The effect of climate change and meteorological factors on flowering phenology and pollen season indicators of allergenic plant taxa

The effect of climate change and meteorological factors on flowering phenology and pollen season indicators of allergenic plant taxa
Fateme Mousavi,^1,* Youcef Shahali,² José Oteros,³ Karl-Christian Bergmann,⁴
1. Air & space Biology and Environment center, Aerospace Research Institute (ARI), Ministry of Science Research and Technology (MSRT)
2. Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI); Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)
3. Departments of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba (UCO)
4. Allergy-Centre-Charité, Charité– Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of FreieUniversität Berlin, Humboldt-Universitätzu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health
Introduction: Pollen respiratory allergies have been increasing in prevalence over the last two decades, partly as the result of the impact of climate change. For many allergenic trees, grass and weed species, increased pollen production and prolonged pollination period result in long-term increased abundance of pollen allergens in the atmosphere; earlier shifts of airborne pollen grains and prolonged exposure to respiratory allergens with important health effects on allergic individuals. The aim of this review paper was to investigate the impact of climate change and meteorological factors on flowering phenology and pollen season indicators, with a special focus on the main allergenic taxa worldwide.
Methods: In this paper, we conducted a scientific databases search using nearly 150 related scientific terms and keywords and summarized more than 100 scientific articles related to pollen season indicators, meteorological parameters and climate change. Main variables influencing flowering phenology such as location, climatic and meteorological parameters were identified, discussed and substantiated by published literature
Results: Temperature, solar radiation, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction were identified among the most important meteorological parameters affecting the fluctuations of annual concentrations of allergenic airborne pollen grains. Although notable variations were observed according to allergenic species and studied geographical areas, temperature appeared to be the most important climatic parameter affecting flowering phenology and pollen season indicators, especially in tree species. Rising carbon dioxide levels also result in increased plant biomass, increased flowering intensity and pollen production in several tree, grass and weed allergenic species.
Conclusion: There is also a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the fact that carbon dioxide from human activities results in increased plant biomass, increased flowering intensity, and pollen production by stimulating photosynthesis and plant growth and through its influence on the average temperature of the Earth's surface. The present review provides a global picture of the effects of climate change and meteorological factors on flowering phenology and pollen season indicators of allergenic plant taxa worldwide, paving the way for comprehensive studies in this area of major environmental and public health importance.
Keywords: aerobiology; allergy; airborne; anemophilous; climate change