Scientific publications

Human impact on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island of the Solovetsky Archipelago is constantly growing due to long-term economic activity on the island and a rising tourist traffic. This impact results in noticeable damage to the vegetation in some areas, which is aggravated by unfavorable natural conditions, including low temperatures and a short growing season. Hence, thorough study of the state of individual plant species and their populations in specific habitats on the island will help determine the severity of anthropogenic impact on vegetation and assess the risk of its further intensification. In this study, we explored the well-being of one of the dominant plant species in coastal meadows – the creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus Poir.), in areas under varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure. The assessment was based on a number of parameters of generative shoot growth. The vitality index (IVC) was applied for the cenopopulations. The intrapopulation variability of traits was estimated by the coefficient of variation. Plants in the heavily polluted area exhibited signs of stunted growth. In particular, they had lower shoot height and biomass, smaller subflag and flag leaves, as well as shorter inflorescences than plants in relatively clean site. Thus, the productivity and sustainability of this cenopopulation was affected, and the low value of the IVC index indicated its low vitality. The well-being of plants in the site with medium-level pollution can be evaluated as satisfactory: the morphological attributes were nearly the same as in plants of the relatively clean site. Yet, the value of the IVC index and the low coefficient of variation of morphological traits suggest that if the impact grows heavier, the well-being of this cenopopulation will be degraded.