INFLUENCE OF THE GROUND ENVIRONMENT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC WILD PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY

Abstract

The role of soil cover in the biosphere and human economic activity is wellknown, but an established and substantiated assessment of its qualitative state becomes important. Preliminary soil diagnostics and establishment of its physical and chemical properties are carried out using vegetation cover, in particular, diagnostic plant species as indicators of the studied components of the environment state. The nature of the soil, its structure, density, oxygen content, salts, nutrients, and habitat can be determined using plant indicators. The species diversity of wild diagnostic plants in the trial areas of Drohobych was determined. Equisetum arvense L., Hepatica nobilis, Ranunculus repens, Plantago major L., Urtica dioica, and Arctium lappa were among the most common diagnostic species. It was found that the diagnostic plant species growing in the trial areas corresponded to those ecological groups, which vital functions correlate with certain soil environmental factors. Their dominance is related to the chemical composition of the soil. Diagnostic species can serve as indicators for the conditions of humidification, acidity, salinity, and excess salt content, as well as the nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other nutrients available in the soil. As a result of the studies, it was found that, in general, the soils of the sample areas are acidic and slightly acidic (pH from 5.1 to 6.4), weakly and medium humus (2.6–3.7% of humus), with a relatively average content of gross nitrogen (0.12–0.27%) and phosphorus (0.05–0.14%), relatively poor on K2O and P2O5 in the upper horizon. In general, vegetation in the trial plots was heterogeneous in terms of floristic features, and biological and cenotic properties. Some species of plants were at different stages of their development. Indicator plants should be used to estimate both the soil cover state and the general state of the environment.