National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Air pollution due to vehicular emissions has become a global tribulation for living organisms. Controlling air pollution is one of the complex environmental challenges. The only suitable ecological approach to control air pollution is constructing green belts in and around the pollution sources. A field study was conducted during the year 2016-17 to assess the air pollution tolerance of plants growing alongside National Highway-21 in Himachal Pradesh. The registered distribution pattern studies indicated that six tree species namely Dalbergia sisso, Grewia optiva, Leucaena leucocephala, Toona ciliata, Morus alba and Ficus palmata were found commonly growing alongside the selected highway. In addition, five shrub species namely Adhatoda vasica, Vitex negundo, Murraya koenigii, Carissa opaca and Debregeasia hypoleuca were also selected. Based on air pollution tolerance index (APTI), among commonly growing trees Toona ciliata registered highest APTI value of 12.53 followed by Leucaena leucocephala with value of 11.05. The tolerance level of these tree species was followed by Dalbergia sisso (10.56) > Grevia optiva (9.98) > Ficus palmata (9.94) > Morus alba (9.33). Also, tolerance level of shrubs was calculated which showed that among shrubs Adhatoda vasica and Murraya koenigii with APTI values (9.02 and 8.47) were found to be tolerant followed by Debregeasia hypoleuca (7.98) > Carissa opaca (7.96) > Vitex negundo (7.79). Overall results indicated that Toona ciliata and Leucaena leucocephala among tree species and Adhatoda vasica and Murraya koenigii among shrub species registered relatively higher tolerance level than other species. Therefore, should be recommended for the plantation alongside highways to reduce air pollution.
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