Acer platanoides L. in the conditions of anthropogenic load of Donetsk

This paper presents ecological and biological characteristics of holly maple (Acer platanoides L.) that hasn’t been previously described in the conditions of Donetsk. The authors describe urban environment as a broeksema and transformation in it under the influence of anthropogenic factors. The paper considers the influence of the anthropogenic environment in the city on plant organisms, as well as physiological and morphological changes in them. In the course of the research, a high level of anthropogenic load in Donetsk was determined based on the analysis of vibration and acoustic noise along highways, concentration of heavy metals in soils and concentration of aeropolutants in the air in the study areas. A close relationship between the fluctuating asymmetry index of holly maple leaf plates and the viability index and the level of noise pollution along highways has been established. The authors have studied basic parameters of the mechanical resistance of Acer platanoides L. in Donetsk, in the conditions of technogenic contamination and control (arboretum of the Donetsk Botanical Garden). It is established that young trees (5–7 years old) and the ones that have a low viability score due to the approach of critical age in the conditions of the city are at the greatest risk of breakage. The results can be used in biomonitoring studies of the urban environment state.