Soil technological and other ecological aspects of state of trees in Moscow O.V. Makarova Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor op gezag van de rector magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit, prof. dr.ir. L. Speelman in het openbaar te verdedigen op vrijdag 10 januari 2003 des namiddags te 16.00 uur in de Aula. Makarova, O.V. Soil technological and other ecological aspects of state trees in Moscow. Dissertation Wageningen University – With ref. – With summaries in English and Dutch. ISBN 90-5808-792-1 CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 1 PREFACE.................................................................................................................................. 3 1. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA ............................................. 7 1.1. Climatic characteristics of Moscow region..................................................................... 7 1.2. Special features of the Moscow city................................................................................ 8 1.3. Geological structure and relief ..................................................................................... 11 1.4. Soil-forming rocks characteristics and soils of Moscow region................................... 14 1.5. The hydrological conditions.......................................................................................... 18 1.5.1. Moscow region............................................................................................................18 1.5.2. The Moscow city......................................................................................................... 20 2. BASIS ASPECTS OF WORK: A LITERATURE REVIEW............................................. 23 2.1. The state of the Moscow vegetation.............................................................................. 23 2.2. Urban soil characteristics.............................................................................................. 26 2.2.1. Location. ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.2.2. Soil compaction........................................................................................................... 27 2.2.3. Drainage and aeration................................................................................................ 28 2.2.4. Chemical toxicity........................................................................................................30 2.2.5. Factors that affect urban vegetation.......................................................................... 33 3. DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND FIELD WORK CRITERIA .. 37 3.1. Investigation objects, tasks and actuality..................................................................... 37 3.2. Materials and methods.................................................................................................. 38 4. SOIL CONDITION INFLUENCE ON THE TREES OF MOSCOW CITY. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................ 49 4.1. Plant water deficiency. .................................................................................................. 49 4.1.1. Introductory remarks on the role of water stress in tree growth. ............................ 49 4.1.2. Transpiration and leaf drying as a diagnostic characteristic. .................................. 53 4.1.3. The urban tree condition and leaf drying rate. ......................................................... 61 4.2. Physical parameters of soil and water deficit of the plants. ........................................ 66 4.2.1. Introductory remarks on soil humidity..................................................................... 66 4.2.2. Soil humidity and tree condition................................................................................ 70 4.2.3. Soil texture and tree condition................................................................................... 71 4.2.4. Soil structure and tree condition................................................................................ 74 4.2.5. Water balance............................................................................................................. 77 4.3. Chemical toxicity and urban trees................................................................................ 81 4.3.1. Introductory remarks................................................................................................. 81 4.3.2. Agro-chemical soil data and tree condition............................................................... 88 4.3.3. Heavy metals in the soil and tree condition............................................................... 91 4.3.4. Water soluble salts in the urban soil and tree condition........................................... 94 4.3.5. Heavy metals content in leaves of urban trees and tree condition............................ 95 4.3.6. Salt contents in leaves of urban trees and tree condition........................................ 100 4.4. Relationships between tree parameters and tree condition....................................... 104 4.4.1. Introductory remarks............................................................................................... 104 4.4.2. Leaf area and tree condition. ................................................................................... 105 4.4.3. Last Shoot length and tree condition....................................................................... 113 5. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 115 6. SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 121 7. SAMENVATTING ............................................................................................................ 124 1 8. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 127 9. CURRICULUM VITAE.................................................................................................... 139 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................................................................................... 140 2 PREFACE Urbanization is one of the main social-economic problems of our days. In the majority of countries cities have become overcrowded with population, overloaded with industrial products and as a result it causes intensive urban pollution. Non-utilized industrial and municipal waste with toxic chemical elements is the main source of pollution. In the majority of industrial cities one can notice the superposition of different industrial pollution areas and types of communal activity, also the forming of technogenic geochemical anomaly in the components of urban landscape (air, snow, soil, surface and underground water) is observed. As a result a city is becoming more and more complex, unstable and often a dangerous environment for plant-raising. So no wonder that in many cases the state of urban green is unsatisfactory. 3 4 To my son Dimitri 5 6 1. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA 1.1. Climatic characteristics of Moscow region. The Moscow region according to forest zoning is situated in a coniferous-broad- leaved forest subzone of a mixed forest zone and belongs to a forest vegetation district – a pine forest with admixture of fir-trees (spruce-trees) and broad-leaved species. Table 1 shows parameters of Moscow region climate. Table 1. Parameters of region climate (Lihachova, 1990) Items Unit of Point Date measurement 1. Air temperature: Average annual C + 3,5 Absolute MAX + 35 Absolute MIN - 48 2. Amount of precipitation a year mm 549 3. Duration of the growing Days 151 period 4. Frosts: last spring frosts 13 May first fall frosts 20 September 5. Average date of river 17 November freezing 6. Average date of the spring 14 April floods beginning 7. Blanket of snow: depth cm 15 time of cover 17 November time of vanishing in forests 5 April 8. Soil freezing depth cm 50…90 9. Direction of the predominant winds: Winter Compass point SW, SE Spring NW Summer W Fall W, SW 10. Average speed of the predominant winds: Winter m/sec 4,4 Spring 4,2 Summer 3,4 Fall 4,3 11. Relative atmospheric humidity % 80 7 Among the climatic factors which have a negative influence over the growth and development of forestry vegetation one should mark late frosts, which beat down young tree shoots and reduce seed yield; strong wind, which cause windfall of fir-trees, especially on soils with excessive moistening; strong snowfall with simultaneous thaws, which cause snowbreak in pure thick fir and pine saplings; and strong frosts in January and February, together with summer heat in some years. Cultivation of mixed plantations of optimal composition, which are most weather resistant, can help to reduce negative influence of climatic factors. On