Comparison of pollen concentration of selected tree taxa in Lublin and in the Roztocze region (SE Poland). The results of three monitoring methods

Abstract

Anemophilous trees of <i>Betula</i> and <i>Alnus</i> genera produce very high amount of easily spreading pollen. <i>Carpinus</i> and i discharge lower amount of pollen to the atmosphere. Trees belonging to the mentioned genera occur in vegetation cover of Lublin and the Roztocze region where the comparative studies were carried out in the years 1998-2004. The objective of these studies was to determine pollen concentration of four tree taxa in these study areas located 120 km apart. Annual pollen sums, obtained by means of three methods, were compared in order to find similarity of alternating high and low pollen production by trees in particular years. In the Roztocze region the studies were continued during the mentioned seven years as a part of Pollen Monitoring Programme, which provides multi-annual data for the palaeoecological reconstructions of Quaternary and the interpretations of phenologic-climatic nature. Standard Tauber traps were used in the Roztocze area. In Lublin the gravimetric method was used in the years 1999-2000, and the volumetric method - in the years 2001- 2004. Similar trends were found in Lublin and in the Roztocze region as to the concentrations in the air of pollen of the mentioned four taxa in particular years of the research period. <i>Betula</i> and <i>Alnus</i> discharged the greatest amount of pollen. In 1999 the great similarity of annual pollen sums of three taxa was recorded by means of the gravimetric method in all measurement points. <i>Fagus</i> was an exception, as its pollen concentration was much higher in the Roztocze region than in Lublin. In the case of <i>Carpinus</i> the enhanced pollen concentration was recorded in both study areas in 2002, and the highest concentration of <i>Fagus</i> occurred in 2003. During several years of studies we recorded great similarity of the obtained results in two study areas far apart.