The vital condition of the Chavain Boulevard plantings in the part beyond the river in Yoshkar-Ola

Mukhametova Svetlana Valeryevna ORCID: 0000-0001-7892-6450 PhD in Agriculture Associate Professor; Department of Horticultural Engineering, Botany and Dendrology; Volga State University of Technology 424000, Russia, Republic of Mari El, Yoshkar-Ola, Lenin Square, 3, room 245 MuhametovaSV@volgatech.net Other publications by this author

Kladovikova Tatyana Sergeevna Graduate student; Department of Horticultural Engineering, Botany and Dendrology; Volga State Technological University 424000, Russia, Rep. Mari El, Yoshkar-Ola, Lenin Square, 3 Nusha.ki@mail.ru

Introduction. Public green spaces play an important role in urban landscaping and are a component of their landscape and architectural appearance, perform important functions to optimize the spatial environment, maintain ecological balance and comfort, enhance the aesthetic appearance of the city. Modern large cities are a well-developed network of streets, avenues and boulevards where citizens stay daily, but it is the boulevards that are most often used for short-term rest and walks, therefore the rational organization of their layout and landscaping is relevant. The study of the features of landscaping and the condition of green spaces on boulevards is due to the fact that in conditions of constant anthropogenic pressure, plantings require monitoring their condition in order to preserve and increase sustainability ^[1]. Woody plants in urban areas need special attention and care. Due to the high anthropogenic load, they weaken and become more susceptible to diseases. Since the use of pesticides in the city is dangerous, the agrotechnical aspect of plant protection is relevant, since a healthy, well-groomed tree is less susceptible to infection ^[2]. Improving the technology of tree care in an urban environment helps to remove some of the problems. At the same time, the formation of a multilevel framework of vegetation, which can be implemented on boulevards, performs an aesthetic function and an important ecological task, contributes to the optimization of environmental indicators and the ability to self-sustain ^[3].

Monitoring of the composition of plantings, sanitary condition, and planting density at landscaping facilities makes it possible to identify the influence of various factors on the general condition of plants and their ability to perform protective and recreational functions ^[4]. At the same time, it is important to constantly and continuously monitor plantings over a long period of time, which will allow comparing data and making timely decisions to ensure the longevity of plantings and the safety of the urban environment ^[5].

The purpose of this study is to analyze the vital condition of woody plants on Chavain Boulevard in the zarechnaya part of the city of Yoshkar-Ola (Republic of Mari El). Earlier, we presented the species composition of the plantings of this object ^[6].

The object of the study. Chavain Boulevard continues from Kirova Street to Komsomolskaya Street. Part of the boulevard on the right bank of the Malaya Kokshaga River was designed back in the 30s of the XX century. Since it was decided to "cut through" it along the existing building, the project was not started until 1955. The boulevard received its visible outlines in 1960, and in 1964 it was named after the founder of Mari literature, Sergei Grigorievich Chavain (1888-1937). In 1980, Chavain Boulevard "stepped" across the river. In 1991, a monument to composer I.S. Klyuchnikov–Palantai was erected in the left–bank part of the boulevard, and in 2012, a monument to writer A.S. Krupnyakov ^[7]. Before the construction began in the mid-1970s, there were swamps in this part of the city, and a residential area of multi-apartment panel houses was built on alluvial soils.

Methods. The study was conducted in September 2025 by taking a complete inventory of the available woody plants. The plants growing directly on the boulevard strips are taken into account. Since the boulevard is located in a residential multi-storey building and is elongated in a latitudinal direction, its southern part is partially shaded by adjacent 9-storey buildings. To identify a possible connection between the vital state of plants and growing conditions, the surveyed part is divided into sections (Fig. 2): section 1 is between Voznesensky Prospekt and Petrova Street, with a length of about 500 m, section 2 is between Petrova and Kirov Streets, with a length of about 600 m, A is the northern strip, B is the southern strip.

Figure 1 – Diagram of the sections of Chavain Boulevard in the zarechnaya part of Yoshkar-Ola

(Yandex.maps)

The sanitary condition of the plants was assessed on a 5-point scale of the Rules of sanitary safety in forests (2020): 1 – healthy (without signs of weakening), 2 – weakened, 3 – severely weakened, 4 – shrinking, 5 – dead. For each species, the coefficient of its condition was calculated as the arithmetic mean of the plant scores of this taxon. The condition coefficient of the boulevard's plantings as a whole (K _o) is calculated as the arithmetic mean of the condition coefficients of individual species. The condition of the plantings was assessed on the scale: K _o< 1.5 – healthy plantings, without signs of weakening; 1.51–2.5 – weakened; 2.51–3.5 – severely weakened; 3.51–4.5 – shrinking; >4.5 – dead plantings.

The results of the study. The data obtained on the number of plants by category of vital condition are shown in Table 1. A total of 1,338 specimens of woody plants were found.

Table 1 – Number of woody plants by category of living condition on Chavain Boulevard in the zarechnaya part of Yoshkar-Ola (2025)

The majority of plants (81.1%, 1085 specimens) are characterized by a weakened vital condition (category 2). 207 specimens (15.5%) were classified as severely weakened (category 3), and 2 specimens were classified as shrunken (category 4). (0.2 %), 14 dead plants (category 5) were identified. (1,0 %). 30 specimens were evaluated as category 1, i.e. healthy. (2,2 %). The damage was absent for 10 copies. prickly spruce, presumably of the 'Glauca’ variety, and for 20 specimens. apple trees of the Royalty variety planted during the research period.

The western thuja has the worst viability, it has the largest number of dead plants (7 specimens). These are young plants that have died as a result of insufficient care, primarily lack of irrigation. This proves the importance of carrying out agrotechnical measures for plantings for several years after planting to ensure their safety. The death of freshly planted plants, especially expensive ones, leads to economic losses and a decrease in the aesthetics and functionality of the landscaped space.

Dead specimens are found in mountain ash and domestic apple trees. The reduced vital condition of these species was also noted at other urban sites ^[8]. The most common cause of mountain ash drying is cancerous necrotic diseases of trunks and branches (Figure 2).

a b c

Figure 2 – Examples of damage to mountain ash:

a) a dead tree with dead wood, peeling bark, cracks and traces of stem pests, b) a shrinking tree, c) necrosis of bark and stumps from sawn trunks

Of the shrubs, the worst condition was found in Tatar honeysuckle, which is due to heavy pruning to a height of 1-1.2 m, which leads to the removal of almost the entire leafy part of the crown and the exposure of the lower part of the stems. A similar pattern is typical for molded hedges of viburnum bubblegum, which also leads to a deterioration in its vital condition, thinning of the crown and a decrease in decorative effect. At the same time, hedges of similar height from the brilliant dogwood retained their decorative effect and were more dense, so that this species did not show a significant deterioration in its vital condition.

A comparison of sites with varying degrees of shade from building showed (Table 2) that in the shaded parts, compared with more illuminated areas, the vital condition of Siberian larch, hanging birch, balsamic poplar, domestic apple, and berry apple trees is reduced. These trees are light-loving, and the lack of light has obviously had an impact on their vital condition. No such difference has been found in shrubs, and we see the reason for this in the greater plasticity of shrubs in relation to environmental factors.

Table 2 – The vital state of woody plants in the areas of Chavain Boulevard in the zarechnaya part of Yoshkar-Ola (2025)

It is worth noting that in section No. 1 (from Voskresenskiy Prospekt to Petrov Street), some species have a worse condition than in section No. 2 (from Petrov Street to Kirov Street) – these are Siberian larch, small-leaved linden, domestic apple, berry apple, common lilac, and wrinkled rosehip. However, the exact reason for this difference is not clear, perhaps it is due to the close proximity of the river to site 1 or the fact that this site was created 7-8 years earlier than site 2.

The most common pests of the leaf apparatus of the examined woody plants are leaf-gnawing and sucking insects, mining and skeletonizing insects, mites, as well as leaf black (sooty fungus), rust is noted on the leaves of the balsamic poplar. On the trunks of trees there are hollows, deadwood, closed and open shoots, the main reason for which is mechanical damage, through which pathogens of fungal diseases penetrate. In the future, fruit bodies of fungi appear on them, and stem pests also colonize. This is consistent with the sources ^[2], where it is noted that the majority of diseases of woody plants in urban environments are caused by fungal organisms. Examples of some of the damages we identified are shown in Figure 3.

a b c

Figure 3 – Examples of damage: a) a comma-shaped shield on a small-leaved linden, b) a curvature of the trunks of a prickly spruce, c) fruit bodies of a mushroom on a bird cherry

The overall condition coefficient of the boulevard's plantings is 2.15, i.e. their vital condition is weakened. Compared to the part of the boulevard in the central part of the city ^[9], which is assessed as severely weakened (condition coefficient 2.7), the plantings here are in better condition. In many ways, the reason lies in the younger age of the plants: the boulevard was built in 1980 in the zarechnaya part, and in 1960 in the central part. In addition, the zarechnaya part has a wider range of plants (29 species), while in the center it is very limited – only 5 names, of which apple and mountain ash, as shown by earlier studies ^[8], are the most damaged plants in our city. It is known ^{[10, 11]} that a poorer species composition of plantings increases their vulnerability. It is worth noting that the lawn strips in the zarechnaya part of the boulevard are wider than in the center. In addition, in the central part of the city, the plantings are more dense, surrounded by closely located buildings, the width of the boulevard is smaller, and in the river part the boulevard is wider, the space is more open and ventilated, which is generally more favorable for the development of woody plants, despite the low fertility of alluvial soils.

Conclusion. Thus, the plantings of the riverine part of Chavain Boulevard in Yoshkar-Ola are characterized by a weakened state. Among 1,338 copies . 2.2% of healthy people were identified, 81.1% of the weakened, 15.5% of the severely weakened, 0.2% of the shrunken, and 1.0% of the dead. The most reduced vital condition among coniferous plants was western thuja, among deciduous trees – mountain ash, wild cherry, berry apple and house apple, among deciduous shrubs – Tatar honeysuckle. In areas shaded by buildings, the vital condition of light-loving tree species is reduced. Compared to the central part of the boulevard, the plantings in the surveyed area are in better condition, due to their younger age, wider assortment and wider green stripes.

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