Dominant odor-active events link plant volatile signals to human perception and behavioral intentions in urban...

Urban smellscapes are important components of multisensory green-space experiences, yet quantitative links between plant volatile signals, odor perception, and behavioral responses remain poorly understood.

We developed an olfactory event-based framework integrating GC-MS volatile profiling, odor activity value (OAV) analysis, ambient-air relative OAV indices, spatial-temporal attenuation assessment, semantic differential evaluation, and behavioral-intention modeling. Six ornamental species with contrasting odor profiles were analyzed to characterize chemical signals, perceptual responses, and stop-avoid intentions.

Perceived olfactory signatures were better explained by temporally dynamic subsets of dominant high-OAV compounds than by total volatile emissions. Dominant odor-active compounds exhibited species-specific emission rhythms and distance-dependent attenuation, defining distinct perceptible odor ranges across vegetation contexts. Semantic evaluation revealed that plant identity and odor recognizability primarily structured olfactory perception, while vegetation context influenced perceived intensity and affective responses. Cross-validated logistic regression identified two behavioral pathways: stop intention was associated with favorable semantic attributes and dominant OAV/relative OAV-based exposure indices, whereas avoid intention was associated with negative odor valence and complex background conditions.

These findings indicate that urban plant odors operate as discrete olfactory events shaped by chemical dominance, spatial persistence, perceptual interpretation, and contextual modulation. The proposed framework links odor-active compounds, atmospheric dispersion, human perception, and behavioral intention, providing a quantitative basis for odor-informed urban green-space design.