Utilizing contaminated fallen leaves for artificial soil creation in urban green spaces

Abstract

Bioecological functions of urban green spaces components – plants of different tires – an important environment-forming unit in the ecosystems of urbanized areas – determine their ability to accumulate numerous pollutants including heavy metals from natural mediums, in particular, from soils. In conditions of the middle zone of Russia, characterized by a pronounced cycle of seasons, during the period of defoliation most of plants lose their leaves, which, by decomposing and forming humus, return previously accumulated toxicants to the soil. To maintain a healthy unpolluted urban environment, it is important to prevent pollutants returning to the soil and reintroducing them into the biological cycle in the soil-plant complex on this stage. This study proposes the express method of using leaves fallen from different species growing in urban green spaces to create artificial soils, which will not only make it possible to use contaminated biomass in a useful and safe way, but also to cover the need of such large urban agglomerations as St. Petersburg for lawn soils that require renewal.