Atmospheric concentration of pollen grains at human height

An atmospheric survey at human height (1.5–1.8 ft) was carried out from February 1988 to January 1990, in four different ecozones of the Delhi metropolis. The samples were collected by using Burkard Personal Volumetric Sampler at weekly intervals. The sampler was operating for 15 min three times a day (07, 14, 20 hrs). Altogether, 84 pollen types were identified. Some of the dominant pollen types recorded were Poaceae (25.1%), Cheno/Amaranthaceae (14.5%) and Ricinus communis (12.3%) followed by Morus, Cannabis, Prosopis, Parthenium and Artemisia. Weekly variations were recorded for the total number of pollen of different types in different months. Two major pollen seasons 1. February — April and 2. August — October were observed, although pollen was recorded throughout the year. Significant variation in total and individual pollen concentration was recorded from different inhabited areas in the same urban locality. Any definite daily pattern in the occurrence of pollen was not recorded. The concentration at lower height was also poor.     

Comparative aerobiology,allergenicity and biochemistry of three palm pollen grains in Calcutta,India

A Burkard volumetric trap was used at Salt Lake City, Calcutta, to record the occurrence and frequency of three common palm pollen, namely,Areca catechu, Borassus flabellifer andPhoenix sylvestris for two consecutive years (July 1988–June 1990). The meteorological factors responsible for the frequency of relevant airborne pollen grains were analysed. The allergenic potential of these pollen types was investigated by skin-prick tests on adult respiratory allergic patients. These were also chemically analysed in terms of total carbohydrate, lipid and soluble protein. Total soluble protein of the above types was used in 11% SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to study the range of molecular components.     

柴达木盆地尕斯库勒盐湖区邻近水体对湖泊微生物群落的贡献

【目的】探究尕斯库勒盐湖生态系统中邻近水体对湖泊微生物的贡献。【方法】采集尕斯库勒盐湖区湖水、沉积物以及邻近的泉水、河水和盐田的水样,对其进行地球化学分析;通过16S rRNA基因的Illumina MiSeq高通量测序分析样品的微生物群落组成。【结果】尕斯库勒盐湖区水体和沉积物中的优势门是变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)和广古菌门(Euryarchaeota)。盐度和pH是影响尕斯库勒盐湖区群落组成的最主要环境因素。邻近水体对湖泊水体和沉积物的贡献分别为12.94%和7.53%。【结论】邻近水体对尕斯库勒盐湖微生物群落的贡献有限。     

Airborne pollen survey of central calcutta,india, in relation to allergy

A continuous aeropalynological survey at Central Calcutta for two consecutive years (1985–1987) was done by using a Burkard Seven Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap. A total of 65 pollen taxa was identified of which pollen of Trema orientalis showed a maximum frequency (about 68%) followed by Poaceae and Cyperaceae. A pollen calendar was prepared and seasonal periodicities were recorded. Some entomophilous pollen types (e.g., Delonix regia, Bougainvillea spectabilis) were also observed. The presence of pollen of Pinus, Podocarpus, and Alnus in the air of Calcutta is probably due to long distance transport from Eastern Himalayas where these plants grow. Routine skin tests were performed by using the antigenic extracts of 22 pollen types where grass, Catharanthus roseus, Cocos nucifera, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Albizia lebbek, Shorea robusta, Eucalyptus sp., Terminalia sp., were proved to be allergenically potent.     

Airborne pollen and spores on the Arctic island of Jan Mayen

A survey of airspora collected on Jan Mayen, an isolated North Atlantic island (71°N, 8°30′W), using a Burkard seven-day volumetric trap from 24th April to 31th August, 1988, revealed only very small concentrations. A total of 10 different pollen types were recorded, constituting a seasonal sum of 29 pollen grains. The local pollen season was confined to July, with Oxyria digna and Salix as the most numerous pollen types recorded. Exotic pollen grains, namely Betula, Pinus and Castanea type, were recorded in three periods during June and July. Studies of back trajectories indicate North America and/or Iceland and Greenland as possible source areas for the Betula pollen. There were more diatoms than pollen in the local airspora. Fungal spores mainly occurred in late July and August. Cladosporium constituted less than 5% of the total seasonal sum of fungal spores, while basidiospores contributed nearly 12%. The highest diurnal average of Cladosporium was 27 spores m^?3 air. The seasonal maximum of unidentified fungal spores reached a diurnal average of 639 spores m^?1 air on 27th August.     

Quantitative aeropalynology in the atmosphere of Buenos Aires city, Argentina

For the first time, a volumetric study ofBuenos Aires city atmosphere was conductedusing a Lanzoni collector from March 1997through March 1998. Fifty-four pollen typeswere recorded of which 13 had a relativeconcentration of more than 1% of the yearlytotal. The lowest concentration of pollengrains was recorded in June, when Urticas,pp., Morus spp., and Myrtaceae were low.On the other hand, the highest concentration ofpollen grains was reached in September, with anincrease in Fraxinus spp. Theaeropalynological record may be divided intothree periods: *AP Dominant from July toOctober, *NAP Dominant from November toMarch, and *Residual Period from April toJune with low pollen concentrations.The greatest number of species was recorded inNovember, when 32 types were present, and thelowest number of species in June, when only 13pollen types were recorded. In June, the pollenconcentration was not dominated by any specieswhereas in September 85% of the pollen wasderived from one species of Fraxinus.Earlier studies on the aeropalynology of BuenosAires City were performed using Tauber andRotorod samplers. They were comparable to thisstudy, especially since the pollen peak wasreached in September, although the main pollenproducing species were different.     

Changes in airborne pollen concentrations in Delhi,India

In order to find the qualitative and quantitative changes in airborne pollen concentrations in Delhi metropolis area an aerobiological survey was undertaken from September 1990 to August 1997. Air samples were collected daily using a Rotorod Aeroallergen Sampler at 10?m above the ground level. Ninety-four pollen types were recorded and the major contributors include Morus, Cannabis, Chenopod/Amaranth, Prosopis, Artemisia, and Eucalyptus. Ten pollen types contributed 90% of the total pollen load. Two major pollen seasons were recorded each year (February–April and September–November), although pollen grains in low frequency were recorded throughout the whole year. A significant reduction in pollen concentration was observed in subsequent years. The number of Morus, Cannabis, Prosopis, and Artemisia pollen decreased considerably while the number of Ricinus communis pollen did not show any considerable change during the study period. It is suggested that the reduction in pollen numbers from 1990 to 1997 in Delhi is due to massive clearing of vegetation for developmental activities of the city.     

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.     

Melissopalynology in an area of Atlantic Forest (northeast region,Brazil)

Apis mellifera is a bee that was introduced to Brazil and has adapted very well to the climate conditions and vast diversity of plants that exist in the country. In the northeast region of Brazil, beekeepers make use of the association between bees and plants by selling various bee products, notably honey. One way to identify species visited by bees in an area is by the pollen in its products. Based on this, 16 samples of honey were analysed, which were collected over a period of two years and obtained from an apiary in the Atlantic Forest biome in the municipality of Entre Rios (Bahia). In addition, climatic data (precipitation and temperature) of the region were obtained for the months sampled. The average temperature of the region during the collection months varied from 22 to 28 °C. The highest precipitation recorded in the region was 133.7 mm³ and the lowest was 0.3 mm³. Seventy pollen types were found. The family Fabaceae was notable, with ten pollen types, of which Mimosa pudica was the most important with a high frequency of occurrence and distribution. The Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) pollen type also had a high frequency of occurrence and distribution. In addition, pollen types corresponding to species that supply nectar to bees were identified, which contributes to the large diversity of bee plants for Apis mellifera in the study area.     

Pollen calendar for Vigo, North-West Spain (1995)

This is the first data from a pollen survey in Vigo, an Atlantic city in northwest Spain. The pollen calendar for Vigo is presented, as well as the pollination period for the nine most important allergenic plants. Through 1995, 30 083 pollen grains belonging to 52 taxa, were recorded using the Lanzoni VPPS 2000 volumetric spore-trap. The most relevant taxa found were: Urticaceae,Pinus, Poaceae andQuercus (75% of the total pollen),Betula, Castanea, Cupressaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Ericaceae, Myrtaceae,Olea, Plantago, Platanus andRumex (21%), and the final 4% was distributed mainly among pollen types, such as:Corylus, Alnus, Fabaceae, Compositae,Artemisia andCedrus. Of the total annual pollen count, 56% was found in March and April. Another, secondary peak was recorded in June corresponding to the flowering period of herbaceous species. The high pollen total of Urticaceae (7625 grains, 25% of the total) should be highlighted. The percentages ofOlea europaea (565 grains) should be noted as well, taking into account its geographical distribution.     

Interannual variability of pollen productivity and transport in mid-North America from 1997 to 2009

Understanding the causes of interannual variability in atmospheric pollen concentration is an important but elusive goal for public health and environmental change. We analyzed long-term daily records of pollen counts from urban Kansas City, Missouri, USA collected from 1997 to 2009 for three pollen groups: Ambrosia, Poaceae, and a third group which is mostly composed of arboreal pollen types. The annual pollen index varied from 8,368 to 80,822 over the thirteen-year period. Although Ambrosia pollen is often thought to be associated with droughts and disturbance, years with high Ambrosia pollen were associated with high summer precipitation to the south of Kansas City. Years with high Poaceae pollen were associated with high spring precipitation to the south of the city. In support of the southern influence to Kansas City pollen, Ambrosia and Poaceae pollen mostly arrived on southern winds. In contrast to the other two pollen groups, the arboreal pollen was most associated with growing season precipitation to the east of Kansas City, although it was still highest on days with southern winds. Based on the correlations with climate, the severity of an upcoming allergy season may be predicted with early-season precipitation data, while short-term severity can be forecast from local weather patterns.     

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.     

Pollen morphology within the Monodora clade,a diverse group of five African Annonaceae genera

Pollen morphology has played a major role in elucidating infrafamiliar‐level systematics and evolution within Annonaceae, especially within the African genera. The Monodora clade is composed of five genera, Asteranthe, Hexalobus, Isolona, Monodora and Uvariastrum, which are restricted to Africa and contain together c. 50 species. A molecular phylogeny of the family showed that the monophyly of the Monodora clade is strongly supported and that it is part of a larger clade of 11 African genera. In order to support classification a detailed survey was made of the pollen morphological variation within the Monodora clade, using scanning and transmission electron microsopy. For the two most species‐rich genera, Isolona and Monodora, a molecular species‐level phylogeny was used to assess the taxonomic usefulness of the pollen characters. The survey showed a wide range of pollen morphological diversity. The most conspicuous variation concerned the occurrence of monads without a thicker outer foliation in the basal exine layer in Isolona in contrast to tetrads with a thicker outer foliation in Asteranthe, Hexalobus, Monodora and Uvariastrum. At the infrageneric level, Hexalobus, Isolona and Monodora showed the largest diversity, with various pollen types based on tectum morphology. Hexalobus is exceptional with three types within only five species. The pollen types defined in this study are hardly useful in characterizing major groups identified within both Isolona and Monodora, but they do illustrate relationships within smaller groups.     

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.     

运城盐湖细菌群落结构及生态多样性分析

运城盐湖作为一个人类活动深入参与的高盐环境,其中的细菌群落结构及生态多样性既有盐湖环境的共性,又有自身的特殊性。【目的】运城盐湖湖水颜色丰富,蕴含着大量嗜盐及耐盐微生物资源。为了深入探究运城盐湖细菌资源分布规律,对不同水域中细菌多样性和群落结构进行研究,探讨运城盐湖不同水域中细菌群落结构的变化规律。【方法】基于16S rRNA基因的扩增子高通量测序,对运城盐湖不同水域的细菌群落结构进行分析,同时对微生物的潜在代谢功能进行预测。【结果】运城盐湖不同水域中的优势细菌类群有所差异,在盐湖中部,假单胞菌门(Pseudomonadota)、放线菌门(Actinobacteriota)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidota)是优势类群;而在运城盐湖东部,芽孢杆菌门(Bacillota)则是主要类群;在运城盐湖西部,髌骨菌门(Patescibacteria)类群较为丰富。对运城盐湖不同区域的细菌多样性进行分析,数据显示盐湖中部浅黄色湖水中微生物多样性显著高于盐湖东部和西部区域,但盐湖中部红色湖水区域的微生物多样性较低。另外,在盐湖中部,湖水颜色不同的区域细菌物种分布也具有较大的差异。对运城盐湖细菌代谢功能进行预测分析发现,在盐湖不同区域的微生物参与的代谢通路活性各不相同,表现出较强的区域分布性,盐湖东部和西部的微生物代谢比盐湖中部更具有活性。【结论】运城盐湖微生物多样性丰富,不同水域的细菌多样性具有显著差异,盐湖不同水域的环境对细菌群落结构具有一定影响。本研究为运城盐湖细菌资源多样性的保育及开发利用提供了重要的理论基础。     

Aeroallergens in northern and southern provinces of Thailand

An aeroallergen survey in two provinces, Chiangmai in the northern and Songkhla in the southern part of Thailand which are 1 500 km apart, was done in 1986 and 1987 using a rotorod sampler. The five most common pollen types and mold spores were: Chiangmai: Mold spores: Cladosporium, rust, Fusarium, Nigrospora, 1-celled spore. Pollen grains: Mimosa, wild grasses, Urticaceae, Cyperaceae, tetrad pollen. Songkhla: Mold spores: Cladosporium, rust, Nigrospora, Papularia, 1-celled spore. Pollen grains: Casuarina, Mimosa, Urticaceae, Cyperaceae, wild grass. There were definite differences in the amount and frequency of occurrences of aeroallergens between these two provinces. Furthermore, some specific pollen and mold spores, such as tetrads and Mimosa pollen, were found only in Chiangmai, and Casuarina pollen and Papularia spores only in Songkhla. These findings might be caused by the differences in geography, plantation and meteorological data.     

青海湖与中国内陆盐湖古菌群落组成的比较

【目的】本研究旨在全面揭示中国最大的内陆咸水湖——青海湖的古菌群落结构,并对青海湖与盐湖的古菌多样性及群落结构进行比较。【方法】随机选取了青海省的茶卡盐湖、陕西省的花马池盐湖和苟池盐湖以及山西省的运城盐湖作为盐湖组。青海湖与盐湖组每个湖泊各采取5个样品,采用针对16S rRNA基因的高通量测序技术分析5个湖泊中的古菌群落组成。【结果】研究发现,青海湖的优势菌群为DHVEG-6_norank、Methanomicrobia_unclassified、Methanobacterium(甲烷细菌属)、Methanolobus(甲烷叶菌属)、Candidatus_Methanomethylophilus、Miscellaneous_Euryarchaeotic_Group(MEG)_norank、AMOS1A-4113-D04_norank、Methanosarcina(甲烷八叠球菌属)、Miscellaneous_Crenarchaeotic_Group_norank。其中,DHVEG-6_norank(70.46%)占绝对优势,但该类群在盐湖中含量极少。4个盐湖的共有优势属为Halonotius、Halorubrum(盐红菌属)、Natronomonas(嗜盐碱单孢菌属)、Halobellus和Haloarcula(盐盒菌属)。对于青海湖与盐湖之间的古菌群落多样性,影响最大的因素为湖水的矿化度,矿化度与5个湖泊的古菌多样性呈负相关,矿化度较低的青海湖群落组成与其他4个盐湖差异显著,无共同优势菌;其次为pH,pH与湖泊中古菌群落多样性呈微弱正相关,小幅度影响到某些菌属的丰度;而本文研究范围内的海拔与其群落结构及多样性没有明显相关性。【结论】青海湖与其他4个盐湖之间的群落结构及多样性有显著差异,矿化度对古菌群落多样性具有显著影响。另,本次测序发现5个湖泊中均有大量未分类的古菌,应为潜在的新种。     

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.     

Six years of observation of airborne and deposited pollen in central European Russia: first results

The aim of the study was to compare the pollen spectra recorded in rural and urban environments in order to examine whether pollen data obtained in the urban environment could also represent the situation in surrounding rural areas and how urban planting affects the regional pollen spectrum. Daily airborne pollen observations were performed with a volumetric Hirst type trap in Moscow (Russia). Modified Tauber traps were located in the Moscow region. The Tauber traps were installed and treated according to Pollen Monitoring Programme (PMP) guidelines. Spearman correlation coefficients were determined between the percentage of total pollen recorded in the Tauber and Hirst type samplers. The data showed that the Tauber spectra are characterised by higher taxonomic variability, mainly due to the greater occurrence of local herbaceous plants. Pollen types registered by Hirst type samplers were predominantly represented by anemophilous arboreal species, used in urban planting. A significant correlation for annual sums was only observed for Betula pollen, the most abundant component in both sampler types. Data obtained in big cities for dominant taxa can be extrapolated to the surrounding rural territories. The simultaneous use of volumetric and gravimetric samplers can be very useful for palaeo-ecological studies to evaluate the presence of local and transported pollen.     

Vertical variation in pollen abundance in North-Central London

Summary Pollen data from three samplers located at heights of 0.5m, 10m and 55 m were used to investigate vertical differences in pollen abundance in North-Central London. Weekly accumulative counts for all pollen types were collected from February to September 1988. Distinct variations in abundance between the sites were recorded for some pollen taxa. For example,Gramineae recorded greater abundance at the higher sampling position. Other pollen types, includingPlatanus, were recorded at consistently greater abundance at the 10 m height compared to the 55 m level. Significant differences between the pollen counts at these two heights are discussed in relation to pollen source area, the specific gravity of the pollen grain, airflow patterns of the urban area and the weather conditions affecting pollen dispersal. Tracer experiments using Lycopodium spores were employed to investigate dispersal patterns to all three sampling heights. The results from these trials are used to assist in the interpretation of data from the depositional samplers. The study reported in this paper forms part of a wider survey of 14 sampling sites examining spatial variations in pollen abundance.