The estimation of fungal spore concentrations using two counting methods

Abstract

The aim of the study was to estimate the spore counts of <i>Alternaria</i> and <i>Cladosporium</i> using the single longitudinal traverse and twelve transverse traverses methods. Both the single and twelve traverses methods generally showed similar average daily concentration fluctuations of the two studied spore types on the same days, although the single traverse method usually presented higher spore concentrations. However, analysing the distribution of concentrations obtained using both methods, there were days when the single or twelve traverses method showed a rise or fall in concentration which was not reflected by the other method. In case of <i>Cladosporium</i> higher daily concentrations obtained using the twelve traverses method occurred more frequently in the months of the highest spore concentrations. The higher concentrations of <i>Alternaria</i> spores obtained using this method occurred more frequently in the months of the lowest concentrations. Analysis of correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient r) between those variables (number of days with higher concentration and monthly concentration) showed that the correlation was significant for <i>Cladosporium</i> and not significant for <i>Alternaria</i>, for both at the significance level α= 0.05. The results of the Wilcoxon's Paired Sample Test indicated that for both taxa the average daily concentrations obtained using the 1 traverse method were significantly higher than those obtained using the 12 traverses method.