Assessing the Adaptability of Acer saccharinum L. to industrially contaminated environment according to its leaf blade structure

Assessing the adaptable capability of tree plants to air and soil pollution is an important task, because of nowadays increasing technogenic pollution and global warming trend of climate change. Plants are well known with their ability to absorb, filtrate, localized air contaminations, and mitigate the adverse effect of pollution. The goal of study is to estimate the adaptability of Acer saccharinum L. to industrial air pollution through observation of the leaf blade structure modifications. Under conditions of industrial air contamination has been registered reduction of lamina surfaces. The leaf blade structure of Acer saccharinum L. is characterized with high coefficient of palisadness naturally (65%). In conditions of industrial pollution silver maple developed thicker cutin (p < 0.05), smaller epidermal cells (p < 0.05) and expanded photosynthetic mesophyll tissue (p < 0.0001), which strengthen the capacity of plant to overcome the adverse conditions. The high coefficient of palisadness, the preserved thickness of cuticle, accompanied with the adapt alterations of mesophyll; provide a reason to classify silver maple as species with high pliability and as a tolerant to environmental stress. Acer saccharinum L. is a suitable for building green belts around areas with adverse emissions and for urban forestry.