Environmental Assessment of Urban Areas using Plants of Different Taxa as Indicators

Aim. Study of existing phytoindication approaches in order to determine how they can be optimally integrated and applied to the environmental assessment of urban areas.Material and Methods. The investigation encompassed 30 evenly distributed trial sites in the city of Kislovodsk, Stavropolskaya Oblast, Russia. Lichen poleotolerance, the fluctuating asymmetry of the leaves of Betula pendula Roth., the lifespan of needles of Pinus sylvestris L., and the correlations between Trifolium repens L. phenotypes were used as key phytoindicators.Results. The morphometric parameters of lichens, Betula pendula Roth., Pinus sylvestris L., Trifolium repens L. growing in the urban environment were studied. A phytoindication parameter matrix was developed as a component of an integrated approach to the environmental assessment of urban areas. The most ecologically vulnerable areas of the city of Kislovodsk were identified, and ecological zoning of the territory was carried out.Conclusion. Phytoindication analysis using reliable and valid techniques can provide a basis for an integrated ecological assessment of urban areas. In order to obtain reliable results, plants from different taxa should be used. The study has shown that the use of plant indicators in urban areas can provide timely and regularly updatable information about environmental status to support sustainable development.