DROUGHT AND HEAT RESISTANCE OF ACER L. CULTIVARS ASSESSED BY ASSIMILATION APPARATUS INDICATORS IN URBAN ECOSYSTEMS OF THE NORTHERN STEPPE (CASE STUDY OF THE CITY OF DNIPRO)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/naturaljournal.17.2026.3Keywords:
maple cultivars, water-retaining capacity, water deficit, heat resistance of leavesAbstract
In the landscaping of Ukrainian cities, cultivars of the genus Acer L. are increasingly being used. Their morphobiological properties, and consequently their potential drought resistance, may differ from those of the original species. Indicators of water exchange (water content, water deficit, and water-retaining capacity) as well as heat resistance of leaves were compared for six ornamental forms of Acer L.: the cultivars A. platanoides ‘Crimson King’ and ‘Royal Red’ (red-leaved forms), ‘Princeton Gold’ (yellow leaves), ‘Globosum’ (green leaves), ‘Drummondii’ (variegated leaves), and A. negundo ‘Variegatum’ (white-green leaves). The study was conducted in a park area of the city of Dnipro in June 2025. The plants, approximately 15 years old, were growing in groups on a lawn under identical conditions. Leaves for analysis were collected at a height of 1.5–2 m from the eastern side of the crowns. It was established that the highest leaf hydration and the lowest water deficit were characteristic of cultivars with variegated leaves – A. platanoides ‘Drummondii’ and A. negundo ‘Variegatum’. High water deficit values were observed in A. platanoides f. ‘Globosum’. The dynamics of water-retaining capacity showed that after two hours, the greatest water loss was characteristic of the leaves of A. platanoides ‘Globosum’ and A. negundo ‘Variegatum’ (13.8% and 11.3%, respectively). The highest water-retaining capacity was found in A. platanoides ‘Drummondii’ and the red-leaved forms ‘Crimson King’ and ‘Royal Red’ (water loss amounted to 6.8%, 8.4%, and 9.9%, respectively). Heat resistance generally correlated with leaf color: maples with lighter-colored assimilating organs (A. negundo ‘Variegatum’ and A. platanoides ‘Princeton Gold’) were more strongly damaged by high temperatures, while fewer damages under the same conditions were observed in red-leaved forms and the cultivar with green leaves. Based on a comprehensive assessment, A. platanoides ‘Drummondii’ can be recommended for landscaping as a relatively drought- and heat-resistant cultivar. The variegated form of box elder, ‘Variegatum’, due to its low heat resistance and weak water-retaining capacity, may lose its ornamental value in open sunny areas.
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