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Many plant species respond to the climate change reported in the recent decades, which is confirmed by the results of phenological and aerobiological investigations. This paper presents characteristics of the pollen seasons of Acer spp. revealed by aerobiological analyses performed with the volumetric method in Lublin, Poland in 2001-2015. Additionally, phenological observations of flowering of four Acer species, i.e., A. negundo, A. platanoides, A. campestre, and A. pseudoplatanus, were carried out in 2011-2012. The results indicate a slight upward trend in the annual totals of Acer pollen grains. Over the last 10 years, the annual totals of Acer pollen grains have increased in comparison to the previous 5-year period. Acceleration of the onset of pollen seasons and the dates of peak days was noted. The comparison of the pollen seasons and flowering phenology of four Acer species indicates that A. negundo and A. platanoides produce the highest concentrations of pollen grains, whereas the pollen of A. campestre and A. pseudoplatanus accounts for a significantly lower proportion of the pollen content in the air of Lublin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aerobiological study was conducted to investigate the quantity and quality of pollen in the atmosphere of Lublin in central-eastern Poland. Pollen monitoring was carried out in the period 2001-2012 using a Hirst-type volumetric spore trap. The atmospheric pollen season in Lublin lasted, on average, from the end of January to the beginning of October The mean air temperature during the study period was found to be higher by 1.1 °C than the mean temperature in the period 1951-2000. 56 types of pollen of plants belonging to 41 families were identified. 28 types represented woody plants and 28 represented herbaceous plants. The study distinguished 5 plant taxa the pollen of which was present most abundantly in the air of Lublin, which altogether accounted for 73.4%: Betula, Urtica, Pinus, Poaceae, and Alnus. The mean annual pollen index was 68 706; the largest amount of pollen was recorded in April and accounted for 33.3% of the annual pollen index. The pollen calendar included 28allergenic plant taxa.The pollen of woody plants had the highest percentage in the pollen spectrum, on average 58.4%. The parameters of the pollen calendar for Lublin were compared with the calendar for central-eastern Europe with regard to the start of the pollen season of particular taxa. The pollen calendar for Lublin was demonstrated to show greater similarity to the calendar for Munster (Germany) than to the calendar for Bratislava (Slovakia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similarly to fungal spores and pollen grains, pteridophytic spores can cause allergies in humans. Pteridophyta spore concentrations in the air of Lublin, under the conditions of central-eastern Poland, were first studied over the period 2013-2014. The volumetric method was used in this study. The research showed that that spores of ferns belonging to the following genera: Asplenium, Athyrium, Blechnum, Botrychium, Cystopteris, Dryopteris, Matteuccia, Osmunda, Polypodium and Pteridium, occur in aeroplankton. Spores were recorded in low concentrations and they occurred in a dispersed pattern during the season. They were found to be absent on some days. Among the above-mentioned genera, Dryopteris and Athyrium showed the highest content of spores in aerosol. In both years of the study (2013 and 2014), similar annual spore counts were recorded, respectively 69 and 63. The most spores were identified in August. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]