Plants with health risks undermine residents’ perceived health status, evaluations and expectations of residential greenery

Abstract

Given the growing reports on the services and disservices of urban greenery and its health effects, it is necessary to understand how the public perceives these health effects to enhance public acceptance of urban greening improvement strategies aimed at better public health. To address this issue, we surveyed the plant composition, vegetation coverage rate (ratevegcover), residents’ self-perceived health status and their evaluation and desire for residential greening in 68 residential compounds in the old city of Nanjing, China. The results show that the ratevegcover and diversity of all plants (diverall) were correlated with a lower self-reported rate of allergic diseases and a higher satisfaction level with green space or vegetation maintenance. However, as the diversity of plants with airborne pollen (diverpollen) increased, residents reported higher allergic disease prevalence and lower satisfaction levels with residential greening. Similarly, as the diversity of plants with airborne plant fibers(diverfibers) increased, residents not only reported higher respiratory disease prevalence and more severe health impairment from airborne plant fibers but also became less satisfied with residential greening and less supportive of higher overall plant diversity or the presence of more plants with attractive flowers. Although mismatches existed between residents’ perceptions, feelings and plant survey results , it is clear that researchers need to examine the adverse effects of plants with health risks on public experiences and expectations of residential greening and to evaluate both the positive and negative impacts of plants on public health at the species level.