Air Pollution's Impact on Pollinators: A Sweet Scent Sabotage
A new study suggests that air pollution, specifically nitrate radicals abundant in nighttime urban air, can severely degrade the scent emitted by flowers such as the pale evening primrose, making them less attractive to pollinating insects like hawk moths. This sensory pollution could interfere with plant reproduction, decrease fruit production, and threaten pollinators, which rely on flower nectar for sustenance. The research highlights the wide-ranging impacts of air pollution on ecosystems beyond human health.