Man-made impact on green areas in buffer zones along Moscow highways

Abstract

Turf grass in a metropolis is not only responsible for improving environmental conditions. It contributes to a comfortable visual urban environment. The state of lawn grasses investigated in the buffer zones along highways in the city of Moscow signified their unsatisfactory state, which can be attributed both to incorrect selection of turf grass blending ratios and imperfection of technological operations for lawn care. High concentrations of heavy metals were found to be present in the soil and biomass of lawn grasses, which requires activities and compliance with the regulations to ensure bioremediation of territories. The use of anti-ice reagents in winter leads to a changing acidity of the soil along the transport routes, which additionally affects the initial growth of lawn grasses in spring after snow melt. To promote sustainable ground cover in the city, it is recommended to use resistant perennial plants.