The Effect of Marble-Slurry on Total Chlorophyll Content and Chlorophyll A/B Ratios in Some Tree Species

The tree species growing in the green belt area are subjected to stress conditions and this impacts their basic physiology. Among tree species the major impact of suspended particulate matter is on the photosynthetic pigments particularly the chlorophyll content. This study is an attempt to understand the impact of marble slurry on some tree species growing on the embankment of the marble-slurry dump-yard at Kishangarh, Ajmer. The seasonal trend in Chl a/b ratio relative to the total chlorophyll a and b were studied. This ratio can be applied for rapid detection of plant stress. For the present study three dominant tree species of the region i. e. , Azadirachta indica, Callistemon lanceolata and Albizia lebbeck have been chosen. The prevalent stress conditions, in general, led to reductions in the chlorophyll a+b content and to an increase in the chlorophyll a/b ratio.