Effect of different plant communities on NO 2 in an urban road greenbelt in Nanjing, China.

As an important part of urban ecosystems, plants can reduce NO ₂ concentrations in the air. However, there is little evidence of the effects of different plant communities on NO ₂ concentrations in street-scale green spaces. We used a multifunctional lifting environmental detector to investigate the impact of environmental factors and small plant communities on NO ₂ concentrations in street green spaces during the summer and winter in Nanjing, China. The results showed that temperature, atmospheric pressure, and noise were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with seasonal changes, temperature and humidity significantly (P < 0.01) influenced NO ₂ concentrations in winter and summer, and the average NO ₂ concentration in summer was generally higher than in winter. By comparing NO ₂ concentrations in different plant community structures and their internal spaces, we found that the plant community structure with tree-shrub-grass was more effective in reducing pollution. These findings will help predict the impact of plant communities on NO ₂ concentrations in urban streets and help city managers and planners effectively reduce NO ₂ pollution.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)