THE COMPOSITION OF TERPENES IN NEEDLES OF WHITE-PINE (PINUS-STROBUS L.) GROWING IN URBAN-ENVIRONMENT

The woody plant under consideration, Pinus strobus L., was growing on two, from the environmental aspect, qualitatively different sites. The Arboretum Mlynany (site AM) is considered a relatively clean locality Urbanized environment is in our study represented by the town Nitra ( site N) with a significant environmental impact of traffic and industr y and with subsequent changes in soil and climate properties. This urb anized environment has also caused a change in the content and composi tion of terpenes in needles of white pine. 20 terpenes were found in t he urban environment and 22 terpenes on the AM site. In both cases a h igher content of terpenes in the Ist year needles in comparison with t he 2nd year needles was established. Eight terpenes with a content hig her than 1% were found on the AM site and even 11 terpenes on the N si te. Between the compared sites was found a statistically significant d ifference in the production of the following terpenes in needles: alfa -pinene, beta-pinene, myrcene, limonene, 1.8-cincole, citral. Their pr oduction was higher on the N site. Urban conditions have caused a chan ged proportion of alfa-pinene to the following terpenes: alfa-phelandr ene, 1.8-cineole, terpineol, citral, carvone. These changes discovered in the content of terpenes in needles of Pinus strobus L. have shown that the group of secondary metabolites is an important biochemical ma rker of the environmental impact on woody plants.