Assessment of relative water content, leaf extract pH, ascorbic acid and total chlorophyll of some plant species growing in Shivamogga.
Patel A. M., Hina Kousar
Author Affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Kuvempu University, Shankarghatta, Karnataka, India.
Plant Archives 11 : 935-939
Abstract : Shimoga is situated in picturesque Malnad Region, literally in the lap of the Sahyadri Western Ghats, Karnataka state of India. The geographical location of the city is 13°55? 18? N75°34? 12?E. Height is 584 meter, above MSL (Minimum Sea Level). It has been known for at least 250 years that air pollution can have damaging effects on plants. Today there is great need to increase public awareness to plant trees in urban areas to enhance the beauty of the concrete landscape and for healthy living. Plants play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance by actively participating in the cycling of nutrients and atmospheric gases and also provide enormous leaf area for impingement, absorption and accumulation of air pollutants to reduce the pollution level in the environment. The study examined air pollution indices (APTI) of fourteen plant species around Shimoga city as Experimental site and Kuvempu University, Shankarghatta control site. The assessment of relative water content, leaf extract pH, ascorbic acid and total chlorophyll were used to compute the air pollution tolerance index values. Results revels that high values of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) were recorded in Azadirachta indica, (37.74) Mangifera indica, (28.4) Eucalyptus mysoresins (27.93), Carica papaya (24.62), Ricinus communis (22.46), Polyalthia longifolia (20.76), Calotropis gigantean (19.84), Nerium indicum (18.49), Psidium guajava (17.51), Parthenium hysterophorus (14.91), Bougainvillea (13.35), Muntingia calabura (11.68), Terminalia cattapa (10.71) and Tamarindus indica (9.12) where in control site the high degree of tolerance is found in Azadirachta indica (29.46) and low in Tamarindus indica (6.85).