Assessment of Possible Use of Potentilla fruticosa L. (Rosaceae, Magnoliopsida) for Bioindication of the Natural Environment Status in the Area of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace

Abstract

An attempt was made to assess the status of the natural environment in the area of the Eastern Ural radioactive trace (EURT) by bioindication methods. With examples of Potentilla fruticosa plants grown at three sites in the radionuclide 90Sr and 137Cs contamination gradient, in the course of our long-term (2005-2013) survey, it was established that as the irradiation level raised, the leaf size and the leafstalk length decreased, the index of the fluctuating asymmetry of the terminal lobe leaf of increased regardless of the period of vegetation and the year of observation. The morphological characteristics (the length, width and area of the leaf blade and those of the leaf terminal lobe, and the leafstalk length) were measured using digital image analysis, MapInfo software. Statistically significant differences in the morphological characteristics of the leaf were noted only in the most contaminated samples in comparison to the reference one. As the radiation load raised, the inter-annual variability of the leafstalk length increased from low to high level regardless of the vegetation period. When estimating the fluctuating asymmetry of the final leaf fraction, statistically significant differences were found for the plants from the samples exposed to radiation in comparison to the control one. Using the fluctuating asymmetry index, the environment quality was characterized as critical for the EURT impact areas while this index was normal for the background.