Dependence of Pinus sylvestris (Pinaceae) Radial Growth on Meteorological Conditions and Aerotechnogenic Pollution (Data on the North-West of the Murmansk Region)

Abstract

—We studied the influence of meteorological factors and aerotechnogenic pollution on the radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) depending on the distance from the mining and metallurgical combine “Pechenganickel” (Nikel, Murmansk region). According to the content of the main polluting elements (S, Ni and Cu) in the forest litter, we identified three zones of the pollution gradient – control, buffer and impact zones. We found a significant weakening of pine stands in the impact zone due to the integrated effect of – long-term exposure to pollution (since the 1970s) and unfavorable weather events in the mid-1980s. As the emission decreased over the period 1988–2018, we observed the significant increase (up to 44%) in the radial increment of P. sylvestris in the impact zone and no meaningful changes in control and buffer ones. Further, the radial increment of trees in the impact zone reached and even exceeded the values in control conditions, despite the relatively high age of the studied trees. This indicated the high adaptive capacity of P. sylvestris.