Abstract
According to studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Alpine region is particularly affected by global warming. The increase in the average annual temperature in the Alpine region has numerous consequences. Besides the impacts on nature (e.g., biodiversity or extreme weather) and the economy (e.g., agriculture or tourism), human health is also directly affected. The increase in the annual average temperature in the Alpine region shifts the zero degree level and thus the vegetation line, while simultaneously allowing plants to thrive and produce more pollen. This was demonstrated in the present study using Davos as an example, based on a 43-year pollen measurement series.
The analysis clearly shows that pollen from both Betulaceae (birch) and Poaceae (grass) has increased significantly over the last 43-year period. The statistical analysis reveals that there is indeed a moderately significant statistical correlation between pollen quantity and temperature increase for both birch and grass pollen.
Additionally, it was shown that increasing annual mean temperature has not only a major effect on the amount of birch pollen but also of the earlier start of the birch pollen saison in spring. The increased pollen levels in the Alpine region represent a significant shift, as the higher Alpine valleys, with their lower pollen counts, were previously considered a particular refuge for allergy and asthma sufferers.