The monitoring of state of street greeneries in Lithuania

EU countries have been monitoring urban greeneries for many years. Only long-term monitoring and evaluation of plant status can predict trends in the development of urban greeneries. This is especially important now that the level of urbanization, climate conditions, soil characteristics are changing, further spread new pests, plant diseases etc. In 2009–2018 performing contract work with Alytus and Kaunas city municipalities (under the program ‘For the monitoring of green plantations and state of greeneries’) the complex methodology for tree state evaluation was used. Status rates – defoliation, dechromation, leaf necrosis, number of dry branches, trunk damages, diseases and pests intensity, were assessed in August under the scale of 0–4 grades. The state of matured trees, of which the predominant species in urban street greeney in 2009–2018 are: Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos, Aesculus hippocastanum, Acer platanoides, in Alytus and Kaunas cities were sufficiently good. Tilia cordata were more sensitive to climatic conditions in summers with long periods of drought (year 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018) – had more physiological damages (defoliation, dechromation, dry branches), up to 3 grades. At places where soil contains more chlorides – leaf necrosis detected slightly frequently (2–3 grades). Disease agents and pests did not cause significant damage to trees. Yet the activity of the invasive pest Cameraria ohridella (on Aesculus hippocastanum) at street greeneries was less harmful than at recreational green plantations. Tilia cordata, Sorbus x thuringiaca 'Fastigiata' and cultivars 'Eurostar', 'Columnare', 'Deborah' of Acer platanoides have adapted over a relatively short time period (2–3 years). Aesculus hippocastanum 'Baummanii' was of the worst condition.[...]Fitopatologijos grupėVytauto Didžiojo universiteta