Meduni Vienna: "Nature Calendar" app to include allergenic plants
Together with Geosphere Austria, MedUni Vienna's Pollen Service Vienna is adding allergenic plants to its popular "Nature Calendar" app. Allergy sufferers can now track the flowering times of alder, hazel, tree of heaven and other pollen-rich plants directly in the app and contribute their own observations as citizen scientists.
Previously, the app operated by Geosphere Austria already included birch, ragweed and oak, among other plants that are important for pollen allergy sufferers. It has now been expanded to include alder (grey alder and black alder), tree hazel, common ash, flowering ash, tree of heaven, smooth oat, meadow timothy and mugwort. In addition, a separate category has been created for all allergenic plants so that they can be found quickly. The extension was developed by the Vienna Pollen Service of MedUni Vienna in cooperation with Geosphere Austria. Documentation throughout the pollen season is now possible and extremely useful for those affected. Maximilian Bastl from the Vienna Pollen Service explains: "Ash is still a neglected allergen that receives less attention than birch. The tree of heaven is a new allergen on the rise that really needs to be documented. And there is also a need for action to monitor mugwort due to the late flowering in autumn, as in the past two years."
Birch blossom in focus
Just in time for the start of spring, the project offers valuable support for people with pollen allergies. Particularly before the birch blossom, which begins in Vienna between mid-March and early April, interested parties can actively contribute to research by reporting their symptoms. The Vienna Pollen Service provides regular information on current developments and emphasises the importance of regular pollen forecasts. All interested parties can help the research in good time before the birch trees bloom. You can now record the location and flowering progress of the plants. This is particularly helpful for those affected, as they can quickly see in the app what the situation is like in their neighbourhood and how far the plants have developed.
"Pollen allergy sufferers should know the source of their allergen and, ideally, be able to recognise the plant in question," emphasises Maximilian Bastl. This is because the pollen count is much higher in the immediate vicinity of a flowering plant. To illustrate the picture: There are millions of pollen grains in a single birch catkin. If you walk directly into a pollen cloud of dusty catkins, you are already exposed to a high pollen count due to the proximity (even if it is only a single flowering specimen). The start of flowering is controlled by the weather, especially the temperatures shortly before flowering. Good news for those affected: the number of catkins, i.e. the potential, is average this year. Above-average flowering is therefore unlikely
Phenology and the natural calendar - Citizen Science since 1851
With the free "Nature Calendar" app, you can document the development status of allergenic plants and other phenological indicator plants for your own region and compare them across Austria. GeoSphere Austria focuses on phenology as a whole. The observation network has existed since 1851 and is intended to attract more observers with the integration of allergenic plants by the Vienna Pollen Service. Since the app was launched in 2019, between 5,500 and 33,000 phenological observations have been received each year. The data collected from the population is also used in national and international research projects, for example to investigate how plants and animals react to changes in the climate, as well as in application-oriented projects such as the seasonal adjustment of mowing times for flower strips. Anyone with an interest in plants can take part. The active community is always happy to provide advice and support within the app to help newcomers get started. Learning by doing in this citizen science project can also lead to a better understanding of nature and the weather-dependent development of plants. You can find the download link and further information at www.naturkalender.at.
Contact
Medizinische Universität Wien
Mag. Johannes Angerer
Leiter Kommunikation und
Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Tel.: 01/ 40 160 11 501
E-Mail: pr@meduniwien.ac.at
Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Wien
www.meduniwien.ac.at/