The present paper presents data obtained from a biomonitoring study conducted in the summer and fall of 2015 on Plantago major in Timișoara, Romania. P. major is a common perennial herb used as a bioindicator due to its adaptability to environmental conditions and occurrence in many urban habitats. Therefore, this species became of interest in habitat quality assessing. The studied parameters were leaves areas (LA) and lengths using Digimizer software, which allows a nondestructive, cheap and quick approach. Through other methods Specific Leaf Area (SLA), Total Dry Mass (TDM) and Dry Biomass Allocation Ratio (DBAR) were calculated. While Leaf Area presented significant variations among seasons and study zones, SLA values did not range so much. Furthermore, a strong association between leaves lengths and areas was obtained. On the other hand, TDM presented the highest values for the samples collected from Green Forest during the summer and the smallest values for the probes sampled from Urban area during the autumn. Biomass allocation ratios had also variations, and appeared that plants invested differently in aboveground or underground structures depending on season and habitat type.

biomonitoring, Digimizer, Leaf Area, urban zone, biomass allocation ratio

biology

Presentation: poster