Stomatal Characteristics and Chlorophyll Content of Samanea saman and Swietenia mahagoni Leaves at Sites with Different Traffic Intensity in Ternate City and West Halmahera Regency
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Roadside trees are exposed to environmental conditions associated with motor vehicle traffic, which may influence stomatal characteristics and leaf chlorophyll content. This study aimed to compare the stomatal characteristics and chlorophyll meter readings of Samanea saman and Swietenia mahagoni leaves collected from roadside environments in Ternate City and West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Indonesia. A comparative study was conducted in June 2024 using 180 leaf samples collected from six sampling sites, with three sites in each region. Stomatal characteristics were examined using light microscopy and the leaf impression technique, while stomatal number and density were analyzed using ImageJ software. Leaf chlorophyll was assessed using an AMTAST MC100 chlorophyll meter, and differences between the two regions were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests. The results showed that both species exhibited paracytic stomata on the abaxial leaf surface. The mean stomatal number was significantly higher in Ternate City than in West Halmahera Regency for S. saman (442 vs. 410; p < 0.001) and S. mahagoni (481 vs. 455; p = 0.023). Stomatal density showed a similar pattern, with higher values in Ternate City for both species (2.254,38 vs. 2.086,79 and 2.448,46 vs. 2.318,24 stomata/mm², respectively). Conversely, chlorophyll meter readings were significantly lower in Ternate City than in West Halmahera Regency for S. saman (45,4 vs. 47,5; p < 0.001) and S. mahagoni (50,1 vs. 51,5; p = 0.011). These findings indicate that stomatal characteristics and leaf chlorophyll readings differed between Ternate City and West Halmahera Regency, which represent roadside environments with contrasting traffic conditions.
Authors: Lintal Muna, Mutmainnah Bashir, Amelia Jafar
Institution: Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223555369