Geoecological state of the ecological trail «Sedanka» (Vladivostok)

Ecological trails are intended for environmental education, rational use of natural resources, protection of biogeocenoses, recreational and hiking trips. We propose to create Sedanka ecological trail to preserve the biodiversity of the ecosystems of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula of Vladivostok. In the work we carried out the research of the developed route. The work is aimed at assessing the geoecological state of the ecological trail in terms of soil and vegetation, lichen cover, forest cover, anthropogenically altered areas and the content of mercury in the needles of the Manchurian fir (to assess the air condition). Seven sections of the trail reflecting different degrees of anthropogenic disturbance of the territory and the ecosystem change were studied in 2024. Dead-soil-cover oak forests are replaced by broad-leaved, firry-broad-leaved, and low-growing forests. The soil cover of the trail is dominated by thin, strongly skeleton brown soil, and eroded brown soil on steep slopes. A section of a more anthropogenically altered territory and located close to buildings was identified for the high mercury content in needles of 25.4 ng/g. Meanwhile, at a site remote from the settlement, the mercury value in needles was lower, 10.6 ng/g. The trail has the highest content of mercury in needles of 2.3 ng/g (average value), compared to other areas: Trudovoy village (21.5 ng/g) and Russky island (30.4 ng/g). According to lichenindication data, there are the areas on the trail that support a higher species diversity compared to the surrounding area. A comparison of the soil and vegetation cover of the ecotrail and the adjacent area of the Botanical Garden was carried out. In the ecological trail the percentage of forest cover is higher (81 %). The territory of the Botanical Garden has the same degree of anthropogenically transformed area, as the ecological trail, namely (65–70 %). Rational use of natural resources in the ecological trail zone will contribute to the protection of indigenous firry-broad-leaved forests and natural ecosystems.