Pollen production and circulation patterns along an elevation gradient in Mt Olympos (Greece) National Park

We studied airborne pollen along an elevation gradient of Mt Olympos (Greece). Samples were collected on a regular basis, over the period March–October 2009, in eight elevation-different stations, by use of a portable Hirst-type volumetric sampler. Concurrently, we studied pollen production in Quercus coccifera, Q. ilex, Pinus heldreichii and P. nigra, which are dominant species in the main vegetation types of the mountain. Of the 35 pollen taxa detected in the air, 18 account for 99.1 % of the total airborne pollen. These are the main pollen taxa each contributing by at least 0.5 %. Pinaceae (32 %) followed by Quercus (24 %) and Urticaceae (18 %) are the most abundantly represented taxa. Duration of the pollen season decreases with elevation by on average 3 days for every 100 m of elevation increase or by 5 days for every Celsius-degree of temperature decrease. Pollen concentration in the air decreases with elevation for the lowland taxa; with the exception of Cupressaceae, no pattern is observed for the other main taxa. The pine and oak species studied carry comparable amounts of pollen, approximately 10⁴ grains per flower, 10⁸–10⁹ per m² of crown surface and 10¹⁰–10¹¹ per individual; pollen production, primarily of the two Quercus species, is not responsive to environmental changes associated with elevation. Results provide evidence that, within a margin of error, airborne pollen reflects the distributions of pollen taxa on the mountain; regarding abundance, airborne pollen is representative of Quercus, but under-representative of Pinaceae. Ambrosia pollen is found at all elevations examined, although plants producing it have not been recorded on or around Mt Olympos.