Morphometric parameters of Betula pendula Roth. leaves were measured using a specialized program for digital image processing. Quantitative indicators of the content in the leaves of total phenols, catechins and flavonoids were determined by spectrophotometric methods.It was found that the leaves of Betula pendula in the central part of the crown were the smallest in linear size and area. The tier dependence of morphometric parameters (length and width of leaf blade, area) was described by a lognormal function with an approximation accuracy of 0.955 to 0.996.The distribution of phenolic compounds in leaf tissues was relatively uniform. The spatial distribution of flavonoids in the leaves had an inverse relationship, which was described by a linear function. The difference between the maximum and minimum number was 25%. The concentration of catechins, on the contrary, directly depended on the height of the tier of the crown. At the top of the crown, this figure reached 48 mg/g of raw weight, at the bottom of the crown it was almost twice as small.An inverse relationship was found between the height of the crown layer and the ratio of flavonoids to catechins in the leaves, indicating predominance in the secondary metabolism of catechin synthesis, the accumulation of which in the leaves is closely related to the location of metamers in the crown. It is shown that the vertical or tier variability of morphometric parameters and the content of phenolic compounds of Betula pendula leaves is the result of plant adaptation to the gradient of abiotic factors.It has been suggested that for introducers of the Betula L. genus, under conditions of stable active growth and development, the value of layer variability may be an indicator of the introductory potential of plants, which allows making certain predictions about the possibilities of their spread
woody plants, secondary metabolites, catechins, phenols, flavonoids, urbophytocenosis