Heat and Drought Tolerance of Woody and Shrub Plants in the Zhezkazgan Industrial Region

摘要

This paper presents the results of the assessment of heat and drought tolerance of plants in the Zhezkazgan industrial region (the cities of Zhezkazgan and Satpaev) in comparison with the natural conditions in the Ulytau mountains. Based on the analysis of 25 species from different ecological groups, the authors classified plants into three groups according to heat tolerance levels : maximum, average and minimum heat tolerance. The maximum damage to the plant lamina was recorded in the city of Zhezkazgan, the minimum damage was detected in the Ulytau mountains and intermediate values were obtained in the city of Satpaev. According to drought tolerance levels, woody and shrub species were classified into four groups : highly drought-tolerant, drought-tolerant, relatively drought-tolerant and weakly drought-tolerant. Industrial pollution of Zhezkazgan and Satpaev led to a decrease in drought tolerance scores compared to the Ulytau mountains. The obtained results can be used in green spaces planning and the development of watering rates.