Health state of forest tree species and selected groups of fungi and animals in surroundings of a magnesium factory (central Slovakia)

Health state of forest tree species and occurrence of selected groups of fu ngi and animals were investigated in surroundings of a magnesium factory in three zones of immissions load A, B, C and D (control). The average defoli ation of oaks and hornbeams in the zone C confirms including these stands i nto the zone of the chronic damage. A significantly lower degree of damage was recorded in the zone D. The forest stands in the zones A, B and C suffe r from lack of mycorrhitic symbionts. This is manifested by their unfavoura ble health state. The moth larvae occurred on oaks and hornbeams in all zon es in the latent state. Their abundance in the zones A, B and C was higher than in the zone D. In ail sampling dates, yearn of investigation and zones a higher reduction of the leaf area by phyllophagous insects was always re corded in hornbeams than in oaks. Higher abundance of beetles in the zones A and B than in C and D can be explicated by their higher concentration on the remnants of living branches in the basal part of the dying trees. Among the birds, the highest bioindicative value have the breeding species, in w hich the species number increases from the zone A to the zone D. In the zon es A, B and C, the only bird species (Pants major) nested in the nest boxes .