Biomonitoring of Air Quality With Bryophytes Using Diversity and Frequency as An indicator

Eleven sites of Kumaon hills (northwest Himalaya) were selected for air quality monitoring. At each selected site, the bryophyte population growing on rocks, soil and bark were studied for their micro-climate and frequency coverage analysis. Frequency coverage data of bryophytes from all the undertaken localities were used to calculate the index of atmospheric purity (IAP). The IAP value of various study sites was plotted on an out line map of study area to detect the pollution gradients and to relate it with the known sources of contamination. A destructive influence of air pollution mainly caused by vehicular movement is evident by the fact that even the common weeds like Bryum argenteum, Funaria hygrometrica, Hylocomium splendens, Frullania squarrosum and Lejunea sp., which were earlier growing luxuriantly, now have restricted distribution. The study explores the application of community structure analysis for regional monitoring of air quality.