Road air pollution harms the reproductive success of a bee‐pollinated wildflower: A dusty threat to biodiversity
Abstract
Societal Impact Statement Dust, a common form of air pollution, is particularly problematic on roadsides, which are important habitats for plants and pollinators. We investigated whether and how road dust affects plant sexual reproduction using Primula chungensis in a biodiversity hotspot. Our study provides compelling evidence that road dust can harm plant reproductive success by disrupting both plant–pollinator interactions and the post‐pollination process. Given that enhanced dust activity is widespread globally, our findings highlight that biodiversity, food security, and ecosystems should benefit from policies and practices to improve air quality.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Plant responses to elevated CO2
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
Plant and animal studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Plants People Planet
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1567–1571
- Publication date
- 16 February 2026
- Language
- EN