Pinus contorta under industrial air pollution (Murmansk Region)

The paper reports the results of monitoring lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) saplings planted near Severonikel smelter (Monchegorsk) from 2004 to 2022. More than 90 % of the saplings died during this period, while the remaining 21 plants reached an average height of 1.2 ± 0.1 m, had needle age up to 3 years, current-year’s needles 53.9 ± 0.5 mm long on average, and 71 % of the pines had a dry top. The needles of P. contorta were 1.7–2 times longer than the needles of Pinus sylvestris. Concentrations of the main pollutants (Ni, Cu, and S) in needles remained high in recent years, especially in needles 1–3 years old. The content of nutrients (Mg, K, Mn and P) in current-year’s Pinus contorta needles was decreasing, while that of calcium increased. Between 2005 and 2016, topsoil (down to 10 cm depth) at the remediation site showed a 3.5-fold rise in the nickel concentrations and a 1.4-fold rise in copper. The condition of the Pinus contorta saplings continues to degrade. The planting of Pinus contorta cannot be recommended for remediating the Severonickel smelter’s impact area.