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EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (CREATED BY HIGH TENSION LINES) ON THE INDIGENOUS FLORAL BIODIVERSITY IN THE VICINITY OF KARACHI- I: STUDIES ON PMC MEIOSIS, MEIOTIC PRODUCTS AND POLLEN FERTILITY

SAHAR ZAIDI AND SURAYYA KHATOON*

Abstract: To study the effect of electromagnetic fields of high-tension lines on plants, 45 species belonging to 18 genera and 11 families from different localities in and around Karachi under high-tension lines ranging from 66,000 to 2,20, 000 volts have been collected and studied. Besides this, collection of same species was also done from areas free from electromagnetic waves as control. Considerable abnormalities in the meiotic behaviour of these plants with an increase in voltage have been observed in comparison to the control plants. The difference in the frequency of meiotic abnormalities has been found to be statistically significant between test and control plants. Besides this a decrease in pollen fertility is also observed with the increase in voltages. The specimens collected from the vicinity of more than 100,000 volts lines (i.e. 1,32,000 & 2,20,000 volts) showed a tendency to produce certain percentage of diads and diploid pollen grains.

Department of Botany, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi.
Department of Botany, University of Karachi Karachi-75270. Pakistan.