In this paper, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) roots grown in soils with and without contamination from emission of a plant steel were analyzed for Fe and Mn, as well as the shoots and needles with and lacking pollution. The aim was to assess the content of Fe and Mn in soils under given conditions, and the interaction between pine plant and soil in terms of metal accumulation in the fine roots, annual shoots, and annual needles. The iron content in the soil of polluted areas does not contrast with its control amount. Conversely, the iron content in fine pine roots under contamination conditions is 2.1–4.4 times higher than the control values. There were no significant excesses of the manganese content in the soil in polluted conditions compared to the control, but its content in the 0–20 cm soil layer is 27–32 times higher than the background concentrations. The iron contentment in belowground (fine roots) and aboveground (annual shoots and needles) parts of pine trees in a context of contamination is higher than the control values (2.1–4.4 and 1.50–1.54 times, respectively). The manganese content in fine pine roots under contamination conditions is 2.8–10.7 times less than in control, while its content in shoots and needles is higher (2.23–2.76 times) in comparison with the control. Based on the values of the biological accumulation and migration coefficients, what in each case slighter than one, for Scots pine the iron represent not an element that actively accumulates. Nevertheless, for manganese, this stock model is valid only for fine roots, whereas under the contaminated environment, the metal mobility steepen, and the migration pattern shifts towards increased manganese accumulation in the aboveground part of pine trees.

Due to the global increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere, studies focusing on the carbon balance in forest ecosystems are currently particularly relevant. Abandoned agricultural lands could provide an important contribution to carbon sequestration in many parts of the world. In the broad-leaved forest zone of the Cis-Ural (Southern Ural region, Russia), the carbon sequestration dynamics in the biomass of woody and herbaceous plants, as well as in the litter and soil on abandoned arable lands repopulated with silver birch (Betula pendula), was studied. The data were collected on 35 round (with diameter of 30 m) sample plots located within communities representing the different stages of reforestation with tree stands aged 3 to 30 years. It was found that the carbon content of the stem wood and herbaceous understory did not depend on the succession stages, which largely corresponds to the literature data. The carbon content in root biomass and soil organic matter increased along with the growth of tree stands. While the forest stand grew, the carbon content in the grey forest soil increased from 2.5 to 4.4%, and in the more fertile dark grey forest soil it changed only slightly. The carbon deposition by the forest stands on the sample plots located on the dark grey forest soils was higher than on grey forest soils. The average rate of carbon sequestration in the tree stand was 2.7 t/ha/year. Most mature, 25–30-years-old silver birch tree stands provided the highest average annual increase in tree biomass and the rate of carbon sequestration evaluated was 9 t/ha/year. Also, the carbon pool in the 30 cm soil layer was 2.7 times greater than in the tree stand. It was concluded that abandoned agricultural lands overgrowing by forest in the Cis-Ural are promising for carbon sequestration.

For the administrative districts of the city of Ufa (the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia), the distribution of green spaces, including public green spaces, the degree of greening, and the accessible green spaces per resident, were analysed. Green spaces were estimated to be available for the citizens within 400 m (for multi-story building areas), 800 m (for low-rise building areas), and 1250 m (for all residential areas). The analysis relies on open geographic system tools and open spatial data. Data are compared with existing governmental regulations and recommendations. Green stands to cover approximately 35% of the city area (indicating that Ufa is one of the greenest among the 16 million-plus Russian cities), and most forest sites are located outside the city centre. Meanwhile, public green spaces cover less than 5% of the city and are unevenly spread across administrative urban districts. The major recreation facilities are situated in the city centre. Despite the high level of greening in Ufa on the whole, access to public areas in multi-story building areas within a 400 m radius and low-rise building areas within an 800 m radius is not guaranteed for city residents.

This study investigated carbon sequestration potential in reforesting agricultural lands with prevalence of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the “Nasibash” site of the Eurasian Carbon Polygon, located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. The research focused on analyzing carbon stocks in different ecosystem components (tree stand, herbaceous layer, litter, and soil) across various stages of succession, including fallow land, hayfield, and four stages of Scots pine reforestation. We found that needles during the first stage of succession were characterized by the highest carbon sequestration, while the lowest was in underground phytomass (roots). The tree stand exhibited a higher potential for carbon sequestration in stem wood, branches, and needles compared to other components. The highest carbon accumulation in the tree layer was observed in the stem phytomass at the fourth stage of reforestation, while the highest phytomass accumulation in the herbaceous layer was in the root mass at the fourth stage of succession. The study revealed that the highest organic carbon content in the topsoil layer was observed in areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation, with a decrease in carbon content as the stage of succession increased. The highest carbon content was found in tree pines at the first stage of succession. The research highlighted the importance of considering conversion factors for different stages of reforestation, as the average carbon content in vegetation was 20% higher than the approved conversion factors for young tree stands. Overall, the study demonstrates the significant potential of Scots pine reforestation on former agricultural lands for carbon. The findings suggest that these territories play a decisive role in future environmental and climate projects, contributing to the decarbonization efforts.