The Potential Of Biomonitoring of Air Quality using leaf Characteristics of Allamanda cathartica, Filicium decipiens, Mussaenda erythrophylla and Syzygium campanulatum

Air pollution is major hazards that disturb the plant growth and development. The major sources of air pollution in urban areas specifically are from increase of traffic and rapid growth of industrial and residential area. The high level of traffic area was selected as a polluted habitat (P) and the low traffic is selected as a less polluted habitat (LP). Biomonitoring is the technique based on use of living organisms as bio-indicator to evaluate the impact of air pollution on plants. In this study, we have assessed the potential or suitability of available Allamanda cathartka, Filicium decipiens, Mussaenda erythrophyl/a and Syzygium campanulatum as bio-indicators for monitoring of air quality. The studies areas were Jalan Tun Abdul Rahman in Kuching city and around campus of UNIMAS, Kota Samarahan. Therefore, the parameters measured in this study include chlorophyll content, specific leaf area (SLA), stomatal density (SD), stomatal resistance (RS) and stomatal pore surface (SPS), was assessed from collection of leaves sample. In conclusion, higher result of SLA, SD, RS and SPS of studied sample in UNIMAS than Kuching was observed although the rate of pollution is moderately polluted for both sampling locations