Is the recent decrease in airborne Ambrosia pollen in the Milan area due to the accidental introduction of the ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa?
- Bonini, Maira Department of Medical Prevention, Public Health, Local Health Authority of Milan 1, Italy
- Šikoparija, B. Laboratory for Palynology, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
- Prentović, M. Laboratory for Palynology, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia - Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Research Group Aerobiology and Pollen information, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
- Cislaghi, G. Department of Medical Prevention, Public Health, Local Health Authority of Milan 1, Italy
- Colombo, P. Department of Medical Prevention, Public Health, Local Health Authority of Milan 1, Italy
- Testoni, C. Department of Medical Prevention, Public Health, Local Health Authority of Milan 1, Italy
- Grewling, L. Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- Lommen, Suzanne T. E. Department Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Müller-Schärer, Heinz Department Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Smith, M. Laboratory of Aeropalynology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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25.04.2015
Published in:
- Aerobiologia. - 2015, vol. 31, no. 4, p. 499–513
English
This study aims to determine whether a significant decrease in airborne concentrations of Ambrosia pollen witnessed in the north-west of the Province of Milan in Northern Italy could be explained by environmental factors such as meteorology, or whether there is evidence to support the hypothesis that the decrease was related to the presence of large numbers of the oligophagous Ophraella communa leaf beetles that are used as a biological control agent against Ambrosia in other parts of the world. Airborne concentrations of Ambrosia, Cannabaceae and Urticaceae pollen data (2000–2013) were examined for trends over time and correlated with meteorological data. The amount of Ambrosia pollen recorded annually during the main flowering period of Ambrosia (August–September) was entered into linear regression models with meteorological data in order to determine whether the amount of airborne Ambrosia pollen recorded in 2013 was lower than would normally be expected based on the prevailing weather conditions. There were a number of significant correlations between concentrations of airborne Ambrosia, Cannabaceae and Urticaceae pollen, as well as between airborne pollen concentrations and daily and monthly meteorological data. The linear regression models greatly overestimated the amount of airborne Ambrosia pollen in 2013. The results of the regression analysis support the hypothesis that the observed decrease in airborne Ambrosia pollen may indeed be related to the presence of large numbers of O. communa in the Milan area, as the drastic decrease in airborne Ambrosia pollen in 2013 cannot be explained by meteorology alone.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Département de Biologie
- Language
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- English
- Classification
- Biological sciences
- License
- License undefined
- Identifiers
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- RERO DOC 257839
- DOI 10.1007/s10453-015-9380-8
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/304575
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