Characteristics of Plantations on Disturbed Lands in Copper Smelting Zone in Urals, Russia

Abstract

In this research, it was aimed to investigate (i) the recultivation efficiency, (ii) to assess the plantation state via a complex estimated indicator, and (iii) to evaluate the environmental quality in disturbed lands in a zone under influence of copper smelting production. The research was carried out on Golden Mountain, located in the influenced zone of the Karabashed Joint Stock Company. In three plantations as reclamation sites established by sowing and planting, silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), aspen (Populus tremula L.), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), goat willow (Salix caprea L.) as broadleaves, and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) as conifers were selected. Moreover, environmental quality was rated based on the condition scores by collecting leaf samples in four different sites of silver birch forests. As a result, the fluctuating activity method of the silver birch leaf blade seems to be effectively used to assess the environmental quality. At a considerable distance of 8.0 and 13.0 km from the pollution source, the environmental quality has an average [condition score: III with .046 integral asymmetry index] and initial level (condition score: II with .041 integral asymmetry index) of deviation from the norm, respectively. In addition, silver birch can be recommended as the main species in forestry on disturbed lands in the South Ural forest steppe region.