Abstract:

The dust has become one of the main air pollutants in north China. Plants can absorb and retain the dust in the atmosphere, and the study on dust retention capacity of plant could provide references for the selection and configuration of greening tree species. In this study, the leaf shape of Amygdalus Mongolia, A. davidiana and Cerasus humilis were observed, the leaf area, perimeter, length and width were measured by platometer, and leaf appendages and microstructure were observed by electron microscope. The dust detained on the leaf surface was collected by the method of “collection-cleaning-filtration-weighing” and the relationship among the leaf shape, size, microstructure and dust retention amount were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the capacity of Amygdalus Mongolia to retain the particles less than 10μm was relatively strong, and the capacity of Cerasus humilis to retain the particles larger than 10 μm (PM10) was relatively big. The dust retention per unit area of leaf was Amygdalus Mongolia > Cerasus humilis > A. davidiana. The microstructure of leaf affected the capacity of dust retention on the leaf, and the dust was mainly around the hair of leaf, or inlayed in the groove and stomata on the leaf. The dust retention amount of per unit leaf area was negatively correlated with leaf area, perimeter, width and length, and positively correlated with the ratio of leaf width to leaf length, among which leaf area and leaf length had a greater impact on the dust retention amount.

Key words: leaf shape, leaf microstructure, leaf area, dust, dust retention capacity