Biomonitoring of urban pollution by leaves spectrals and anatomicals characteristics of Ficus polita Vahl

Traffic roads intensification contribute to ambient air pollution of the city of Abidjan, in Ivory Coast, as other African capitals. Biomonitoring methods based on spectrals and anatomicals plants leaves characteristics are effective to assess urban environment quality. Measurements of reflectance in the visible and taking stomatal imprints have been made on leaves of Ficus polita Vahl. Leaves were collected in roads vicinity and in parks of the city of Abidjan. Measurements of reflectance allow to distinguish road environment pollution relatively to parks while stomatal density (DS) revealed leaves anatomical response to road atmosphere quality. Air pollution impact on leaves physiology was determined by Normalised Dorsiventral Asymmetry Index (NDAI) and Stress Index (SI). NDAI is higher in parks than roadsides. Besides DS increasing values are observed with distance from the road when the contrary tendency is observed with SI. These results make it possible to consider an operational approach for assessment and monitoring of urban environment quality based on radiometric index and stomatal parameter.