The impact of vehicle emissions on the ground vegetation in oak forests

This is the first time the ground vegetation was studied in an oak forest, crossed by the Moscow - Voronezh (Don) federal road and subject to a whole complex of negative factors caused by the round-the-clock traffic. The ground vegetation was examined in order to identify the species composition of the plants, to evaluate their projective cover and biomass, depending on the degree of environmental pollution by vehicle emissions. Study material - herbaceous ground vegetation. Study method - establishment of permanent study plots and plots for detailed surveys. It was established that: the plants in herbage cover are unevenly distributed; their division into groups depending on the degree of pollution by vehicle emissions was also uneven; under conditions of a critical pollution level all indicators statistically significantly decline (critical concentration > 100) - reduction of the flora list by 1,6-2,8 times, of the projective cover by 42,5% and of the biomass by 41 and 37% compared to the control. Two species that are edificators of the ground vegetation - hairy sedge ( Carex pilosa ) and greater stitchwort ( Stellaria holostea ) can presumably be used as bioindicators of a critical level of pollution by vehicle emissions.