The effects of vehicular fumes on the leaf epidermis of plants along busy urban thoroughfares

• Main Author: Noel, Carmen Lilia Alcaraz
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1997
• Subjects: Smoke > Physiological effect; Leaves; Foliar diagnosis; Plants > Analysis; Plants; Effect of pollution on
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1454
• Institution: De La Salle University

Six leaves of Swietenia macrophylla, Mangifera indica, Acacia auriculiformis and Bougainvillea spectabilis were collected from the four study sites (Ermita, EDSA, Quezon Avenue and San Antonio Village, Makati) in November 1996. Analysis of the stomatal structure was done using light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Plants from the three urban thoroughfares (Ermita, EDSA and Quezon Avenue) had bigger stomatal aperture size as compared to those plants from San Antonio Village, Makati (control site). The study showed that Swietenia macrophylla leaves had the wides stomatal size at Quezon Avenue (7.58 um) while the stomatal aperture size of Mangifera indica leaves was widest at EDSA (6.13 um). Acacia auriculiformis leaves had the wides stomatal opening in leaves collected from Ermita (6.78 um) while the stomatal aperture size of Bougainvillea spectabilis leaves was widest at EDSA (5.88 um). These plants however, had reduced stomatal aperture sizes at San Antonio Village, Makati (control site). One-Way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test showed the significant effects of the different levels of vehicular emission in the four sampling sites on the sizes of stomatal apertures of each plant. Scanning electron micrograph of the abaxial surfaces of the leaves provided a detailed description of the effects of vehicular fumes on the leaf epidermis. Abundant epicuticular wax was correlated with pollution. Bougainvillea spectabilis was found to be highly resistant to pollution and a good indicator of vehicular emission while Swietenia macrophylla was the most sensitive to pollution.