The use of birch Betula pubescens folia morphology

The use of birch Betula pubescens folia morphology as indicator of atmosphere pollution and anthropogenic pressure Your picture here Valentin B. Sapunov • Saint-Petersburg State Agrarian University, St-Petersburg, Russia, sapunov@rshu. ru • Аbstract The increase of anthropogenic pressure and permanent pollution of the natural and urbanized environment requires the availability of effective methods for monitoring the ecological quality of territories. The priority should be considered simple, cheap and knowledge-intensive methods that can be owned by researchers without special environmental education. Such methods are the methods of phenogenetic indication and assessment of the morphological variability of widespread plants. Contaminants and pollutants can be divided into 4 categories: toxins, teratogens, carcinogens and mutagens. Toxins inhibit the development of organisms, but do not affect their genetic program. Teratogens disrupt the implementation of the genetic program. Mutagens and carcinogens destroy the genetic program itself, and these disorders can be passed on to the next generation. A convenient object of express monitoring is the birch Betula pubescens (alba) L, which is widespread in Eurasia. Toxic emissions suppress its growth. This increases the variability of the linear parameters of the leaves. Teratogens increase the proportion of trees with dichotomy and trichotomy. The indicator of fluctuating asymmetry of leaves can serve as a criterion for mutagenic pollution of the environment. This paper presents estimates of morphological variability in different places of the Leningrad region. The coefficient of fluctuating asymmetry KA = (l 1 - l 2)2 / (l 1 + l 2) is introduced, where l 1 and l 2 are linear indicators of asymmetry. A high correlation was established between the level of diversity and the distance from the motorways and pollution by lead compounds, which is a teratogen. Fluctuating asymmetry is increased in places of radioactive contamination, depends on the distance to the trace of the Chernobyl disaster, the nuclear power plant. It is also increased in places of natural increased background radiation associated with the outputs of radioactive radon and the presence of granites. A map of the distribution of vegetation with varying degrees of morphological diversity and fluctuating asymmetry is presented. It is proposed to use the developed methods and algorithms for the assessment of toxic, teratogenic and mutagenic pollution of the environment and for the ecological monitoring of urbanized and non-urban areas. Results` Geography LAPS – Leningrad Atomic Power station CT – Chernobyl track SGS – Scandinavia Granit shield Conclusions • 1. The correlation between the level of fluctuating asymmetry and general indicators of variability is small and amounts to 0. 25. Consequently, these values reflect different processes in the environment. • 2. Fluctuating asymmetry is associated with mutagenic pollution of the environment. General variability - with pollution by toxins and teratogens. • 3. The greatest morphological variability in large leaves that have been exposed to environmental factors for longer. • 4. The variability of morphological parameters of white birch leaves can be used along with other methods as a means of rapid assessment of the state of the environment. Future is development of green economy in accordance with UN policy of sustanable development basing on fundamental sciences records. References and cited literature • • • Sapunov, V. B. 2011. Phenogenetic indication as a method of assay of urban area ecological state // Proc. 7 th Int Conf Urban pests, Ouro Preto (Brazil), p. 409. Sapunov, V. B. 2012. Theoretical basis of pest management // Integrated pest management. 7 th Intern Symp, Memphis, Tenessee, March 27 – 29, p. 100 – 101. Sapunov, V. B. 2013. Theoretical basis of pest management // Экологическая химия, т. 22, вып. 1, с. 48 – 58. • Сапунов В. Б. Феногенетическая индикация как метод оценки состояния агроценоза // История науки и техники, 2007, т. 6, с. 11 – 12. • Valentin Sapunov. Clean ecological methods for sustainable development of urban area under pressure of urban pests // Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 21, EGU 2019 – 225, 2019, EGU General Assembly, 2019. • Сапунов В. Б. Развитие сельских территорий в условиях глобальных социально-экологических реалий XXI века. // Качественный рост российского агропромышленного комплекса: возможности, проблемы и перспективы. Материалы деловой программы XXVII международной агропромышленной выставки «АГРОРУСЬ – 2018» (21 -24 августа 2018 года, конгрессно - выставочный центр «ЭКСПОФОРУМ» , Санкт-Петербург), 2018, с. 43 – 46. • Карта радиоактивного загрязнения Ленинградской области. Мин. Сельхоз. РФ, С-Пб, Ленлес, 1992. 30 pages.