Selection of native Atlantic Forest species for urban greening under air pollution stress

Introduction The Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) is widely used to identify pollution‐tolerant species for afforestation; however, it was not designed to account for traits such as pollutant accumulation or biomass storage, which are also relevant for evaluating environmental resilience. Objectives This study aimed to identify native Atlantic Forest tree species suitable for urban greening and restoration by assessing their tolerance to air pollution, ability to accumulate toxic elements, and leaf biomass. Additionally, it sought to identify species that may be at risk from atmospheric contamination. Methods We evaluated representative tree species across four forest fragments within or near São Paulo's Green Belt, Brazil. Species were assessed using four indicators: APTI, Pollution Load Index (PLI), hydroperoxide‐conjugated diene (HPCD), and leaf mass per area (LMA). Multinomial logistic regression was used to classify species according to pollution tolerance. Results The analysis showed that higher APTI, PLI, and LMA values were associated with tolerant species, while higher HPCD indicated sensitivity. The model achieved 97.37% accuracy. Of 29 species, 6 were sensitive, 17 moderate, 4 tolerant, and 2 site‐dependent. Tolerant species showed greater potential for biomass accumulation and resistance to pollutants. Conclusions The integration of biological indicators effectively distinguished tolerant, moderate, and sensitive species, highlighting species‐specific responses to air pollution stress and reinforcing the value of combining multiple metrics for accurate classification.