Aeropalynologic analysis of La Plata City (Argentina) during a 3-year period

A continuous aeropalynologic survey of the atmosphere of La Plata was carried out between July 1998 and June 2001 in order to study flowering development from winter to summer using a Lanzoni volumetric spore trap. The total pollen spectrum was represented by 79 pollen types. Between 10 and 12 pollen types showed a relative concentration of more than 1% of the annual total. Airborne pollen was mainly represented by Platanus, Fraxinus, Cupressaceae, Poaceae, Urticaceae, Cyperaceae, Myrtaceae, Celtis, Casuarina and Morus during the 3-year period. Acer and Ambrosia pollen types were only dominant in the first 2 years. Maximum absolute concentrations were recorded in the the July 1998–June 1999 period, and the minimum concentrations were recorded in the July 2000–June 2001 period. The contribution of the arboreal pollen grains was higher than 68% relative to the annual total for each year. Two periods of maximum pollen emissions were found for each year: pollen from aboreal taxa predominated from July to October, and pollen from herbaceous taxa predominated from November to March. There was very little pollen in the atmosphere between April and June. The maximum arboreal and herbaceous pollen emissions were recorded during hours of daylight: at 10:00 and 14:00 hours.     

Apicultural pollen from the Andean region of Chubut (Argentinean Patagonia)

An analysis of pollen loads of Apis mellifera was performed in order to identify the pollen sources that support the hives in the Andean region of Chubut. During the apicultural period (from 9 September 2010 to 12 March 2011), pollen loads were collected every fortnight in a selected apiary located in a transition area between the sub-Antarctic forests and the Patagonian steppe. Forty-six pollen types belonging to 26 plant families were found in the pollen spectrum of pollen loads, of which the most diverse were Asteraceae (11 types) and Fabaceae (six types). Families with major biomass contribution were Asteraceae (49%), Fabaceae (10%), Salicaceae (10%), Rhamnaceae (7%), Rosaceae (7%) and Brassicaceae (4%). Thirty-one per cent of the identified pollen belonged to the native flora. The major contribution of indigenous species occurred in late spring. Mutisia spp., Discaria type, Senecio spp., Adesmia spp. and Maytenus spp. were the most collected native taxa. Most plants providing pollen to the beehive are also nectariferous resources in the Andean region of Chubut. The protein content of the collected pollen ranged from 7.78% to 32.48%. The most collected types had protein content between 13.09% and 30.93%.     

Aeropalynological monitoring in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

The pollen spectrum of Bishkek was investigated by a gravity method, during March-October in 1984, 1988 and 1992. The recovered pollen types belong to 20 families and 26 taxa. Only 4 types reach significant levels of deposition of over 10% as annual average. These include: Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Quercus and Poaceae. Pollinosis in Bishkek is mainly induced by Artemisia and Poaceae pollen. Hay fever patients showed polyvalent allergy to Artemisia and Poaceae pollen (32 to 51%), Artemisia and Atriplex pollen (34.5%).     

Seasonal variation of collected pollen loads of honeybees (Apis mellifera L. anatoliaca)

Pollen collected by honeybees foraging in the region of Bursa, Turkey was analysed for a whole year. Pollen loads were collected from the hives of Apis mellifera anatoliaca once a week and were classified by colour. Forty‐one taxa were identified from the pollen analyses of the loads and 14 of these had percentages higher than 1%. Only 2.05% of the total pollen could not have been identified. Dominant taxa include; Brassicaceae (11.19%), Helianthus annuus L. (10.84%), Cichorioideae (8.93%) Salix spp. (7.99%), Rosaceae (7.37%), Centaurea spp. (7.56%), Papaver spp. (7.41%), Knautia spp. (6.99%), Fabaceae (6.01%), Asteraceae (5.73%), Xanthium spp. (2.65%), Chrozophora spp. (2.45%), Plantago spp. (1.56%) and Acer spp. (1.54%) representing 88.23% of the total. Distinct variations in plant usage are seen through the year with initial use of Rosaceae, Salix, and to a lesser extent Brassicaeae. As these groups finish flowering the bees move onto Helianthus annuus, Centaurea through the summer followed by Asteraceae in the late summer and Fabaceae in the autumn. There is a strong reliance on crop species for pollen forage but a number of indigenous species are also seen within the samples. The most productive period for collecting various pollen types, and the ideal period to determine pollen preferences of honey bees was June‐August.     

Analysis of airborne pollen in the town of Almería (South-East Spain), 1995–1996

The first results are presented of an aerobiological analysis of the atmosphere of the town of Almería, carried out between November 1995 and October 1996. A Lanzoni volumetric spore trap was used for sample collection. The composition and seasonal evolution of the pollen spectrum were determined over a 1-year period in relation to the vegetation and climatic conditions of the study area. Twenty-six pollen types were identified as accounting for >0.05% of the total pollen collected. The main sources of airborne pollen were Palmae (17.76%),Olea (16.10%), Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae (13.99%), Urticaceae (10.18%) and Poaceae (8.64%). The annual pollen variation presented a period of maximum emission from March to June, with a subsequent, less intensive period from August to November. The minimum pollen values were obtained from December to February. The highest concentrations occurred in May, which was also the month which presented the highest pollen diversity, whereas the lowest values were observed in January.     

Seasonal variation in vegetation and pollen collected by honeybees in Thessaloniki,Greece

Pollen is important for the nutrition of honeybees and it is necessary for their survival and reproduction. In this study, we collected daily the pollen pellets from four colonies and also recorded the plants in flower in the area around the apiary, over a two‐year period. Field records revealed the presence of 204 species with Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Rosaceae being the most specious families. Although honey bees collected more than 140 pollen types, the main pollen sources (>60% of the total weight) came from less than ten taxa. The most important pollen types with respect to total weight were Sisymbrium irio, Papaver rhoeas, Verbascum sp., Polygonum aviculare, Zea mays and Olea europaea. The use of pollen traps proved a more accurate method to record the type and the foraging period during which the honeybees collect pollen, compared to field observations.     

The role of Mimosa L. (Fabaceae) on pollen provision of Melipona asilvai Moure 1971 in a Caatinga area from Brazil

The pollen spectrum of Melipona asilvai pollen samples, collected over the course of two years, was analysed with the objective of inferring the flora visited by this bee in a region of Caatinga in Bahia, Brazil. This study also evaluated the role of Mimosa species as a source of resources used by Melipona asilvai. Forty-eight pollen types, distributed in 22 families, were morphologically distinguished. The family Fabaceae was notable in the pollen spectrum, with 14 identified types. Mimosa was the most representative and found in all samples analysed, sometimes with high frequency. Mimosa tenuiflora had a 91.5% frequency of occurrence in the sample set and greatly contributed to the monthly samples with percentages over 95% in four of the months analysed. The other Mimosa pollen types identified were M. arenosa, M. quadrivalvis, M. misera and M. pudica. In addition, the Angelonia (Plantaginaceae) type in three samples and the Chamaecrista racemosa (Fabaceae) type in one sample had frequencies over 50% in the pollen spectrum. Other very frequent types in the sample set, occurring in more than 50% of the samples analysed, were the following: Melastomataceae, Solanum paniculatum (Solanaceae), Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae) and Myrcia (Myrtaceae). Despite the variety of floral sources recorded, it was possible to identify the floral preference of this bee as Mimosa, indicating the importance of Mimosa species as a source of resources used by this bee.     

Evaluation of indoor passive pollen sedimentation over 1 year: a possible source of contamination?

The study aimed to evaluate the possible contamination by passive indoor pollen sedimentation in a laboratory where routine pollen analyses were conducted, but where no particular laboratory policies were adopted to limit contamination. Gravimetric pollen deposition was observed on traps (petri dishes soaked with glycerol) set in the palynology laboratory, under an extractor hood and on the bench beside it over 1 year (1995–1996), and in an air filtered room in a flow cabinet and on its roof over 1 month for comparison. Under the extractor hood, three types of airborne particles were deposited: pollen grains, spores and algae, representing 32.35, 67.28 and 0.37%, respectively, of the total sedimented particles over 1 year. The number of pollen grains deposited on the surface trap ranged from 0 (27 November to 4 December 1995) to 707 (10–18 April 1995). The highest number of taxa during a weekly collection was 23 (9–15 May 1995). The pollen flora represented by anemophilous pollen (>90% of the trapped pollen) was related to the vegetation next to the laboratory:Acer, Carpinus, Castanea, Corylus, Cupressaceae, Pinus, Quercus, Salix, Taxus for trees and shrubs andArtemisia, Brassicaceae, Plantago, Poaceae, andUrticaceae for grasses and weeds. Indoor pollen deposition corresponded to the period of the outdoor pollination (macroscopic field observation) which lasted from March to the beginning of August. However, some pollen were almost always present in the collection (Poaceae, Salix, Castanea, Betula), reflecting the occurrence of pollen grains in the atmosphere out of the pollination period. Moreover, about five times more entomophilous pollen was found under the extractor hood compared to the other area of the laboratory; even in the flow cabinet of the air filtered room, 237 particles were captured (versus only 15 on the roof). These data suggest a possible human contamination during operations under the extractor hood or in the flow cabinet. Although few airborne pollen were found, possible contamination has to be considered in investigations where even low pollen quantities are of interest.     

Analysis of protein content in pollen loads produced in north-west Spain

An analysis was made of the protein content of pollen loads produced by the bees in a hive situated in Viana do Bolo (Ourense, north-west Spain), to establish whether or not the relative quantity of protein in the pollen of each plant species influences the preference made by the bee of the flowers that supply pollen to the hive. This analysis was performed on all types of pollen that formed more than 5% of the pollen spectrum. Pollen load samples were collected directly from the hive from March to September. Pollen loads were separated by colour, and their specific homogeneity was confirmed microscopically. The Bradford method has been used for protein extraction and spectrophotometry was used for the determination of protein content. The results show that the different pollen loads have high protein content. Pollen of the plant species that reached relatively higher percentages in the pollen spectrum are also those that have the highest protein content. These were Cytisus scoparius type, uncultivated Poaceae, Quercus robur type, Sanguisorba minor, Salix fragilis and Spergularia rubra type. The pollen of the systematic units, which had pollen loads that could be identified at the level of species, maintained a constant value of protein content independently of the date the samples were obtained. The pollen of the systematic units, which had pollen loads that could be identified at the level of pollen type, has varied in protein content in the analyses performed on samples obtained on different dates. This result is due to the fact that the different species that integrate the pollen type flower on different dates, and thus have a pollenkitt with different characteristics.     

中国现代花粉数据集

孢粉是重建古植被、古气候的重要基础数据。孢粉数据库对研究样点至区域和全球尺度上的古环境演变规律、古气候变化特征反演和古生物地球化学循环模拟等具有重要意义。该文收集整理了中国1960-2020年间发表和部分未发表的现代花粉数据记录, 包括样品编号、采样位置、采样地经纬度和海拔高度、样品类型、数据来源、数据类型、周边植被信息、参考文献、花粉类群及其含量等信息; 并对数据进行筛选和标准化等处理, 由此整合为中国现代花粉数据集。该数据集由4 497个现代花粉采样点的数据信息组成, 包括660个来自中国第四纪孢粉数据库数据, 1 763个前期整理发表的数据和2 074个近期收集的数据, 涵盖772个花粉类群。样品类型以土壤表层样品(3 332个)为主, 苔藓样品以及湖泊、海洋表层样品等为辅, 广泛分布于全国不同地理区域和植被类型中, 其中以温带荒漠区域(24.91%)和亚热带常绿阔叶林区域(24.02%)最丰富, 其次为温带草原区域(16.14%)和青藏高原高寒植被区域(15.83%)。数据按照来源可分为原始数据(58%)和数值化数据(42%); 按照数据类型可分为原始统计粒数的样点(59%)和以花粉百分比表达的样点(41%)。半个多世纪以来, 科研人员开展了大量的表层现代花粉取样和研究。本数据集虽然仅获取部分记录, 但样点覆盖了我国绝大多数地区, 可有效地用于古植被与古气候重建的现代孢粉与现代植被校验, 并将为中国孢粉数据库的建立与更深入的孢粉研究提供数据支撑。     

Birch pollen production,transport and deposition for the period 1984–1993 at Kevo,northernmost Finland

Summary Betula pollen production and flowering, pollen transport and pollen deposition are considered for the mountain birch region of northern Finland for the ten-year period 1984–1993. The most abundant flowering year was 1989 and, after that, 1985. In these years the highest values were also recorded for pollen in the air. There is a significant correlation between the amount of pollen released and the thermal sum of the previous year. In terms of pollen deposition the peak years were 1989 and 1986. The correlation between the amount of pollen in the air and that being deposited on the ground is also statisticaly significant. It is evident that some birch pollen is already present in the air before local flowering begins and that, in some years, this non-local pollen can account for more than 20% of the yearly total. This preflowering proportion was highest in 1985 and 1993, the latter being a prolific flowering year in the south of the country. There is a clear relationship between the proportion of the non-local pollen in the air and the proportion ofBetula pubescens/pendula type pollen deposited on the ground and, conversely, there is a significant correlation between the amount of local pollen in the air and the amount ofBetula tortuosa plusB. nana type pollen being deposited on the ground. The questions both of the viability of this long-distance pollen and of its ability to cause allergic reactions are considered. An assessment is also made of the degree to which fossil birch pollen assemblages can be realistically interpreted in terms of local vegetation if a varying proportion of the same pollen type is non-local.     

Melissopalynological analysis of royal jelly from Greece

Microscopic analysis of 82 royal jelly samples obtained from several locations in Greece was carried out in order to study the pollen spectrum of Greek royal jelly. The analysis recorded over 60 taxa. The abundance of each pollen type varied among the areas and the samples. The most frequent pollen types found in the samples were Brassicaceae, Olea europaea, Eucalyptus, Trifolium, Rubus, Carduus-type, Hypericum, Daucus-type and Cistus. The majority of the pollen types found in the royal jelly samples were also found at the pollen flora around the apiaries.     

Airborne Pollen Grains in Zonguldak,Turkey,2001-2002

The variation in airborne pollen concentration of the Zonguldak region, Turkey was studied for two consecutive years 2001-2002 using a Durham sampler. During this period, a total of 61 304 pollen grains belonging to 43 taxa were recorded. Of these 43 taxa, 26 belonged to arboreal and 17 to nonarboreal plants. The main pollen types were Pinaceae, Populus, Carpinus, Betula, Corylus, Fagus orientalis,Castanea sativa, Alnus glutinosa, Quercus, Cupressaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae, representing 96.7% of the pollen spectrum. Pollen concentration reached the highest level in March.     

Vitis pollen dispersal in and from organic vineyards: I. Pollen trap and soil pollen data

The recent discovery of Roman vineyards in Britain [Antiquity 75 (2001) 745] based on both archaeological and palynological data has raised questions concerning the palynological record of viticulture in NW Europe. This paper presents data collected from 30 pollen traps and 29 soil pollen samples from within, and around, three organic vineyards in England. The soil trap data were collected over one flowering season. Within-vineyard pollen accumulation is compared with off-site accumulation and the soil pollen data. Although there is extremely high intravineyard variation in Vitis accumulation, the data confirm the role of stemflow transport and the exponential decrease in Vitis pollen accumulation with distance away from the vineyard. Pollen trap values of over 2% total pollen (TP) Vitis and soils with over 0.2% TP (based on 1000+ pollen sum) are likely to indicate the on-site presence of a vineyard. This is in accordance with the values recorded from known Roman vineyards in the Nene Valley. A compilation of occasional finds of Vitis pollen in England reveals typical values of 0.2% or less; although higher values are recorded, they are generally an artefact of a low total pollen count. However, the clustering of these occasional finds into the Roman and high Medieval periods suggests that long-distance Vitis influx increased during periods of widespread viticulture in NW Europe including England. The monitoring of Vitis pollen dispersal suggests that where encountered as part of routine pollen counting, the total pollen sum should be increased to ca. 1000 TP in order to establish a better estimate of the frequency of occurrence. This will allow palynology to play a less ambiguous part in the mapping of ancient viticulture.     

Numerical Characteristics of Pollen Assemblages of Surface Samples from the West Kunlun Mountains

A total of 31 suface sediment samples were collected from West Kunlun Mountain in south Xinjiang Autonomous Region in northwest China. These samples are from seven types of vegetation: Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey. forest, Sabina Spach. woodland, sub-alpine steppe, alpine meadow, desert vegetion, cushion-vegetation and vegetation adjancent to glaciers. Pollen percentages and pollen concentrations were calculated in all samples. The dominant pollen types in the region are Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia, Picea, Ephedra, Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Compositae etc. In order to reveal the relationship between pollen composition and the vegetation type from which the soil sample was collected, principal component analysis and group average cluster analysis were employed on the pollen data. The results revealed that the major vegetation types in this region could be distinguished by pollen composition: a. Samples from desert vegetation were dominated by pollen of Chenopodiaceae (about 60195%). The percentages of all other pollen types were low. b. Picea forest samples were rich in Picea pollen (about 20%) Sabina forest had more Sabina pollen grains than other vegetation types (about 5%, others <1%). Pollen percentages of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Ephedra were comparatively higher (each about 20%) in these samples from the two types of vegetations. C. Pollen percentages of Artemisia, Cyperaceae, Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae were high in both sub-alpine steppe and alpine meadow. But steppe containal more Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae (steppe 33.75% and 32.30%, meadow 15.57% and 19.48% in average), less Cyperaceae and Gramineae (steppe 2.58% and 7.60%, meadow 22.35% and 12.93% in average) than meadow. d. Samples from cushion-vegetation and vegetation adjacent to glaciers were mainly composed of pollen grains transported from other sites. It was not easy to distinguish them from other vegetation types. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis distinguish samples from Picea forest, Sabina woodland, sub-alpine steppe, alpine meadow and desert vegetation. Therefore we think it will be possible to apply the module to reconstruct past vegetation in this region and other similar regions. Regression analysis was also applied to reveal the relationships between pollen and plant percentages of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae and Gramineae. The results indicated that a linear relationship existed between pollen and plant percentages for Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Cyperaeeae.     

Airborne Pollen Grains in Zonguldak，Turkey，2001-2002

The variation in airborne pollen concentration of the Zonguldak region．Turkey was studied for two consecutive years 2001-2002 using a Durham sampler．During this period．a total of 61 304 pollen grains belonging to 43 taxa were recorded．Of these 43 taxa．26 belonged to arboreal and 17 to nonarboreal plants．The main pollen types were Pinaceae,Populus,Carpinus,Betula,Corylus,Fagus orientalis,Castanea sativa,AInus glutinosa,Quercus,Cupressaceae,Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae．representing 96．7％of the pollen spectrum．Pollen concentration reached the highest level in March．     

Annual variation of airborne pollen in the city of Palencia,Spain, 1990–1992

The aim of this work is to present the atmospheric pollen concentrations of Palencia, Spain. Data were collected for three consecutive years (1990–92). An active volumetric pollen trap, type CAP2, was used. During this time, 88 different pollen types were identified, of which 27 occured at more than 0.15% of the total pollen recorded annually. These types formed the main pollen spectrum of this sampling station. Pollen coming from herbs (Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Plantago Urticaceae, etc.) was predominant (53.79%); arboreal pollen (Quercus, Populus Cupressaceae, etc.) represented 42.11%, and pollen from shrubs (Ericaceae, Sambucus etc.) only 4.10%.

May and June was the time of the year with maximum pollen emission to the air. This was due to the quantities of pollen coming from Poaceae and Quercus which together represent 47.25% of the pollen recorded over the three‐year sampling period. Herbaceous pollen appeared throughout the year with maximum concentrations recorded in the spring, coinciding with the maximum levels of arboreal pollen in the atmosphere.

An analysis of multiple regression and one‐way anova test between pollen concentrations and selected meteorological parameters show that relative humidity and average temperature are the meteorological factors most correlated with the concentrations of specific pollen types (Plantago, Ligustrum, Sambucus, Carex). In the same way, when the winds are predominantly from the northeast (second quadrant), there are higher pollen concentrations of Sambucus Ericaceae and Mercurialis.     

6. Peat-bog Begbunar (Osogovo Mountains,south-west Bulgaria): Four millennia of vegetation history

The aim of this study was to estimate the polleniferous potential of the most common plant communities and crops across the landscape through the study of pollen loads collected by Apis mellifera. We analysed pollen load samples from hives located in Mallorca (western Mediterranean) for one year and compared the results with a phytosociological study of the foraging area. We also analysed meteorological data to evaluate the influence of some environmental factors on the pollen production phenology. We identified 74 different pollen types (66.2% from native flora, 25.7% from exotic flora, and 8.1% from crops) belonging to 33 families. The highest polleniferous potentials in the landscape were attained by sclerophyllous forests (Quercetea ilicis) in spring, crops in autumn, wild annual rangelands (Stellarietea mediae) in winter and gardens in late summer. Our results suggest that the higher the coverage present in a vegetation class, the higher the quantity and diversity of pollen that may be provided to pollinators; therefore, its polleniferous potential may be higher. Some meteorological conditions (rainfall, temperature and daily hours of sunlight) may affect this potential through their influence on flowering phenology.     

Airborne pollen sampling in a wildlife reserve in the south of Buenos Aires province,Argentina

The objective of this project was to study the pollen spectrum of the Marahué Wildlife Reserve (Central Argentina), the quantity and quality of airborne pollen grains, and to evaluate the contribution of outside sources, to protect a natural habitat with xerophytic shrub vegetation (“monte”) (the term “monte” is used for the dominant xerophytic shrub vegetation in the “partido” of Villarino) approximately 90 km south of Bahía Blanca. Sampling was performed weekly throughout a whole calendar year (January–December, 2003) using a volumetric impact sampler. Observations of flowering in the field were performed at the same time as the aerial sampling. Herbarium specimens were collected to make pollen collections of the species found in the study area, for reference purposes. The most abundant pollen types were Poaceae (31.3% total annual pollen), Amaranthus/Chenopodiaceae (25.3%), Eucalyptus (5%), Brassicaceae (3.9%), and Plantago (3.9%). This study showed the dispersion dynamics of pollen grains from characteristic species of the “partido” (the province of Buenos Aires is divided into partidos which are roughly equivalent to counties) of Villarino, the exotic flora of the surrounding area, and the pollen types from outside the region.

Variation in pollen dispersal between years with different pollination conditions in a tropical emergent tree

We examined differences in pollen dispersal efficiency between 2 years in terms of both spatial dispersal range and genetic relatedness of pollen in a tropical emergent tree, Dipterocarpus tempehes. The species was pollinated by the giant honeybee (Apis dorsata) in a year of intensive community-level mass-flowering or general flowering (1996), but by several species of moths in a year of less-intensive general flowering (1998). We carried out paternity analysis based on six DNA microsatellite markers on a total of 277 mature trees forming four spatially distinct subpopulations in a 70 ha area, and 147 and 188 2-year-old seedlings originating from seeds produced in 1996 and 1998 (cohorts 96 and 98, respectively). Outcrossing rates (0.93 and 0.96 for cohorts 96 and 98, respectively) did not differ between years. Mean dispersal distances (222 and 192 m) were not significantly different between the 2 years but marginally more biased to long distance in 1996. The mean relatedness among cross-pollinated seedlings sharing the same mothers in cohort 96 was lower than that in cohort 98. This can be attributed to the two facts that the proportion of intersubpopulations pollen flow among cross-pollination events was marginally higher in cohort 96 (44%) than in cohort 98 (33%), and that mature trees within the same subpopulations are genetically more related to each other than those between different subpopulations. We conclude that D. tempehes maintained effective pollen dispersal in terms of outcrossing rate and pollen dispersal distance in spite of the large difference in foraging characteristics between two types of pollinators. In terms of pollen relatedness, however, a slight difference was suggested between years in the level of biparental inbreeding.