Scientific publications

The distribution patterns of macro- and microelements in the “soil – plant” system were studied in different aqueo-glacial plain landscapes and geochemical environments in the middle taiga of Eastern Fennoscandia, in the Kivach Strict Nature Reserve. Data on the chemical composition of different parts of dominant plant species are provided. Mosses and lichens are noted for low ash content and relatively low concentrations of macro- and microelements. The low content of heavy metals (nickel, copper, chromium, cobalt) indicates the absence of air-borne industrial pollution in the study area. Dwarf shrubs of the genus Vaccinium are phylogenetically specialized – bilberry and cowberry are calciphagous and accumulate manganese. Pine needles contain equal amounts of potassium and calcium, as well as high concentrations of magnesium and manganese. Potassium, and also copper and cobalt are further translocated to newly formed plant organs. Data on the chemical composition of soils and plants were used to calculate the biological absorption factor and the index of biochemical activity for plants. Chemical elements were groups by the rate of their involvement in the biological cycle. Manganese, calcium and potassium prove to be the most biogenic. Zinc and copper are also actively involved in the biogenic cycle. Among the studied plant species, the index of biochemical activity was the highest in bilberry. The results reveal a slight variation in the content of a majority of the studied chemical elements and the rate of biological uptake by plants across the range of landscape-geochemical conditions. A general finding is that the principal factors for variation in macroelements are the plant’s species identity and physiological characteristics, while the content of microelements varied in relation to the topographic position and hydrological conditions.