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Tropospheric ozone (O[sub.3]) is a phytotoxic air pollutant that can impair visible foliar injury (O[sub.3] VFI) and reduce photosynthesis in sensitive forest species. Viburnum lantana L. has been used as an in situ bioindicator of O[sub.3] pollution in mountainous areas of Europe; however, flux-based response functions and critical levels (CLs) for this species have not yet been established. This study validated field-observed O[sub.3] effects in V. lantana through experiments carried out in a Free-air O[sub.3] eXposure infrastructure and determined which O[sub.3] metric (exposure-based AOT40 or flux-based-POD[sub.1]) best explains O[sub.3] effects on leaf physiology and VFI. Throughout the experimental period (T2: 3.5-month O[sub.3] exposure), V. lantana saplings were subjected to ambient air (AA) conditions and elevated O[sub.3] levels (1.5× and 2.0× AA). O[sub.3] VFI appeared after 16 days in 2.0× and increased progressively during the growing season, reaching the highest Plant Injury Index (PII) values in the 2.0× (9.06 ± 3.24) compared with 1.5× and AA treatments (1.31 ± 0.62 and 1.29 ± 0.71). Elevated O[sub.3] also significantly reduced net photosynthetic rate (A [sub.sat]), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), and the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F [sub.v]/F [sub.m]); no significant difference in stomatal conductance (g [sub.s]) was found. The flux-based metric POD[sub.1] better explained variability in O[sub.3] VFI and physiological parameters. Based on the best-fitting models, CLs for V. lantana were estimated at 1.61 mmol m[sup.−2] and 1.22 mmol m[sup.−2] for a 4% reduction in A [sub.sat] and g [sub.s], and a CL of 7.82 mmol m[sup.−2] for the O[sub.3] VFI-onset.

Urban environments are contaminated by a multitude of air pollutants. Tropospheric ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as well as coarse particulate matter (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are the most dangerous for human health. However, urban greenery, in particular trees, offer a variety of ecosystem services, including the ability to improve air quality. We planted 170 young trees in the city of Florence using five species with proven capabilities to remove air pollutants, and open-field research was conducted to assess their pollution removal potential. Multi-sensor monitoring devices were used to monitor air pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters from the first three years after planting. The devices were installed inside/outside the plantation and above/below the canopies. The experiment showed that the selection of suitable species effectively led to an improvement in air quality, with a reduction in monitored air pollutants below the canopy. In detail, a reduction in O3 and NO2 was detected for the second (2023) and third (2024) growing seasons, while a reduction in PM10 was only observed in 2024. The highest average reduction percentage was found for O3 (−9.1%) and PM10 (−24.5%) during 2023 and 2024, respectively. These findings highlight that nature-based solutions are really effective in air pollution mitigation, suggesting their implementation to further expand urban reforestation programmes and preserve human health.

The ornamental nursery industry is steadily growing in Europe, and a consequent increase in the demand for substrates related to container plant cultivations is expected in the coming years. Currently, substrates consist in part or entirely of peat, a non-renewable resource with concerns about its environmental impact due to extraction, transport, and use. Therefore, it is essential to focus on alternative materials, particularly waste by-products to be recycled as components of substrates to achieve more sustainable cultivations. In this study, substrates obtained by mixing co-composted dredged sediments (S) and green waste (GW) in different ratios (1:3; 1:1; 3:1) were tested for cultivation, and plant growth was compared with a control growing media (peat and pumice in a 1:1 ratio). The cultivation trial lasted for one year and was carried out on two potted ornamental evergreen shrubs (Photinia × fraseri and Viburnum tinus). The results showed that the plant growth parameters of both species, occurring in substrates with co-composted materials, were not significantly affected compared to the control, with the exception of below-ground biomass in V. tinus. Moreover, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was carried out to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) deriving from the replacement of peat with the other proposed substrates. The functional unit was 10 L (Ø 24 cm) potted plants and the results were expressed in kg of CO2 equivalent (kg CO2eq). We demonstrated that the replacement of peat-based substrates with the alternative substrates was able to reduce the GHG emission by an average of 11.56 to 23.13%. Higher GHG emissions were related to the cultivation phase (0.9 kg CO2eq/plant), and while comparing substrates, we obtained an average percentage reduction of 28.1% to 59.6%. Thus, our results suggest that co-composted mixtures of dredged sediments with green waste could be used as sustainable techno-soils for pot nursery cultivation of ornamental species with reduced environmental impact.

In this study, conventional and organic olive tree nurseries were compared through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis to identify processes that have a greater environmental impact and which of the two systems leads to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon sequestration in the woody biomass of the plants grown with both management systems was also considered. The research was carried out on six olive tree nurseries, four conventional and two managed also with an organic system, located in the nursery district of Pescia (Tuscany, Italy). The functional unit considered was two-year-old pot-grown plants (pot 15 cm Ø) and the results were expressed in terms of kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq). In all the nurseries analyzed, LCA showed that pots were the highest CO2eq emission source (45–63%), followed by potting mix (22.6–32.1%). This was due to the use of plastic in pots and peat for the growing media. Organic management was found to have a definite positive influence on the decrease of GHG, reducing the emissions up to 13% compared with conventional nurseries. Considering carbon stocked in the woody tissues of seedlings, the reduction of emissions attained 15.7% though a slightly lower (−6.7%) amount of CO2 incorporated into biomass was detected in the olive plants grown in organic nurseries. In light of our results, conversion of the nursery industry from conventional to organic management has the potential to reduce its carbon footprint.

Tropospheric ozone (O[sub.3] ) is a detrimental air pollutant causing phytotoxic effects. Several O[sub.3] indices are used to assess the risk for vegetation, e.g., the exposure-based AOT40 (accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb) and the stomatal-flux based POD[sub.1] (Phytotoxic Ozone Dose above a threshold of 1 nmol m[sup.−2] s[sup.−1] ). Leaf Mass per Area (LMA) is recommended as a simple index to explain the plant tolerance capacity to O[sub.3] . We therefore tested a new species-specific O[sub.3] index (Leaf Index Flux—LIF: calculated as stomatal O[sub.3] flux/LMA) as a proxy of the avoidance/tolerance capacity against O[sub.3] stress according to datasets of visible foliar injury (VFI) in forest monitoring and a manipulative Free-Air Controlled Exposure (FACE) experiment. For the forest monitoring, AOT40, POD[sub.1] , and LIF were calculated from hourly O[sub.3] , soil moisture, and meteorological measurements at nine Italian forest sites over the period 2018–2022. The results were tested for correlation with the O[sub.3] VFI annually surveyed at the same sites along the forest edge (LESS) or inside the forest (ITP) and expressed as relative frequency of symptomatic species in the LESS (SS_(L)ESS) and Plant Injury Index per tree in the plot (PII_(I)TP). Based on VFI occurrence at ITP and LESS, Fagus sylvatica was considered the most O[sub.3] -sensitive species, whereas conifers (Pinus pinea and Picea abies) and other deciduous/evergreen broadleaf (Quercus petraea, Q. cerris, Q. ilex, and Phyllirea latifolia) showed rare and no O[sub.3] VFI. Shrub species such as Rubus spp. and Vaccinium myrtillus were O[sub.3] -sensitive, as they showed VFI along the LESS. AOT40 did not show significant correlations with the VFI parameters, POD[sub.1] increased with increasing SS_(L)ESS (p = 0.005, r = 0.37) and PII_(I)TP (p < 0.001, r = 0.53), and LIF showed an even higher correlation with SS%_(L)ESS (p < 0.001, r = 0.63) and PII_(I)TP (p < 0.001, r = 0.87). In the FACE experiment, PII was investigated for five deciduous and three evergreen tree species following one growing season of exposure to ambient and above-ambient O[sub.3] levels (PII_(F)ACE). Moreover, PII_(F)ACE resulted better correlated with LIF (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) than with POD[sub.1] (r = 0.58, p = 0.003) and AOT40 (r = 0.35, p = 0.09). Therefore, LIF is recommended as a promising index for evaluating O[sub.3] VFI on forest woody species and stresses high O[sub.3] risk potential for forest species with high stomatal conductance and thin leaves.

Soil-plant indicators are useful to select tree species suitable for the urban conditions and to maximize the benefits provided by green infrastructures (GE). To identify effective indicators for GE, soil-plant nutrient interaction and related physiological responses were assessed in evergreen ( Cupressus sempervirens L.) and deciduous ( Acer opalus Mill., Acer rubrum L., Tilia platyphyllos Scop., Ulmus ‘Plinio’) tree species, in a novel urban GE (Florence, Italy). Soil and leaf nutrient contents and the soil enzyme stoichiometry were applied as indicators of plant nutrient status and bioavailability. Gas exchange and stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were used as indicators of tree physiological status and resource-use strategies, respectively. The soil was suitable for tree growth, however, the enzyme activities estimated N limited condition. Trees differed in leaf nutrient composition and stoichiometry. Acer rubrum and A. opalus leaves had manganese concentration below and above the plant optimal range, respectively, leading to alteration in the nutrient uptake and on the leaf stoichiometry between C, N and phosphorus (C: N:P), with consequence for tree health status. Tilia platyphyllos and Ulmus ‘ Plinio’ had the best photosynthetic performance, while photosynthesis in A. rubrum was severely impaired. Interspecific differences in N- and water-use strategies were observed. Tilia platyphyllos showed the highest water-use efficiency, leaf C: P and N: P compared to the other species. Tree nutritional and physiological traits gave insights into soil-plant nutrient interaction and may be proposed as useful indicators for choosing the most suitable species to improve GE management in urban environments.

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a detrimental air pollutant causing phytotoxic effects. Several O3 indices are used to assess the risk for vegetation, e.g., the exposure-based AOT40 (accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb) and the stomatal-flux based POD1 (Phytotoxic Ozone Dose above a threshold of 1 nmol m−2 s−1). Leaf Mass per Area (LMA) is recommended as a simple index to explain the plant tolerance capacity to O3. We therefore tested a new species-specific O3 index (Leaf Index Flux—LIF: calculated as stomatal O3 flux/LMA) as a proxy of the avoidance/tolerance capacity against O3 stress according to datasets of visible foliar injury (VFI) in forest monitoring and a manipulative Free-Air Controlled Exposure (FACE) experiment. For the forest monitoring, AOT40, POD1, and LIF were calculated from hourly O3, soil moisture, and meteorological measurements at nine Italian forest sites over the period 2018–2022. The results were tested for correlation with the O3 VFI annually surveyed at the same sites along the forest edge (LESS) or inside the forest (ITP) and expressed as relative frequency of symptomatic species in the LESS (SS_LESS) and Plant Injury Index per tree in the plot (PII_ITP). Based on VFI occurrence at ITP and LESS, Fagus sylvatica was considered the most O3-sensitive species, whereas conifers (Pinus pinea and Picea abies) and other deciduous/evergreen broadleaf (Quercus petraea, Q. cerris, Q. ilex, and Phyllirea latifolia) showed rare and no O3 VFI. Shrub species such as Rubus spp. and Vaccinium myrtillus were O3-sensitive, as they showed VFI along the LESS. AOT40 did not show significant correlations with the VFI parameters, POD1 increased with increasing SS_LESS (p = 0.005, r = 0.37) and PII_ITP (p < 0.001, r = 0.53), and LIF showed an even higher correlation with SS%_LESS (p < 0.001, r = 0.63) and PII_ITP (p < 0.001, r = 0.87). In the FACE experiment, PII was investigated for five deciduous and three evergreen tree species following one growing season of exposure to ambient and above-ambient O3 levels (PII_FACE). Moreover, PII_FACE resulted better correlated with LIF (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) than with POD1 (r = 0.58, p = 0.003) and AOT40 (r = 0.35, p = 0.09). Therefore, LIF is recommended as a promising index for evaluating O3 VFI on forest woody species and stresses high O3 risk potential for forest species with high stomatal conductance and thin leaves.

Tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution is a major concern in urban environments because of its toxicity for both people and vegetation. This paper review provides an overview of atmospheric mechanisms, as well as the potential and best management practices of urban greening for reducing O3 pollution in cities. Urban greening has often been proposed as a cost-effective solution to reduce O3 pollution, but its effectiveness depends on careful species selection and integration with broader air quality management strategies. Ozone is a secondary pollutant and the volatile organic compounds emitted by vegetation (BVOCs) can play a prominent role in O3 formation. A list of recommended and to-avoid species is given here to drive future planting at city scale. Planting low BVOC-emitting species and combining greening with reductions in anthropogenic emissions are key to maximizing benefits and minimizing unintended increases in O3. Public and non-public institutions should carefully select plant species in consultation with expert scientists from the early stages, e.g., by considering local conditions and pollutant dynamics to design effective greening interventions. Collaborative planning among urban ecologists, atmospheric scientists, and municipalities is thus crucial to ensure that greening interventions contribute to overall air quality improvements rather than inadvertently enhancing O3 formation. Such improvements will also translate into plant protection from O3 stress. Therefore, future directions of research and policy integration to achieve healthier, O3-resilient urban ecosystems are also provided.

Urban ecosystems are increasingly shaped by multiple environmental stressors, which may threaten both biodiversity and human well-being. We summarised the current knowledge on the ecological and social consequences of seven major urban pressures: air pollution, freshwater degradation, biological invasions, noise pollution, habitat fragmentation, soil pollution and climate crisis. Air and soil pollution, largely driven by traffic and industrial activities, compromises vegetation functions, reduces ecosystem services, and affects human health. Urban freshwater systems face contamination from stormwater runoff, wastewater, and microplastics, leading to biodiversity loss, altered ecosystem processes, and reduced water availability. Biological invasions, facilitated by human activities and habitat disturbances, reshape ecological communities, outcompete native species, and impose socio-economic costs, while management requires integrated monitoring and citizen engagement. Noise pollution disrupts animal communication, alters species distributions, and poses significant risks to human physical and mental health. Simultaneously, habitat fragmentation and loss reduce ecological connectivity, impair pollination and dispersal processes, and heighten extinction risks for both plants and animals. Collectively, these stressors interact synergistically, amplifying ecological degradation and exacerbating health and social inequalities in urban populations. The cumulative impacts highlight the need for systemic and adaptive approaches to urban planning that integrate biodiversity conservation, public health, and social equity. Nature-based solutions, ecological restoration, technological innovation, and participatory governance emerge as promising strategies to enhance urban resilience. Furthermore, fostering citizen science initiatives can strengthen monitoring capacity and create community ownership of sustainable urban environments. Addressing the combined pressures of urban environmental stressors is thus pivotal for building cities that are ecologically robust, socially inclusive, and capable of coping with the challenges of the climate crisis and global urbanization.

Intraoperative periprosthetic proximal femoral fractures (PPFFs) represent a significant complication during total hip arthroplasty (THA), especially when using cementless stems via a direct anterior approach (DAA). This retrospective case series evaluated 10 patients with Vancouver A2 PPFFs treated with 2.7 mm lag screws alone or in combination with plates during DAA THA or partial hip arthroplasty between January 2021 and March 2024. All fractures healed. One patient experienced 1 cm of stem subsidence without the need for revision. The mean Harris Hip Score improved from 35.4 preoperatively to 85.6 postoperatively. Functional recovery and radiological stability were comparable between fixation methods, though the screw-only group experienced slightly more postoperative pain. Patients in the screw-and-plate group were significantly older than those in the screw-only group ( = 0.026). No significant differences were found between groups regarding surgical time ( = 0.62) or BMI ( = 0.82). Due to the limited number of subsidence events, the statistical comparison of subsidence rates was inconclusive. In this preliminary retrospective case series, the use of 2.7 mm lag screws and small locking plates appeared feasible and was associated with favorable short-term outcomes in selected Vancouver A2 intraoperative PPFFs during DAA. These findings are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger, prospective comparative studies.