Latitudinal study of allergenic pollen in two Spanish cities

A comparative study was performed on the pollen spectra in 1990 in two Spanish cities with different vegetation and climate, one situated on the south coast (Huelva) and the other in the north and inland (Palencia). The flowering of Alnus and Fraxinus occurred earlier in the north, while that of grasses (Plantago, Poaceae and Urticaceae) occurred earlier and lasted longer in the south, with milder temperature conditions resulting in no fall in pollen content between winter and spring. The absence of olive pollen in Palencia reaffirms that the pollen spectrum of a locality is a consequence of the surrounding vegetation. The geographical situation of Palencia, in the interior of Spain, results in higher percentages of Poaceae and Quercus. The enormous pollution of Huelva favors the greater development of the Urticaceae family and the greater presence of its pollen in the air.