Response of Sweet Cherry (Prunus Avium L.) Pollen Grains to Vehicular Exhaust Pollution at Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of air pollution on road side fruit plants (Prunus avium L.) palynology. Flower samples were collected from polluted (1-2 m away from the edge of Quetta to Hunna Urak road) and for the comparison from non-polluted sites (250-300 m away from the same collection site). During the investigation different pollen parameters including pollen umbers/production, pollen size, pollen tube growth, pollen viability, pollen regularity and pollen protein contents were used through different methods. Results indicated that pollen grains of Prunus avium L. were very sensitive to automobile air pollution. Consequences showed significant reduction in numbers and sizes of pollen grains, pollen tube length and pollen viability of polluted site with respect to the control site. Maximum irregularity in pollen morphology and low pollen protein contents were also recorded from the polluted site. Moreover, results also designated that vehicular pollution increases the resting period of pollen grains for 1 to 3 h. So the different attributes of pollen grains can be used as sensitive bioindicators of adverse factors in botanical environment and this leads to the idea that reduction in the development and potential of pollen grains in response to various poisonous environmental pollutants can be exploited as a good index of air purity.

Using of Taraxacum officinale (L.) pollens for the urban park bioindication

“…Ukrainian Journal of Ecology, 10(5), 2020 a unit of an environmental monitoring system and a quantitative indicator of the negative impact of xenobiotics (Cuinica et al, 2014, Leghari et al, 2018. The study of the urbanization influence on the reproductive capacity of plants, as well as on the assessment of the quality o f the environment using palinoindication, is characterized in the articles (Dzyuba, 2006, Grishko, Komarova, 2016, Hannanova, Arkanova, S. 2017, Komarova, 2019, Morozova et al, 2019, Soldatova, Samsonova, 2019.…”

“…The study of the urbanization influence on the reproductive capacity of plants, as well as on the assessment of the quality o f the environment using palinoindication, is characterized in the articles (Dzyuba, 2006, Grishko, Komarova, 2016, Hannanova, Arkanova, S. 2017, Komarova, 2019, Morozova et al, 2019, Soldatova, Samsonova, 2019. The analysis of the variability of pollen traits in different plant species growing in the city and the possibilities of its use for assessing the quality of the environment was carried out by (Dzyuba, 2006, Matyashuk, 2014, Ibragimova, 2015, Cuinica et al, 2014, Grigoruk & Optasyuk, 2018, Leghari et al, 2018, Grishko & Komarova, 2016, Komarova, 2019, Morozova et al, 2019, Soldatova & Samsonova, 2019. Researchers note a decrease in fertility, an increase in the number of teratomorphic and sterile pollen grains, a change in morphology, a decrease in viability, and other changes in the pollen quality.…”

“…and others, a direct relationship between the level of environmental pollution and the sterility of pollen was demonstrated. It has been shown that the amount of abortive pollen increases in plants growing in zones of industrial enterprises and near roads with heavy traffic, therefore they can be used as bioindicators for assessing technogenic territories (Kaigorodov et al, 2010, Cuinica et al, 2014, Ibragimova, 2015, Grigoruk & Optasyuk, 2018, Leghari et al, 2018, Soldatova & Samsonova, 2019. The relationship between the quality and quantity of the T. officinale male gametophyte with the growing conditions, characteristics of the habitat and pollution was studied by ( Kaigorodov et al, 2010, Hannanova & Arkanova, 2017, Komarova, 2019, Morozova et al, 2019.…”

“…Anthropogenic pressure on urban ecosystems is currently accompanied by environmental pollution with xenobiotics. The negative human impact is manifested in the destruction of biotic groups, changes in functioning, degradation of natural biotopes, glob al changes in landscapes and climate (Cuinica et al, 2014, Azzazy, 2016, Leghari et al, 2018. In cities, air pollution is one of the main problems that affect the biological systems and the quality of life of residents (Khannanova, Arkanova, 2017, Miroshnik, Teslenko, 2018.…”

The Strong and the Stronger: The Effects of Increasing Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations in Pollen of Different Forest Species

“…A disturbance in reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to a physiological situation of the plant called oxidative stress, which can affect its growth and development and even cause cell death [18,19]. The plants' photosynthetic efficiency may be decreased in polluted zones [18,20]; also a high degree of air pollution can cause irregularities in the anthers, decrease their number, and end up causing male sterility [21].…”