title: Modeling olive pollen intensity in the Mediterranean region through analysis of emission sources.
abstract: Aerobiological monitoring of Olea europaea L. is of great interest in the Mediterranean basin because olive pollen is one of the most represented pollen types of the airborne spectrum for the Mediterranean region, and olive pollen is considered one of the major cause of pollinosis in this region. The main aim of this study was to develop an airborne-pollen map based on the Pollen Index across a 4-year period (2008-2011), to provide a continuous geographic map for pollen intensity that will have practical applications from the agronomical and allergological points of view. For this purpose, the main predictor variable was an index based on the distribution and abundance of potential sources of pollen emission, including intrinsic information about the general atmospheric patterns of pollen dispersal. In addition, meteorological variables were included in the modeling, together with spatial interpolation, to allow the definition of a spatial model of the Pollen Index from the main olive cultivation areas in the Mediterranean region. The results show marked differences with respect to the dispersal patterns associated to the altitudinal gradient. The findings indicate that areas located at an altitude above 300ma.s.l. receive greater amounts of olive pollen from shorter-distance pollen sources (maximum influence, 27km) with respect to areas lower than 300ma.s.l. (maximum influence, 59km).
authors.affiliation: University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 45071 Toledo, Spain; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy. Electronic address: jesus.rojo.ubeda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rojo
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.affiliation: University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 45071 Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Badia
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: Institut de l'Olivier, BP 208, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Dhiab
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecology, Biodiversity and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, University Abdelmalek Essaâdi, 2121 Tetouan, Morocco.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouziane
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Granada, 18074 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díaz de la Guardia
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology II, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Bustillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic University of Cartagena, 30202 Cartagena, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno-Grau
authors.affiliation: Institut de l'Olivier, BP 208, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Msallem
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, University of Malaga, 29080 Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Trigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fornaciari
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D031658:Olea; D011058:Pollen; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens
keywords: Aerobiology; Geostatistics; Mapping; Olea europaea; Olive groves; Pollen Index