Encyclopedia
Concepts, instruments, units and processes explained with clear language and scientific precision.
Airborne pollen
A pollen grain is the male gametophyte of a seed plant. Its presence in the air depends on plant biology, release, transport and deposition.
02Fungal spores
Fungal spores form a very abundant fraction of the bioaerosol and respond to humidity, precipitation, temperature, substrate and release mechanisms.
03Hirst-type sampler
A volumetric Hirst sampler draws air at a controlled flow rate. Particles impact on an adhesive surface that moves over time.
04Volumetric sampling
Volumetric sampling relates collected particles to sampled air volume. The sampling design affects resolution, comparability and uncertainty.
05Microscopic identification
Aerobiological identification uses visible morphological features, reference collections, identification keys, training and comparisons between analysts.
06Phenology and flowering
Phenology studies when recurring biological phases occur. Flowering connects the plant cycle with the atmospheric pollen season.
07Pollen calendar
A pollen calendar summarizes the usual seasonality of different taxa in a region using series of several years; It does not replace the current data.
08Data quality and uncertainty
Aerobiological data needs metadata: instrument, flow rate, period, processing, coverage, quality control and methodological changes.
09Modelling and forecasting
The models combine emissions, phenology, meteorology and atmospheric transport. They produce estimates on a mesh, not counts measured at the point.
10Climate change and pollen
Warming, CO₂, land use and invasive species can alter pollen production, distribution and seasonality, with specific responses by taxon and region.