ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE CITY OF RIVNE BASED ON FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY INDICATORS

Abstract

The environmental quality of the city of Rivne was assessed by indicators of fluctuating asymmetry (FA). The magnitude of the asymmetry of the morphological features of leaf plates of the hanging birch (Betula pendula), which grows in different areas of the city with different degrees of technogenic load, was determined. The state of the urban environment was assessed using a scoring scale based on test polygons. For the research, the city territory was divided into 12 test polygons covering residential, anthropogenically loaded and recreational areas, with an area of 1–5 km2. Test polygons I–IV represent the northern part of the city, IX–XII – the southern, V – the western, VI–VII – the central, VIII – the eastern part of the city. To quantitatively express the degree of asymmetry of the plant organism, a deviation scale from the norm was developed, which characterizes the level of pollution of the territory based on the fluctuating asymmetry indicator, where 1 point is the "conditional norm", and 5 points are "critical condition". Based on the calculation of the average value of FA, the dependence of the symmetry level violation due to urban environment pollution was established. Betula pendula is subjected to the greatest technogenic impact in the territories of 1, V, VII, IX and XI test polygons. The FA indicator in these parts of the city ranges from 0.057 to 0.060. The state of the environment is characterized as critical (about 50% of the city territory) and is estimated at 5 points. The most favorable is the environment in the area of X test polygon with a FA indicator of 0.037, which corresponds to the stability of the conditional norm and is estimated at 1 point. The influence of atmospheric air pollution on the state of the generative organs of Betula pendula was revealed. It was established that among the five morphometric parameters, characteristic 3 (the distance between the bases of the 1st and 2nd veins) is the most sensitive to the influence of technogenic pollution. The most resistant characteristic to technogenic influence is parameter 2 – the length of the 2nd vein of the 2nd order. Based on the data of field observations, a map of the state of the environment of the city of Rivne was created according to FA indicators for test polygons. Recommendations were proposed to improve the ecological situation of the city of Rivne: streamlining traffic, improving transport infrastructure, switching to electric transport. Thus, the quality of the environment is determined by the state of atmospheric air, which is reflected through fluctuating asymmetry.