Physiological responses of some tree species under roadside automobile pollution stress around city of Haridwar, India.
Joshi P. C., Abhishek Swami
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar 249 404, India.
Environmentalist 27 : 365-374
Abstract : Studies were carried out to determine the physiological response of few economically important tree species viz., mango (Mangifera indica), Eucalyptus citriodora, sagon (Tectona grandis) and sal (Shorea robusta) to roadside automobile pollution in Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, India, during 2004-05. By determining some physiological parameters, which included chlorophyll a, and b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, pH and relative water content, impact of automobile exhaust on these species was assessed. The data obtained were further analysed by using one-way ANOVA and a significant change in all these parameters was found in the leaf samples collected from road side trees, exposed to automobile exhausts in comparison to control. Higher value of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was recorded for S. robusta (9.02) while the minimum value of APTI was recorded for M. indica (6.76).