Department of Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Published in: R. Spiewak (Editor): "Pollens and Pollinosis: Current Problems". Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin (Poland) 1995, pages 32-33.
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Only a few pollen calendars have been published since 1960 for Russia. All of them were based on the gravimetric pollen sampling. Burkard volumetric spore trap has been in operation in Moscow since 1992. This article is the first one presenting aeropalynological data for this period.
The trap was situated on a roof approximately 10 metres above ground in the southern part of the city. The pollen grains were sampled at an air flow of 10 litres per minute on a tape coated with a thin film of vaseline-paraffin wax in toluene. Pollen grains of 39 taxa were determined during pollen season in the air, 14 of them were selected for presentation in this article. The sampling period was from mid-March to mid-September. The main pollen season for each taxon was calculated as a period of 90 percent presence of the total pollen amount in the air (Nillson & Persson 1981).
Alnus
The main pollen season began on the first decade of April and lasted for 20 days. The first count of Alnus grains in the air was done on March 25th, the last one at the end of May. Maximum values were recorded in the second decade of April (about 1000 pollen grains/m3).
Corylus
The beginning and duration of the pollen season is particularly the same as for Alnus although the maximum values (usually recorded in the second decade of April) are considerably lower. Maximum daily count: 29 pollen grains/m3 on April 13th.
Betula
The main pollen season lasted about 25 days from the end of April to the end of May. The first record of Betula pollen in the air was made at the beginning of April, the last one - in mid-June. Maximum values were noted in the first and second decades of May. Maximum daily count: 1006 pollen grains/m3 on April 29th.
Populus
The pollen season was relatively short (about 14 days) and covered the second and the third decades of April. Recorded values are usually below 100 pollen grains/m3 but on April 25th and April 26th relatively high values were registered (149 and 210 pollen grains/m3, respectively).
Ulmus
Similar to Populus. Maximum daily count: 64 pollen grains/m3 on April 25th.
Acer
The pollen season was relatively short, starting at the beginning of May and lasting about 15 days. Maximum daily count: 102 pollen grains/m3 on May 7th.
Salix
The main pollen season began in the third decade of April. Recorded values were usually below 100 pollen grains/m3. The highest concentration occurred at the beginning of May (116 pollen grains/m3 on May 7th). The pollen season and lasted about one month till the end of May.
Fraxinus
The pollen season started at the beginning of May and lasted about two weeks. Maximum daily count: 96 pollen grains/m3 on May 11th.
Pinus
The pollen season began in the third decade of May with the onset in the first week on June. Maximum daily count: 292 pollen grains/m3 on June 6th. The duration of the main pollen season was about 40 days.
Quercus
The pollen season was relatively short (about two weeks) and started in mid-May. Maximum daily count: 131 pollen grains/m3 on May 22nd.
Urtica
This taxon had extremely long pollen season which started at the beginning of July and lasted till mid-August. The first appearance of Urtica pollen in the air was observed in the first decade of June, the last one - at the beginning of September. Maximum values were found in the second decade of July (200-400 pollen grains/m3) with the maximum daily count on July 13th (457 pollen grains/m3).
Poaceae
The first count of Poaceae pollen was made at the beginning of June. The main pollen season started in mid-June and lasted till the first decade od August with the onset in the second decade of July (100-150 pollen grains/m3). Maximum daily count: 146 pollen grains/m3 on July 14th.
Chenopodiaceae
The pollen season started in mid-July and lasted about 40 days. Recorded values were usually below 10 pollen grains/m3. Maximum daily count: 13 pollen grains/m3 on August 6th.
Artemisia
The pollen season began in late July and lasted through the entire month of August. The maximum values were recorded in the first decade od August (100-200 pollen grains/m3) with maximum daily count 397 pollen grains/m3 on August 6th.
Acknowledgements: Burkard volumetric spore trap was rented from Palynological Laboratory, Swedish Museum of Natural History, headed by Professor Siwert Nilsson.
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