A pigment system reaction of conifers to long air technogenic pollution

In 1996-2000 influence of air industrial pollution on photosynthetic pigments in needles of Pinus sylvestris and Picea obovata was studied. The test plants have grown in bilberry (BF) and lichen forests (LF) at different distances from Syktyvkar Timber Processing Complex (STPC). It is shown that pigments of Picea do not change in contrast to the one of Pinus under weak impact. The pines which are at the most distance have the pigment formation processes more intensive. Chlorophyll concentration in the needles of BF trees increases in 1.2 times and in the LF does in 1.1 times in compare with the control samples. Strong and long impacts of industrial emissions depress chlorophyll and carotinoid synthesis of Pinus and stimulate pigment formation of Picea. The percentage of chlorophyll a in the needle of LF and BF pines decreases by 16% and 28% respectively and the one of chlorophyll b does by 38% and 22% respectively. The chlorophyll percentage in light-harvesting complex (LHC) has decreased to 44% in compare with the control meaning of 57% (for the LF pines) and it is approximately 50% for the BF pines. So, changes of a pigment complex of Pinus are the result of chlorophyll a decrease for LF and are of chlorophyll b for BF. Chlorophyll content increases by 11-40% in Picea needles while industrial pollution grows up. The correlation of chlorophyll a/b changes in the limits 2.7-3.6 and 2.9-3.4 and the percentage of LHC chlorophylls is 48-60% and 51-57% of the total chlorophyll content in control and tested trees respectively. Carotinoid response to the toxicants of STPC differs from the one of chlorophylls. Their content decreases under more intensive pollution and it increases under weaker impact in compare with the control. Increasing of pigment content reflects a compensator mechanism of adaptation of coniferous pigment system in the conditions of a long stress.