Spatiotemporal assessment of aeromycoflora under differing urban green space, sampling height, and meteorological regimes: the atmospheric fungiscape of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Abstract

We studied the diversity and abundance of the airborne fungal spores in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, for two consecutive years. Air samples were collected at one rooftop station (at 30m) and six near-ground stations (at 1.5m) that differed in the size and composition of adjacent green spaces. The effects of meteorological factors on airborne fungal spore concentrations were also explored. Cladosporium spores were dominant everywhere in the air of the city. The total concentration of the airborne fungal spores at 30m was 10 times lower than near the ground. Differences in concentration and composition were far less pronounced among near-ground stations. The attributes of the fungal spore season did not change in a consistent way among stations and years. Concentrations at the near-ground stations matched the grouping of the latter into stations of high, intermediate, and low urban greenspace. Minimum air temperature was the primary meteorological factor affecting spore abundance, followed by relative humidity. Airborne fungal spores are more homogeneously distributed in the air of the city, but their concentrations decrease more rapidly with height than pollen.