Urban plants are important components of the landscape and provide numerous benefits and services. In particular, urban vegetation covering parks, gardens, tree-lined avenues, sport fields and hedges is an important sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through photosynthesis, storing the excess carbon (C) as biomass in plant tissues. Urban greening also contributes to mitigate air temperature by shading and transpiration, and reduce noise level. Moreover, plants accumulate pollutants through their roots and leaf surfaces. Besides this, green spaces provide health, physical and psychological benefits of people living in cities increasing the attractiveness of communities. Among green areas, Botanical Gardens have a key role in plant conservation, taxonomic research, horticultural and economic Botany, and public education. In such context, we shall analyze an additional role for Botanical Gardens that should be considered, namely the contribution of plant collections in improving environmental quality by reducing CO2 concentration, metal and noise pollution and mitigating air temperature. In particular, the research will be carried out in the Botanical Garden of Rome in order to analyze and quantify its contribute in improving the air quality. At the present, there is not data on the potential role of the Botanical Gardens in environmental quality amelioration, which is related to species, plant age and growing conditions. Thus, it is important to survey data on species presence, distribution and size as well as understanding their contribution in improving the environmental quality. The results may suggest appropriate policy interventions in order to facilitate future urban designs enhancing the environmental and social benefits from green areas that should also include Botanical Gardens.
