Stefan Celichowski – planner of the early 20th century. Analysis of the park in Osmolice

Stefan Celichowski is one of the most prominent planners of the early 20th century who created nearly 250 projects including palaces, manors and public parks in the naturalistic style with all its distinguished features. Design, composition, richness and diversity of floral elements is the central attribute of his gardens design. The idea of creating the Palace Park in Osmolice comes at the peak of Celichowski’s creativity. The project was established in 1909 for the Stadniccy family. Post-war times brought further owners to the estate and its commercial functions. Inappropriate custody has caused transformations to the compositional structure. Currently work on the garden concept is directed towards protection and restoration of this incredible place

The location of nectaries and nectar secretion in the flowers of Allium giganteum Regel

In the flowers of Allium there are found septal nectaries; in particular species, their outlet can be located in different parts of the ovary. The inflorescences of these plants are a rich source of nectar for insects. The location and structure of septal nectaries in the flowers of Allium giganteum Regel were investigated. Light and scanning electron microscopy was used. The septal nectaries were found to be located in the lower part of the ovary and in the gynophore on which the ovary is borne. Nectar is secreted into the nectary slits from which it flows through the ducts to three openings located in the upper part of the gynophore, from whence it gets outside in the vicinity of the expanded parts of the filaments. Sugar concentration in the nectar of A. giganteum averaged 54.5%, while sugar weight per flower was determined to be 0.36 mg. When converted into sugar weight per inflorescence, numbering more than 2,000 flowers, it was 771.7 mg

Assessment of Salix spp. pollen availability to insects based on aerobiological investigations

Pollen and nectar produced by flowers of species from the genus Salix are an important source of food for various insect groups in early spring. Most willows are entomophilous species; however, substantial amounts of airborne Salix pollen can be noted. The aim of the study was to evaluate the content of pollen of this taxon in the air of Lublin (central-east Poland) in 2001–2016 and to identify the period of its greatest availability to insects. In 2015, we compared the course of the Salix pollen season in Lublin (51°14'37" N; 22°32'25" E) and in the Roztoczański National Park (50°34'57" N; 23°04'24" E), Poland. We found that the date of the pollen season onset fluctuated greatly between March 16 and April 17. The greatest availability of Salix pollen to insects was noted from the end of the first 10-day-period of April to the first 10-day-period of May. The mean annual sum of airborne Salix pollen grains was 833. In Lublin, Salix pollen accounted for ca. 1.25% of the total airborne pollen content of different plant taxa. The investigations have demonstrated a 2-year cycle of Salix pollen abundance. The comparison of the pollen seasons in Lublin and in the Roztoczański National Park indicates that considerably greater amounts of pollen occur in the urban area than in the air of the Roztoczański National Park

Betula pollen season in southern Poland in 2016

The paper presents a comparison of birch pollen seasons in 2016 in study sites located in the southern part of Poland: Zielona Gora, Opole, Wroclaw, Sosnowiec, Cracow, Lublin, and Guciow in the Roztocze National Park. The pollen concentrations were measured with the volumetric method using Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. The annual pollen sum was calculated for each measurement site. In 2016, the birch pollen season started at a similar time, i.e. between 4th and 6th April in all the localities. The highest annual sums and maximum pollen concentrations were recorded in Lublin and Guciow. The maximum concentrations of birch pollen were noted from 5th and 15th April, with the highest value in Lublin, i.e. 8573 P/m3 (14.04)

Mugwort pollen season in southern Poland and Lviv (Ukraine) in 2015

The aim of the study was to compare the pollen season of the mugwort in Zielona Gora, Opole, Wroclaw, Sosnowiec, Cracow, Lublin, Guciow (Roztocze National Park) and Lviv. Measurements of pollen concentrations were performed with the volumetric method (Burkard or Lanzoni pollen sampler) in Poland and using the Durham trap in Lviv. Maximum pollen concentrations were observed in all measurement sites in the period between 2nd and 15th August. The highest concentration, the highest annual sum of pollen grains, and the highest risk of pollen allergy due of the presence of high concentrations of mugwort pollen grains in the air were recorded in Zielona Gora, Lublin, and Opole

Corylus pollen season in southern Poland in 2016

The aim of the study was to compare the hazel pollen season in 2016 in Zielona Gora, Opole, Wroclaw, Sosnowiec, Cracow, Lublin, and Guciow (Roztocze National Park). Due to the mild winter, the hazel pollen season in Zielona Gora and Opole began very early, i.e. in the third decade of December 2015. In the other cities, the onset of the pollen season was noted between 30th January and 7th February. In a majority of the cities, the maximum daily pollen concentrations were recorded in the period between 7th and 10th February. The highest seasonal peak was reported from Lublin and the lowest – in Guciow and Wroclaw. The highest risk of allergy related to the persistence of high concentrations of airborne hazel pollen was noted for Zielona Gora, Lublin, and Cracow

The origin of pine pollen grains captured from air at Calypsobyen, Svalbard

Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Archipelago (Norway) that has been permanently populated. The harsh Arctic climate prevents development of large vascular plants such as trees. A two-year aerobiological survey was conducted within the framework of two consecutive polar expeditions (2014 and 2015) in Spitsbergen (Calypsobyen, Bellsund). The air quality was measured continuously from June/July to August using a 7-day volumetric air sampler, Tauber trap and moss specimens. Collected air samples and gravimetric pollen deposits were processed following transfer to sterile laboratory conditions and analyzed with the aid of light microscopy. Days when pine pollen grains were detected in the air were selected for further analysis. Clusters of back-trajectories, computed using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model in combination with ArcGIS software as well as the Flextra trajectory model, showed the movement of air masses to the sampling location at Hornsund, and thus indicated the likely origin of pollen grains. The GlobCover 2009 and CORINE Land Cover 2012 datasets were employed to establish the distribution of coniferous forests in the areas of interest. Conclusions were drawn based on the analyses of the circulation of air masses, using visualization of global weather conditions forecast to supercomputers. For the first time we have demonstrated that pine pollen grains occurring in pine-free Spitsbergen, could originate from numerous locations, including Scandinavia, Iceland, Siberia and northern Canada. Pollen grains were transported via air masses for distances exceeding ~2000 km. Both air samples and gravimetric pollen deposits revealed the same pattern of Pinus pollen distribution

Analysis of the grass pollen season in selected Polish cities in 2018

The paper presents the course of the grass (Poaceae) pollen season in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Sosnowiec, Lublin, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Drawsko Pomorskie, Warsaw, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Opole, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora in 2018. The pollen of grass is the primary trigger of pollen allergies during the summer months. It causes some of the most severe and difficult-to-treat symptoms. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method (Burkard and Lanzoni pollen samplers). The pollen season of Poaceae started first in Sosnowiec, Lublin and Opole in the third decade of April. The highest, record airborne concentration of 243 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Lublin on June 19th. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count occurred between of May 27th and June 4th in all cities. The highest grass pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2018 in Warsaw, Lublin and Zielona Gora

Analysis of mugwort (Artemisia) pollen seasons in selected cities in Poland in 2018

The aim of the present study was to compare the mugwort pollen season in 2018 in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Drawsko-Pomorskie, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora. Pollen concentration measurements were made by the volumetric method using Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. The pollen season was considered as the period during which 98% of the total annual pollen count occurred. The Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was calculated as the sum of the average daily pollen concentrations throughout the season determined for the individual cities. The mugwort pollen season started earliest in Bialystok (June 21st) and Bydgoszcz (June 25th), while in the other cities its onset occurred in the first 10 days of July. Significant differences were found in season duration (68–110 days), SPI, and peak value. The longest season occurred in Zielona Gora and Bydgoszcz, while the shortest one in Wroclaw. The highest SPI and maximum concentration values were observed in Lublin and Zielona Gora. In most of the cities, the peak value was recorded in the first 10 days of August. The highest risk of allergy in people sensitive to the pollen of this taxon was found in Zielona Gora, Lublin, and Warsaw