Evaluation of Anticipated Performance Index of Tree Species for Air Pollution Mitigation in Islamabad, Pakistan

There is ever increasing problem of air pollution in cities due to urbanization, industrialization, population growth and increased number of vehicles. Plants can play a vital role in mitigation of air pollution in urban areas. The present study was conducted to estimate the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) for 21 different plant species used for green belt development along the roadsides in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. For APTI and API estimation, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll content, relative water content and pH of leaf extract of selected plant species were measured using standard methods. The results showed that Syzygium cumini L. (jaman), Pterospermum acerifolium (kanak champa) and Alstonia scholaris (devil tree) were the excellent performers. According to API and APTI values, these species were found effective in reducing air pollution and could be effective for green belt development in urban areas. Albezia lebbeck, Melia azedarach, Eucliptus camaldulensis, Dalbergia sissoo, Tamarindus indica, Acacia nilotica L., Callistemon viminalis and Leucaena leucocephala are very poor performers regarding air and noise abatement. These plants are very poor performers and are very sensitive plants to air pollution. These plants can be used as bio-indicators of poor urban air quality.