The Condition of Plantations and Significant Harmful Insects of “Forest Experimental Dacha” RSAU – MAA named after K.A. Timiryazev in Environment of a Megalopolis

The paper considers the results of research on a condition of forest plantations and encountered harmful insects in the Forest Experimental Dacha (FED) in Moscow. The sanitary condition of forest plantations in cities located in different environmental conditions and varying in the origin of anthropogenic load, showed that the response of woody plants is non-specific. The negative outcomes included damage to the assimilation apparatus, decrease in the time of foliage growth and longevity of needles, accelerated dieback of branches and crown thinning, and ultimately the premature death of trees. As there is a reduction of the life cycle, trees have accelerated passage of age stages, determined by the combination of various negative anthropogenic impacts on FED. A high recreational load, sulfur compounds, soot entering the air from the side of a railway and road and neighboring industrial enterprises reduce the resistance of greenery to insect pests. The negative impact of industrial emissions and the degree of soil contamination by heavy metals on the territory of the Forest Experimental Dacha as well as the effect of heavy metals on woody plants is dynamic, but the overall result is a decrease in the productivity of plant communities and a reduction in the longevity of the main edificator - trees. The species of phytophages associated with tree-shrub vegetation were analyzed during long-term forest pathological surveys in FED. The outcomes confirm the presence of several species of beetles and lepidoptera, some of which may be of great importance as pests. The results obtained will make it possible to promptly assess the risk of damage to green plantings of the forestry of Experimental Dacha and can be useful when carrying out measures for pest control. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.