cological and geochemical peculiarities of naturally growing woody plants in the mid-mountainous conditions of the Valvalachai-Gusarchai interfluve area (northeastern slope of the southeastern part of the Greater Caucasus, Azerbaijan)

The article deals with the ecological and geochemical peculiarities of naturally growing woody plants in the mid-mountainous conditions of the Valvalachai-Gusarchai interfluve area located on the northeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus. Comparing the average mass of elements in woody-shrub vegetation shows that some species of plants are distinguished by higher content of some elements). Hornbeam is characterized by larger amounts of Cr, Co, Pb, beech by Ni, Cu, and oak by Zn among the woody plants. Beech is distinguished by minimal amounts of Cr. Minimal amounts of Co, Ni, Cu, Zn are characteristic of birch, Pb of oak. The lowest amounts of Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb are observed in the hazelnut tree. The amount of cobalt in this tree is slightly higher. Ratios between maximal and minimal amounts are statistically reliable. The comparative analysis of the intensity of biological absorption of elements in terrestrial plant and woody-shrub vegetation of the landscape showed a significantly weaker level of absorption of all studied elements (except Cr) by woody-shrub vegetation. The absorption intensity of chromium is close to the absorption intensity of terrestrial vegetation. So, Cu, Zn, Pb move from intensive absorption order to moderate absorption order in terrestrial vegetation, and depending on plant species, their absorption intensity decreases by 5.3-9.0, 9-18 and 2.2-5.3 times, respectively. Ni is characterized by medium absorption intensity in terrestrial vegetation and woody shrub vegetation, but absorption intensity is 1.3-3.5 times lower in woody vegetation. Cobalt moves from moderate absorption in terrestrial vegetation to weak absorption in woody-shrub vegetation (with 7.5-12 times decrease in absorption intensity). Keywords: ecological and geochemical peculiarities; northeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus; naturally growing woody plants; chemical elements (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb).