The Content of Nutrients in Leaves of White Birch Trees in Intrazonal Conditions in the Northern Urals

The content, individual variability and the ratio of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) in the leaves of Betula pendula Roth. and Betula pubescens Ehrh depending on the intrazonal conditions in the high altitude range of the Northern Urals (Konzhakovsky Kamen’ mountain) were studied. Accumulation of the main macronutrients in the leaves of birch trees of the two studied species, the individual variability of the content of macronutrients along the altitude gradient of the Konzhakovsky Kamen’ mountain, as well as interspecific differences were revealed. The differences of the two species in the opposite direction of accumulation of macronutrients along the altitudinal gradient were found. An increase in the nitrogen content of the B. pubescens leaves with an increase in the height of growth and a decrease in B. pendula for both years of the study were revealed. The obtained trends in the content of macronutrients in the leaves of B. pubescens and B. pendula are probably associated with different physiological mechanisms of plant adaptation to extreme environmental factors. It is assumed that the decrease in the content of macronutrients in B. pendula leaves with increasing height is associated with the ecological features of the species. Despite the differences between the two species in the content of total nitrogen and significant variability between years, the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus and potassium in birch leaves did not significantly differ either between the species or between years. Thus, the percentage ratio of nitrogen was a fairly stable parameter, which did not change over the years, despite the significant difference in the total nitrogen content between the years, where 2008 was significantly higher than 2006. Significant increase in this parameter at higher points and control shows stability within one ecotope only, which indicates the presence of zonal variability, while the between years variability is not expressed, which is also confirmed by two-factor analysis of variance.For citation: Gorbunova V. D., Menshikov S. L. The Content of Nutrients in Leaves of White Birch Trees in Intrazonal Conditions in the Northern Urals. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal] 2019, no. 6, pp 132–145. DOI: 10.17238/issn0536-1036.2019.6.132