The analysis of alder pollen season in northern Poland in 2016

Abstract

This paper presents the course of the pollen season of alder (Alnus spp.) in Szczecin, Poznan, Drawsko Pomorskie, Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Warsaw and Bialystok in 2016. In northern Poland, the genus Alnus Mill is represented by only the two species, A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertner and A. incana (L.) Moench. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method (Burkard and Lanzoni pollen samplers). Pollen season was defined as the period in which 98% of the annual total catch occurred. Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was estimated as the annual sum of daily average pollen concentrations. The pollen season of alder started first in Szczecin, on the 3rd February, and the lasted till the 29th March in Bydgoszcz and Piotrkow Trybunalski. The differences of pollen seasons duration ware considerables. The highest, record airborne concentration of 1324 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Piotrkow Trybunalski on the 11th and 13th March. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count occurred between of 7th February and 22nd March in all cities.