Effect of distance from highway on ''Red Globe'' (Vitis vinifera L.) leaf anatomy and morphology

Abstract

One of the most important pollution in the world is air pollution. One of the factors that cause this pollution is vehicles. Heavy metals have a great role in the component of pollution caused by vehicles and they have great negative effects on plant and human health. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of distance from the highway on the leaf morphology and anatomy of the economically important Red Globe grape variety. Leaf samples were collected from four different distances (road side, 250 m, 500 m, 4000 m) in three different periods (spring, summer and autumn). As a result of the morphological and anatomical examinations, it was determined that as the negative effect of heavy metal decreased as the distance to the highway increased. As we approached the highway, important features such as leaf length, width, petiole length, midvein length, midvein thickness, leaf area decreased, while petiole thickness increased. Anatomically, as the distance to the highway decreases, it has been revealed as a result of the measurements that there is an increase in the thickness of the lower epidermis and upper epidermis, and a decrease in the thickness of upper collenchyma, lower collenchyma, upper parenchyma, lower parenchyma, length of vascular bundles and vascular bundles number. This study highlights that the highway causes stress on leaf morphology and anatomy and causes changes in some characters.