Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College

Dwarka, New Delhi

Hands on Practical: Workshop
Dated: 03/11/2023-04/11/2023

Title: Exploring Morphological Changes in Plants of Polluted vs. Non-Polluted Sites.

Rationale

● Environmental pollution is a critical issue affecting the flora and fauna around us.

● One of the significant indicators of the impact of pollution on plants is the alteration in
their morphological characteristics. .
● The leaf area index (LAI) and leaf extract pH of plants can serve as reliable indicators of
environmental stress.
● This workshop aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to assess and
compare the morphological characteristics of plants from polluted and non-polluted sites.
Aims and Objective:
The primary aim of this workshop is to:

● Familiarize participants with the concept of LAI and leaf extract pH as indicators of
environmental pollution.

● Enable students to collect, analyze, and interpret data on the morphological

characteristics of plants in polluted and non-polluted sites.

● Promote an understanding of the impact of pollution on plant health and ecosystem

sustainability.

● Encourage the development of critical thinking skills, research abilities, and scientific
communication.

● To investigate the impact of environmental pollution on the morphological changes, pH,

and leaf area index of Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Peepal (Ficus religiosa) leaves
collected from both non-polluted and polluted sites.
Materials:
Sampled Plants:
 ● Neem (Azadirachta indica)

● Peepal (Ficus religiosa)

Selected Sites for sampling:

● Non-Polluted (JNU Campus)

● Polluted (Dwarka Metro Station Area)

Distilled water, pH strips, Sterile containers, Measuring cylinders, Piston Mortar.

Procedure:
1. Sample Collection:
a. Collected Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Peepal (Ficus religiosa) leaves from a non-polluted
site, ensuring that they are healthy and free from visible defects.
b. Collected Neem and Peepal leaves from a polluted site, preferably from an area with known
pollution sources.
c. Carefully labeled and stored the leaves in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
2. Morphological Changes:
a. Selected a representative leaf from each category (non-polluted and polluted) of Neem and
Peepal leaves.
b. Examined the leaves to observe any morphological changes such as soil/dust on leaf surface,
color difference, and overall leaf health.
c. Recorded observations and took photographs.
3. pH Measurement:
a. Prepared leaf extracts by grinding a small portion of leaves in distilled water to create a 10%
(w/v) leaf extract.
b. Used a pH strips to measure the pH of the leaf extracts.
c. Recorded the pH values for each leaf category.
4. Leaf Area Index (LAI):
a. Selected leaves of similar age and size from each category.
b. Measured the total leaf area of each leaf using graph paper.
c. Calculated the LAI by calculating grids area covered by the leaves on graph paper.
Results:
The results of the experiment are as follows:
Morphological Changes:
Neem and Peepal leaves from polluted sites showed more dust particles attached to the surface,
and dark color leaves compared to leaves from non-polluted sites.
pH Measurement:
Neem and Peepal leaf extracts from polluted sites showed a significantly higher pH compared to
those from non-polluted sites, indicating increased alkalinity due to pollution and presence of
more alkaline water in that area.
Leaf Area Index (LAI):
The LAI of Neem and Peepal leaves from polluted sites were significantly higher than that of
leaves from non-polluted sites, indicating a significant increase photosynthetic capacity in
response to the generated stress by air pollution.
Discussion:
The experiment demonstrates that environmental pollution has adverse effects on the
morphology, pH, and leaf area index of Neem and Peepal leaves. Results suggest that pollution
negatively impacts these tree species, but because of being the highly tolerant species there was
no reducing or degrading impact was observed in collected leaves. This information can be
useful for assessing the health of urban trees in polluted areas and understanding the effects of
pollution on plants.