TASS, December 5. /TASS/. Experts of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch will use biochemistry tests of plants and trees to assess ecology conditions, the biodiversity expedition's press service told TASS on Friday.

"We have been working on biochemistry criteria to assess impacts on ecology systems," the press service quoted Viktor Glupov, director of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals (ISEA, Novosibirsk), as saying. "I am happy Nornickel understands and supports these works."

"In my opinion, in about 10-15 years biochemical criteria will be used, and this may be specifically thanks to this financing," he continued. "We are working at the highest international level in terms of equipment and the used theoretical approaches."

Scientists have found that willow may contain different shares of phenol, chlorophyll, etc., depending on the areas where it grows, he said.

"Studies of secondary metabolites' effects in plants, depending on pollution, are very rare," the institute's director continued. "When you come to a plant area, you see there willows, meadows, trees, you may even notice some shift in the species composition, but you do not see major changes, though every plant is alive, and it reacts, and its composition changes."

The basic biodiversity survey continues the work, which the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch began in 2020. Since the Great Norilsk Expedition, this work has extended into another three regions. The survey’s purpose is to identify Nornickel’s impact zones and to assess biodiversity in areas of Nornickel’s operations. The research results will be used in building out a corporate biodiversity management system and biodiversity monitoring and conservation programs.