Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) Selected Plant Species in Puerto Princesa City for Strategic Urban Forest Planning
Air pollution gives negative effects to humans as well as to plants which are exposed all throughout the day in these pollutants. Assessment of plants' response to air pollutants may serve as a fundamental method in terms of environmental monitoring and management. Sensitive group of plants can serve as an indicator of air quality while the tolerant ones can be sinks. TheAir Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of selected plant species in Puerto Princesa City, namely: Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis), Santan (Ixoracoccinea), Fire Tree (Delonixregia), Golden Bush (Durantarepens), and Acacia tree (Samaneasaman)were evaluatedusing relative water content, ascorbic acid content, leaf extract pH, and total leaf chlorophyll content.It was found out that B. spectabiliswas the most tolerant species, followed by S. samanwhile D. regiahas an intermediate index. D. repensand I. coccineaon the other hand were found to be sensitive plant species. Plants with high APTI values are the tolerant ones and are recommended to be planted in urban areas to absorb and off certain harmful gaseous pollutants while the sensitive ones have the potential to serve as bio-indicators for evaluation and monitoring.