Growth and development of the leaf blades of Acer tataricum in industrially contaminated environment

During one vegetative season, the growth and the development of the leaf blades of Tatarian maple (Acer tataricum L.) from heavily polluted area has been studied. The region under investigation was contaminated mainly with SO2, NxOx, Pb, Zn, and Cu etc. The aim of the study was to compare the growth and the development of the leaf blades of Acer tataricum L. (Tatarian maple) from polluted field with those from non-polluted. Base on this to assess its tolerance to polluted conditions of the atmosphere, as well as to look for adaptive responses. The conducted study registered shorter time of the vegetative growth of the leaf blades in the commencement stages of the vegetative development. The leaves from polluted site had emergence approximately two weeks earlier compared with these from the control area. Faster linear growth of the leaf surfaces in the commencement stages of the development had been noted for the trees from polluted field. The spongy mesophyll had been reduced, as well as the common thickness of the leaf blades of the tree plants from the contaminated region. The observed changes are regarded as adaptation of the plant to the polluted environment, i.e. as tolerance.