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Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2023) | Viewed by 17743

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Dr. Assunta Florenzano

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Laboratorio di Palinologia e Paleobotanica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Viale Caduti in Guerra 127, 41121 Modena, Italy
Interests: palynology; archaeological sites; pastoralism; cultural heritage; Southern Italy
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Dr. Eleonora Clò

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Laboratorio di Palinologia e Paleobotanica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
Interests: palynology; paleoenvironmental reconstruction; human impact; land use; Northern Italy
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Dr. Gabriel Servera-Vives

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MSCA-IF at Laboratorio di Palinologia e Paleobotanica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy
Interests: palaeoecology; palynology; archaeobotany; island archaeology; landscape studies; prehistory; Mediterranean
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Dr. Anna Maria Mercuri

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Laboratorio di Palinologia e Paleobotanica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Viale Caduti in Guerra 127, 41121 Modena, Italy
Interests: palynology; climate change; human impact; cultural landscape; Sahara
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Palynology is a bridge between different research fields. This centenary discipline studying fossils and modern pollen and spores represents a landmark in multidisciplinary studies on both past and current environmental issues. Palynology plays an important role not only in ‘basic research’ on botanical taxonomy, phylogeny, reproductive biology, and phenology but also in ‘applied research’ focused on the measurement of environmental variables, including the quality of food and air. Aerobiology is one of the main fields, together with palaeoecology, which demonstrates the great power of pollen as a methodological approach to add details and information to other methods. In addition, paleoenvironmental studies are based on the analysis of pollen from sediments and archaeological layers, which provides a long-term perspective to understand ecosystem responses to different human and climate triggers. In this sense, recent palynological research has repeatedly demonstrated that past cultures adopted cultural choices to tackle environmental and climate changes to ensure social resilience by using multi-functional land uses to exploit nature without compromising the environment.

Starting from the MedPalynoS-2021 meeting, this issue aims to collect groundbreaking papers using palynology as a cornerstone for their research, including some papers awarded during the conference. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, and sedimentary charcoal are excellent bioindicators for detecting human impact and landscape development. For this reason, interdisciplinary bio-geo-archaeo investigations on on-site/off-site integration and Holocene contexts and palynology in studies on phylogeny, reproductive strategy, melissopalynology, and forensic sciences are welcomed.

We encourage submissions of research articles from the palynological community on all aspects of the discipline, especially reporting the latest updates to face future challenges.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Quaternary.

Dr. Assunta Florenzano
Dr. Eleonora Clò
Dr. Gabriel Servera-Vives
Dr. Anna Maria Mercuri
Guest Editors

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Related Special Issue

Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges in Quaternary (8 articles)

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Research

17 pages, 3378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollen and Molecular Biomarkers from Sedimentary Archives in the Central Po Plain (N Italy): Assessing Their Potential to Deepen Changes in Natural and Agricultural Systems

by Assunta Florenzano, Eleonora Clò and Jérémy Jacob

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10408; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310408 - 1 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1366

Abstract

This paper proposes to improve the information provided by biological indicators from sedimentary archives by integrating biomolecular techniques and botanical skills. This study represents a first proposal for combining pollen and biomolecular markers to detect land use and improve knowledge of past environmental change drivers. The specific aim of the research is to verify the relationship between miliacin (a pentacyclic triterpene methyl ether, usually interpreted as a broomcorn millet biomarker) and Panicum pollen in three near-site stratigraphic sequences of the Terramara S. Rosa di Poviglio (Po Plain, N Italy). The three cores span the last ~15,000 years and potentially record the beginning of Panicum miliaceum cultivation attested in the area since at least the Bronze Age within the Terramare culture. Despite the fact that Panicum pollen grains were rare in the spectra and miliacin was barely detectable in most of the 31 samples selected for biomolecular analyses, their combined evidence testifies to the local presence of the plant. Panicum pollen and sedimentary miliacin suggest the adoption of millet crops during the Recent Bronze Age by the Terramare culture, when climatic instability led to the diversification of cereal crops and the shift to drought-tolerant varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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18 pages, 4995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollen and Flora as Bioindicators in Assessing the Status of Polluted Sites: The Case Study of the Mantua Lakes (SIN “Laghi di Mantova e Polo Chimico”; N Italy)

by Lorenzo Braga, Elisa Furia, Fabrizio Buldrini and Anna Maria Mercuri

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9414; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129414 - 12 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640

Abstract

An integrated floristic and palynological approach was carried out at the site of national interest “Laghi di Mantova e Polo Chimico” to obtain an environmental assessment useful for monitoring polluted sites. The flora of highly contaminated sectors (area A and area B) was surveyed, and the floristic composition and ecological strategies of the species were compared with a control sector (area C). A total of 195 species were observed in the three sectors. Pollen preservation of six selected species was checked as a bioindicator of environmental health in the same sectors. Area A and area B likely share similar environmental pressures, including anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, geographical proximity and a similar set of habitats, leading to similarities in flora composition. Similarly, the incidence of pollen without cytoplasm is higher in area A (9.3%) and area B (7.6%) than in area C (2.5%). The floristic differences among the sectors and the quantity of empty or abnormal pollen, together with the CSR strategies adopted by the species, suggest that the effects of anthropogenic impact on local vegetation can be detected at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. The discovery of the protected species Narcissus pseudonarcissus in area C is noteworthy, which may be important in directing efforts towards the protection of plant communities in this sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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19 pages, 6405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human-Impact Gradients through Anthropogenic Pollen Indicators in a Mediterranean Mosaic Landscape (Balearic Islands)

by Gabriel Servera-Vives, Maurici Mus Amezquita, Grant Snitker, Assunta Florenzano, Paola Torri, Maurici Ruiz and Anna Maria Mercuri

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8807; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118807 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

This paper proposes new anthropogenic pollen indicators for the Balearic Islands and attempts to assess gradients of human impact on vegetation in Mediterranean islands. A combination of modern pollen analogue studies, complemented by phytosociological descriptions and ordination techniques using quantitative and presence/absence data was used. Redundancy analysis allowed us to evaluate the relationships between pollen types and significant environmental variables and propose regional (e.g., Centaurea, Rubus, Plantago lanceolata-t) and local/microregional anthropogenic pollen indicators (e.g., Cerealia, Poygonum aviculare, Matricaria-t). Additionally, an anthropogenic index score (AIS) for each sampled location was calculated to correlate each pollen type to a specific degree of human impact: (a) low (e.g., Cerastium-t, Erica arborea-t, Cistus albidus), (b) moderate (e.g, Sinapis-t, Sanguisorba minor-t, Plantago bellardii-t), (c) high (e.g., Papaveraceae undiff., Dipsacaceae, Secale-t). This paper contributes to a further understanding of land-use dynamics and to defining the degree of impact, which is especially necessary to assess colonization and anthropization rhythms in Mediterranean island environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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15 pages, 5023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Status and Trend of the Main Allergenic Pollen Grains and Alternaria Spores in the City of Rome (2003–2019)

by Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico, Raffaela Gaddi, Maria Antonia Brighetti, Denise De Franco, Annarosa Miraglia and Alessandro Travaglini

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6150; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076150 - 3 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1570

Abstract

Today a large part of the European population is exposed to levels of air pollution exceeding the standards recommended by the World Health Organization. Moreover, air pollution and the seasonal emission of allergenic pollen are progressively affecting human health and can cause severe allergic reactions, particularly when air pollution combines with pollen allergen peaks. Unlike atmospheric pollutants of anthropogenic origin, pollen sources have a pulsating trend that leads to high values in the flowering period and values close to, or equal to, zero in the rest of the year. This aspect makes essential the definition of data coverage standards for the main allergenic taxa. For air quality assessment detailed classification criteria for monitoring stations are defined by international standards, not the same from the European Standards for the Sampling and analysis of airborne pollen grains and fungal spores. This paper describes the status and the air concentration trends of the main allergenic pollen and the Alternaria spore measured in Rome from 2003 to 2019 by the Aerobiological Monitoring Center of Tor Vergata (Rome) and calculated by the Seasonal Kendall test with the open-source OpenAir R package. The analysis was carried out on the daily concentrations of the most widespread allergenic taxa in Italy: Asteraceae, Betulaceae, Corylaceae, Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Poaceae, Oleaceae, Urticaceae and the Alternaria spores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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14 pages, 1058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiple Monitoring Stations in Big Cities: First Example of Three Spore Traps in Rome

by Annarosa Miraglia, Maria Antonia Brighetti, Denise De Franco, Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico, Francesca Froio and Alessandro Travaglini

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4155; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054155 - 24 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1410

Abstract

(1) Background: Rome is a municipality with an area of 1287 km² and presents floristic-vegetational complexity that is reflected in the composition of aerospora, which are responsible for pollinosis. The presence of airborne pollen can be detected by pollen monitoring. The large extent of the city’s territory makes it possible to verify possible changes in pollen composition in different sites of the city. With this in mind, a study was conducted to assess the differences in airborne pollen concentration, considering phenological and production indicators at three different sites in the city. (2) Methods: Pollen data of eight taxa were considered, Alnus spp., Castanea sativa Miller, Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, Olea europaea L., Platanaceae, Poaceae, Quercus spp., and Urticaceae, during 2020 and 2021, using three monitoring samplers. The airborne pollen concentration and the seasons of the three centers were calculated and compared with each other. (3) Results: The diversity between the three samplers shows a phenological succession in accordance with the microclimatic diversity present in the city. The heterogeneity of the airborne pollen concentration reflects the floristic-vegetational diversity, while qualitative and quantitative parameters indicate a homogeneous flowering trend reflecting the seasonality of the various species. (4) Conclusions: The present work and the Italian geographic context suggest the need for a greater number of sampling points to guarantee a true localization of the data. Having several sampling stations also contributes to the protection of health and green areas, which are difficult to manage, conserve, and maintain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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17 pages, 3968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterocysts of Rivularia Type for Interpreting a Palaeoenvironmental Context of the Late Quaternary in Northern Italy

by Eleonora Clò and Assunta Florenzano

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15332; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215332 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2051

Abstract

This paper presents new results on a quali-quantitative analysis of the heterocysts of the Rivularia type as a key bioindicator informative on local eutrophic conditions. The Rivularia type is usually reported in palynological analyses due to the thick, multilayered envelope that ensures the preservation of heterocysts in sediments. Samples come from two continuous terrestrial cores (N-S3: 77 samples, C-S1: 20 samples) drilled in the area surrounding the Bronze Age site of the Terramara S. Rosa di Poviglio (Po Plain; N Italy) and spanning at least over the last 15 ka years. Concentrations and percentages of the Rivularia type, combined with pollen curves of wet environments, describe local variability and rapid changes in ecological conditions over the millennia of deposition. Given the abundance and diversity of heterocysts of the Rivularia type in the studied samples, this paper attempts to group these cells based on morphology (ellipsoidal or elongated) and the state of preservation of the sheaths (presence or absence). Actually, it is difficult to confirm a relationship between heterocyst morphologies and the presence of different cyanobacteria species. Increasingly accurate identification of heterocysts from biostratigraphical archives may improve the data available on these bioindicators for achieving more detailed decoding of wetland (and terrestrial) transformations. Since the Bronze Age and at the most recent levels, the Rivularia type may be a good indicator of the local presence of agriculture and livestock, which lead to trophic and water changes in the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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20 pages, 2144 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Airborne Pollen, Allergens, and Proteins: A Comparative Study of Three Sampling Methods

by Chiara Suanno, Silvia Sandrini, Iris Aloisi, Paola De Nuntiis, Maria Cristina Facchini, Stefano Del Duca and Delia Fernández-González

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11825; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911825 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3258

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a wide range of different methods available for the monitoring of pollen and allergens, but their relative efficiency is sometimes unclear, as conventional pollen monitoring does not thoroughly describe pollen allergenicity. This study aims to evaluate airborne pollen, allergen, and protein levels, associating them with meteorological and chemical parameters. The sampling was performed in Bologna (Italy) during the grass flowering period, with three different devices: a Cyclone sampler (CS), a Dicothomous sampler (DS), and a Berner impactor (BI). Total proteins were extracted from aerosol samples, and grass allergens Phl p 1 and Phl p 5 were quantified by ELISA. Airborne Poaceae pollen concentrations were also evaluated, using a Hirst-type trap. Proteins and allergens collected by CS resulted about ten times higher than those collected by the other two instruments, possibly due to their different cut-offs, while DS and BI results appeared consistent only for the total proteins collected in the fine fraction (1.3 vs. 1.6 μg/m³). Airborne proteins correlated neither with Poaceae pollen nor with its aeroallergens, while aeroallergens correlated with pollen only in the coarse particulate, indicating the presence of pollen-independent aeroallergens in the fine particulate, promoted by high wind speed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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19 pages, 4522 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Modern Pollen Analysis in the Estuary Habitats along the Coast of Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman)

by Cristina Bellini, Francesco Ciani, Lia Pignotti, Riccardo Maria Baldini, Tiziana Gonnelli and Marta Mariotti Lippi

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 11038; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711038 - 4 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2640

Abstract

A lush vegetation develops around the numerous wadi estuaries interrupting the Dhofari coast in Southern Oman. Many estuaries still house mangroves of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh., a very fragile ecosystem that is currently under threat in this area. A rather rich flora, strongly affected by the influence of the monsoon, grows in other estuaries. This study concerns the flora and vegetation of these peculiar habitats with special focus on the plants growing on the different substrates. To gain insights into the pollen diffusion and representation of these plants in the current pollen rain, we analyzed surface soil samples. By evaluating their pollen amounts, we related the modern pollen rain to the abundance/coverage of the plant species typical of the different environments. Rather than a punctual indication of the plants growing at a short distance, our pollen records offer a general picture of the flora and vegetation of the area. This information is crucial for the correct interpretation of pollen records from ancient soils, and underlines the utility of pollen analysis for the reconstruction of the vegetation history. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

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