Ecological problems of the functioning of field protective forest belts of Ukrainian Forest Steppe

Field protective forest belts which were created 50-70 years ago in the Forest Steppe of Ukraine have reached a critical age and do not have proper maintenance.Together with the intense impact on their condition of measures of agricultural intensification, atmospheric anthropogenic pollution and global warming, they have significantly lost their environmental protection and stabilizing agro-ecosystem functions.The purpose of our research was to assess the current ecological condition of the field protective forest belts of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine based on the indicators of tree resistance to environmental changes.The ecological condition of field protective forest belts was determined by the following indicators: the proportion of felled trees in forest belts, the proportion of dry trees, the proportion of drying trees, the presence of grass cover, the spread of necrosis on a leaf, the proportion of necrosis on a leaf, the spread of chlorosis on a leaf, the proportion of chlorosis on a leaf, the proportion of trampled vegetation in the forest belts.Our research has established that the greatest diversity of species was characteristic to the openwork protective forest belts, and the least -to the blowing ones.All the main forest belts were more biodiverse than the additional ones.In 80% of forest belts, common ash is the main species, and in only 20% -is common maple.The largest share of felled trees (35%) and drying trees (35%) was found in the main blowing forest strip.We installed a slightly smaller proportion of drying and felled trees in the main openwork forest strip.And the least cut and drying trees were found in the dense field protection forest strip.The highest spread of necrosis: 40% of hornbeam leaves and 35% of maple leaves, as well as chlorosis: 18% of hornbeam leaves and 25% of maple leaves was found in the additional openwork forest strip.Also, a high percentage of the spread of necrosis and chlorosis was detected on the leaves of the common ash of the additional blowing forest strip, 18% and 25%, respectively.Necrosis and chlorosis were the least evident on the leaves of trees in the dense of forest belt.Premature yellowing of the leaves was detected only in ordinary hornbeam of the additional openwork forest belts in the amount of 15% of the leaves.Also, this type of the tree had the highest percentage of twisted leaves -20%.The largest proportion of leaves with spots was found on common ash trees of the main openwork forest belt -60% and common maple trees of the dense forest belt.The obtained results will make it possible to choose the right measures for the protection and preservation of field protective forest belts and to determine the most resistant and vulnerable tree species to environmental factors.