Loading...

Evaluating trees and shrubs for multifunctional plantations to enhance agro and urban landscape greening in arid zone environments

 


Citation :- Evaluating trees and shrubs for multifunctional plantations to enhance agro and urban landscape greening in arid zone environments. Res. Crop. 26: 513-519
ALIYA KHUZHAKHMETOVA, DARIA SAPRONOVA, KRISTINA MELNIK AND ANNA PEREDRIENKO avfanc@yandex.ru
Address : Federal Research Centre of Agroecology, Complex Melioration and Forest Reclamations of the Russian Academy of Science, (Federal Research Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences) , 97 Universitetskiy Prospekt, 400062, Volgograd, Russia
Submitted Date : 31-07-2025
Accepted Date : 25-08-2025

Abstract

Green plantations in arid and low-forest regions often lack sufficient decorative quality and multifunctionality. Enhancing these systems requires updating species composition with well-adapted trees and shrubs. However, limited research has systematically evaluated taxa within dendro collection genera for their ecological, sanitary, and aesthetic traits. This study addresses that gap by assessing species groups to guide the development of multifunctional plantations in agricultural and urban landscapes. Therefore, a group of characteristics was refined, and a scale was developed to assess the decorative properties of plants. The research objects grow in the arboretum of the Nizhny Volga Station for the Selection of Woody Plants (Volgograd Region, Russia), which was founded in 1931 in the zone of dry steppes with chestnut soils. The assessment involved 95 taxa from the genera of the families Aceraceae, Berberidaceae, Cupressaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae, and Rosaceae. It was found that against the background of a significant warming, the rapid accumulation of effective temperatures (above +5°C and +10°C) on the earlier onset of the initial phases of development: the beginning of sap flow, swelling and budding, and flowering. The average dates (for 2022-2024) of the onset of the main phases of woody plant development have been established, which indicates a shift in the flowering period and a 12% increase in the number of species with early spring and spring flowering periods. From the point of view of the ornamental value of plantations, the earlier and longer vegetation of adapted woody plants allows for extending the aesthetic appeal of landscaping objects up to 35-45 days. At the same time, there are also risks of reducing the ornamental value of both individual species and the plantations due to spring frosts.

Keywords

Arid zone landscaping ornamental plantations shrubs trees


References

Belitskaya, M. N., Gribust, I. R. and Filimonova, O. S. (2021). Features of the state of the elm trees in the protective planting of the arid zone of the Lower Volga region. AgroEcoInfo: 2:  doi:10.51419/20212204.
Belitskaya, M. N., Gribust, I. R., Drevin, V. E., Morozova, Z. Ch. and Zenina, E. A. (2023). Phyllophages biotopic distribution in sparsely wooded regions plantations. IOP Conf. Series: Earth Environ. Sci. Saratov, Russia. 1138: doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1138/ 1/012021.
Belyaev, A. I., Semenyutina, A. V., Khuzhakhmetova, A. S. and Semenyutina, V. A. (2022). Analysis of bioresource collection climatic rhythms and phenological processes. Ecol. Eng. Environ. Technol. 23: 87-94.
Gordienko, O. and Kulik, A. (2024). Effects of recreational and residential functional land use on urban soils. Hung. Geogr. Bul. 73: 131-46.
Gromadin, A. V. and Matyukhin, D. L. (2019). Dendrology: a monograph. Yurait Publishing House, Moscow, Russia. pp. 342.
Ivanisova, N. and Kurinskaya, L. (2019). Biogeochemical activity of park plants as an indicator of stability of wood plants. World Ecol. J. 9: 40–54. doi:10.25726/NM.2019.20.18.003.
Kalmykova, E. V., Kuzmin, P. A. and Melnik, K. A. (2023). Growth and development of seedlings of Robinia pseudoacacia (L.) for the production of planting material in conditions of chestnut soils south of the Russian Federation. Res. Crop. 24: 357-65.
Kalmykova, E. and Lasarev, S. (2023). Increasing the biodiversity of the dendroflora of sparsely wooded regions by adapted representatives of the genus Robinia L. Agric. 13: doi:10.3390/agriculture13030695.
Khuzhakhmetova, A., Sapronova, D., Belyaev, A. and Lazarev, S. (2023). Study on selection of woody plants to create sustainable green spaces in sparsely forested rural areas. Res. Crop. 24: 584-92. doi:10.31830/2348-7542.2023.ROC-994.  
Lazarev, S. and Semenyutina, A. (2022). Bioecological characteristics and decorative representatives of genus Robinia L. According to phonological data. Bio web of conferences. Saratov, Russia. pp: doi:10.1051/bioconf/20224301004.
Marochkina, N., Kurinskaya, L. and Ivanisova, N. (2023). Accumulation of heavy metals by leaves Parthenocissus guinguefolia. AgroEcoInfo. 3: doi:10.51419/202133303.
Medvedeva, L. N., Kozenko, K. Y. and Komarova, O. P. (2016). Environment quality management in green cities. Eur. Res. Studies J. 19: 34–45. doi:10.35808/ersj/518.
Melikhov, V. V., Novikov, A. A., Medvedeva, L. N. and Komarova, O. P. (2017). Green Technologies: The Basis for Integration and Clustering of Subjects at the Regional Level of Economy," Contributions to Economics, in: Elena G. Popkova & Valentina E. Sukhova & Aleksey F. Rogachev & Yulia G. Tyurina & Olga A. Boris & V (ed.), Integration and Clustering for Sustainable Economic Growth. pp. 365-82, Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45462-7_37.
Sapronova, D. V., Khuzhakhmetova, A. S. and Belyaev, A. I. (2024). Bio-ecological substantiation of shrubs application for plantations on slope lands. Sust. Dev. Mountain Terr. 16: 1155–164. doi:10.21177/1998-4502-2024-16-3-1155-1164
Semenyutina, A. V. (2013). Dendroflora of forest ameliorative complexes: a monograph. FSC Agroecology RAS, Volgograd, Russia. pp. 266.
Semenyutina, A. V. and Kostyukov, S. M. (2013). Bioecological justification assortment of shrubs for landscaping urban landscapes. Montreal. pp. 164.
Semenyutina, A. V. and Noyanova, N. G. (2019). Regional specificity of urban greening at the residential areas of the southern arid steppe zone. Lesnoy Zhurnal (Russ. Forest. J.). 6: 146-59.
Semenyutina, A. V., Belitskaya, M. N., Noyanova, N. G. and Alferova, G. F. (2016). State and prospects improve stability of green plants in small towns Volgograd region. The Successes Modern Natural Sci. 9: 87-91.
Semenyutina, A. V., Huzhahmetova, A. Sh., Semenyutina, V. A., Dolgikh, A. A. and Tsoi, M. V. (2021). Analysis and periodization of the use of dendrological resources to increase biodiversity. Vop. Istorii. 7: 189-97.
Semenyutina, A. V., Tsoi, M. V., Sapronova, D. V. and  Sapronov, V. V. (2022). Research of the decorative advantages of coniferous trees and shrubs for landscaping. Ecol. Eng. Environ. Technol. 23: 125-34.
Seryi, G. A. and Bondarenko, E. Y. (2017). Complex of leaf rollers [Lepidoptera, tortricidae] and their dynamics of the centers of mass reproduction in the Volgograd region. Biodiversity and Anthropogenic Transformation of Natural Ecosystems. Proceedings of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference dedicated to the memory of A.I. Zolotukhin and the Year of Ecology. Edited by A. N. Volodchenko. pp: 199–207.
Taran, S. S., Matvienko, E. Yu., Kruzhilin, S. N. and Svintsov, I. P. (2018). Growth and adaptation of woody introducents in massive plantations of the Lower Don: a monograph. Сompany Lik, Russia, Novocherkassk. pp: 255.
Tubalov, A. A. (2025). Assessment of forest suitability of soils in the Volgograd region, Russia. Res. Crop. 26: 285-90.
Zolotokrylin, A. N., Cherenkova, E. A. and Titkova, T. B. (2018). Bioclimatic subhumid zone on the plains of Russia: droughts, desertification/degradation. Arid Ecosyst. 8: 13-19. doi.org/10.1134/S2079096118010122.
 

Global Footprints