Botanical Overview of Aerobiological Signals and Processes: A Microscale to Macroscale Synthesis

Plants are the dominant biological interface with the atmosphere, maintaining continuous physical and chemical interactions with the air. However, the botanical dimension of aerobiology, particularly the diversity of plant-derived aerosols and their structural origins, remains fragmented across the literature and insufficiently integrated. The aim of this review is to provide a plant-focused perspective and contextualization of aerobiology, focusing on sources of plant-derived and vegetation-mediated atmospheric contributions integrated into the major biological pathways. At the microscale, plant-derived atmospheric contributions can be traced to the structural botanical origins. This encompasses reproductive propagules such as pollen grains and structures from exposed surfaces such as non-glandular trichomes and other vegetation debris, representing the botanical domain of aerobiology. Gases and volatiles associated with plant physiology extend this perspective into the broader vegetation–atmosphere interface. These contributions arise through different biological pathways, including reproduction and dispersal, structural detachment, physiological exchange, and chemical signaling. At the macroscale, integration across major vegetation types highlights the role of vegetation context in the occurrence and interpretation of atmospheric signals and processes. Their broader implications extend to human health, ecological signaling and atmospheric processes. A more botanically integrated aerobiology can enable stronger connections between plant structures and functions, vegetation-scale patterns and atmospheric processes.