The seed production and sowing seed quality of Betula pendula Roth. in the Kryvyi Rih plantations

We investigated the seed production and sowing seed quality from eight plantations of Betula pendula Roth., which are subject to the negative influence of exhaust gases of motor vehicles and emissions from industrial enterprises in Kryvyi Rih. In seven plantations, we revealed such changes in some morphometric parameters of female catkins: decreasing length of the petiole to 21.4 % (to 1.3 times), and the length of the catkin to 10.8 % (to 1.1 times), as well as the width of the catkin to 33.3 % (to 1,5 times); increasing of the quantity of seeds in catkins to 43.5 % (to 1.4 times) compared to the control, except the plantings near "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih", where the quantity of seeds was 21.1 % lower than in the botanical garden; increasing quantity of scales in all sites to 32.0 % (to 1.3 times); reducing percentage of pure seeds to 2.7 %; declining weight of 1000 seeds up to 20,3 % (to 1,3 times), and seed adequacy to 60 % (to 2.5 times); lowering germinative energy up to 92.9 % (to 14 times), and seed germination to 94.4 % (to 17.7 times). All these changes are due to increasing level of technogenic pollution. We ascertained that additional effect is caused by geographical location of plants and climatic factor. The seed adequacy, germinative energy, and seed germination are most sensitive indicators, which can be used for the environmental assessment.