SHORT COMMUNICATION
Evaluation of Vigour and Health of "Street"
Trees Using Foliar Ionic Status
Wojciech Dmuchowski1,2, Zygmunt Brogowski2, Aneta Helena Baczewska1
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1Botanical Garden-Center for Conservation of Biological Diversity, Polish Academy of Science,
Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warszawa, Poland
2Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2011;20(2):489-496
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Street-side trees in cities are characterized by poor health, with high salinity and pH, that leads to an
early death. The main reason is soil salinity caused by winter road maintenance using salt (NaCl). Our research
comprised three species of trees. A dependency was determined between their vigour and health and the content
of biogenic elements, typical pollution, and indicators of ionic balance. It was demonstrated that disturbances
of ionic balance had a negative effect on the health of leaves and trees. Increasing the amounts of chlorine
and sodium in the leaves did not have any influence on the content of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen,
and sulphur. The content of calcium was slightly lowered, and that of magnesium was lowered to a large
extent. The leaves containing over 15% chlorine in the sum of all elements studied, expressed in equivalent
values, were characterized by noticeable disturbances in their growth and health.