2.1. Pollination Patterns of Plant Taxa
In supplementary material, the Table 7 includes the pollination patterns of plant taxa. Pollination is also affected by atmospheric density and means of delivery. In wind pollination, the pollen can be found very densely and can travel very long distances, while in pollination with insects, the density decreases and the distance is shortened because the probability of fertilization is high. For example, since Platanus taxa are pollinated by wind, their pollen is found in high concentrations in the atmosphere and can travel very long distances. However, the situation may also vary with the characteristics of the plant taxon. For example, although pollens belonging to the taxa Acer, Morus and Ulmus are spread by the wind, they have been found to emit very little pollen into the atmosphere. Table 7 also shows whether the allergen plants are natural (endemic) or foreign. The use of natural taxa in plant design projects should be encouraged as it will contribute to the development of the country’s economy. However, the use of plant taxa with allergen effects should also conform to the predetermined design criteria. Table 7 shows pollen data collected by (Özmen 2012) from two different stations on the Hacettepe University Sıhhiye Campus and the Ankara University Tandogan Campus for two years between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2010, and on the Ankara University campus again in 2011–2012. In 2009, an annual total of 155,558 pollens were detected on the Ankara University campus. These belonged to 42 different taxa, 28 of which were woody trees, shrubs and bushes, and woody taxa accounted for 83.8% of the total amount of pollen. In 2010, an annual total of 98,176 pollens belonging to 45 different taxa were detected. Of these taxa, 28 were woody trees, shrubs and bushes, and 17 were herbaceous plants. Woody taxa accounted for 86.7% of total amount of pollen. Unlike in 2009, no pollen of the Rhamnaceae family and Lonicera genus was detected on the site in 2010. Pollen of the Hedera and Sambucus genera, which could not be detected in 2009, was detected in 2010, albeit in small amounts. In 2010, no pollen of the Berberidaceae family and Lonicera and Hedera genera was found. By comparison with 2009, there was a decrease in 2010 in the amounts of pollen from the Moracea, Lilliaceae families and Acer genus, especially Pinaceae, whereas an increase was detected in pollen from the Cupressaceae/Taxaceae and Populus, Fraxinus, Salix and Fagus genera. In 2011–2012, compared to 2009, there was a decrease in pollen from the Fabaceae families and Populus, Platanus, and Acer genera, especially Pinaceae, and an increase in Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Betulaceae, Moracea and Quercus, Fraxinus, Salix, and Ulmus. In 2011–2012, in addition, pollen of the Tsuga genus, one of the coniferous taxa, was found in small amounts.
On the Hacettepe Sıhhiye Campus, an annual total of 22,023 pollens belonging to 43 different taxa were detected in 2009. Of these taxa, 26 were woody trees, shrubs and bushes, and woody taxa accounted for 70.1% of the total amount of pollen. In 2010, a total of 20,765 pollens belonging to 39 different taxa were detected. Of the taxa in question, 22 were woody trees, shrubs and bushes, and woody taxa accounted for 74.2% of the total amount of pollen. In 2010, there was a decrease in pollen from the Fabaceae and Betulaceae families and Platanus and Populus genera, by comparison with 2009, and an increase in pollen from the Pinaceae and Moracea families and Quercus genera. In this study, the trends are the same as for the Ankara University Tandoğan Campus for all taxa except the Castanea and Lonicera species. However, there were found to be differences between the amounts of pollen. While the amounts of pollen from the Cupressaceae/Taxaceae families and the Populus and Platanus genera were lower than on the Ankara University Tandoğan Campus, an increase was detected in pollen from the Fabaceae family and Quercus and Ailanthus genera. (Acar 2013) collected pollen data from the station in Ankara University Tandoğan Campus for one year between June 2011 and May 2012. During this period, a total of 72,835 pollens belonging to 50 different taxa were detected on the Ankara University Tandoğan Campus. Of these taxa, 28 were woody trees, shrubs and bushes, and woody taxa accounted for 92.3% of the total amount of pollen. Although the data collected was similar to the data obtained from the previous studies, differences were detected in the total daily amounts of pollen. One important reason for this is that changes in seasonal patterns caused by global warming leads to changes in the vegetation periods and pollen production of plants. An examination of Table 8 shows that the pollens of the families Pinaceae, Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Moraceae, Betulaceae and Populus, Platanus, Quercus, Acer, and Fraxinus were found to be dominant. Pollens of the Lilliaceae, Berberidaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Rhamnaceae, Cistaceae families and Tilia, Castanea, Lonicera, Hedera, Sambucus, Tamarix, and Tsuga genera were rarely encountered. Pollens of the Rosaceae family and Alnus and Vitis genera are fewer but have increased in recent years.
An examination of Table 9 shows that the following combinations of taxa and months are observed in all nine sites/studies: Betulaceae (May), Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (February, March, April, May, June, July), Fraxinus (April), Pinaceae (March, May, June), Quercus (May, June) and Platanus (April). All of these taxa except Pinaceae have high allergenic effects. When the levels of pollen allergens were examined by month, pollen was detected in 918 different site/study-months (Table 10). The pollen counts were in the range of (x = 0–9 pollen/m³) in 499 cases, (y = 10–99 pollen/m³) in 128 cases, (z = 100–999 pollen/m³) in 38 cases and (w = 1000 − 9.900 pollen/m3) in five cases, while pollen in unknown amounts between 0 and 9900 pollen/m³ was detected in the remaining 248 cases. The taxa, sites and months in which the highest amounts of pollen were detected (w = 1000–9900 pollen/m³) are as follows: Cupressaceae/Taxaceae detected on the Ankara University Tandoğan Campus in March 2009 and again in February 2010, Pinaceae detected on the Ankara University Tandoğan Campus in May and June 2009, and Salix detected on the Hacettepe University Beytepe Campus in April 1989. Most of the taxa belonging to the Pinaceae family were found on the sites. The pollen counts recorded for the 90 different site/study-months in which pollen was detected were in the range of (x = 0–9 pollen/m³) in 35 cases, (y = 10–99 pollen/m³) in 16 cases, (z = 100–999 pollen/m³) in nine cases and (w = 1000–9900 pollen/m³) in two cases, while pollen in unknown amounts was detected in the remaining 28 cases. The total numbers of combinations of sites and occurrences of different types of pollen by month is as follows: May (147), April (143), June (139), March (97), July (92), September (62), August (61), February (49), October (44), November (35), January and December (30). While April and May are the months in which the most pollen is detected, January and December are the months in which the least pollen is detected. In February, March, April, May and June, the pollen range reached the top range (w = 1000–9900 pollen/m³) in at least one case.
2.2. Mapping of the Potential of the Pollination Patterns of Plant Taxa
The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the monthly pollen distributions and levels for the woody taxa of the province of Ankara (Fig. 1) were determined. In the second stage, the total number of sites falling within the various pollen level ranges for each of the woody taxa of the province of Ankara were determined. The use of the taxa in plant landscape design was then assessed on the basis of the findings. Daily data were examined for all sites for which it was possible to create a pollen calendar, but monthly data were used instead of daily data for the sake of simplicity. Based on these data, the species with the highest pollen counts in the sites in each month were identified and their use in plant landscape design was investigated.
For example, the distribution of the pollen of the Cupressaceae / Taxaceae families in February is 9/4x /1z/1w. And also it was found to be az, bw, cx, dx, ex, fx, g, h, i. This formula stands for:
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Site/study 1 (represented by code a) – range z (100–999 pollen / m³),
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Site/study 2 (code b) – range w (1000–9900 pollen / m³),
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Site/study 3 (code c) – range x (0–9 pollen / m³),
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Site/study 5 (code e) – range x (0–9 pollen / m³),
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Site/study 6 (code f) – range x (0–9 pollen / m³),
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Sites 7, 8 and 9 – pollen was found but the amount of pollen is uncertain.
This formula indicates that pollens were found in all nine sites/studies, that the density of the pollen is in the range of 0–9 pollen / m³ (range x) in four of these sites/studies. In the range of 10–99 pollen / m³ (range y) in no sites/studies Of these sites/studies. In the range of 100–999 pollen / m³ (range z) in one site/study, and in the range of 1000–9900 pollen / m³, (range w) in one other site/study, while the density of pollen in three sites is unknown. Since pollen is found in the male individuals of plants, it is important to determine whether the plants are monoecious, dioecious or polygamous. This information is also recorded in Table 7. However, the protective case status of the bushes, ground-huggers and climbers could not be determined.
The range-x, range-y,range-z, and range-w were identified based on the pollen counts measured in the areas of Hacettepe University Beytepe Campus, Hacettepe University Sıhhiye Campus and Ankara University Tandogan Campus in the years "1989–1990", "2009 and 2010", 2009–2010 and 2011, respectively. Potential pollen counts of annual pollen amount by months in these areas were calculated. The values obtained as percentages were visualized by the mapping application. The results of the map-based analysis are shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 seperately. The analysis results obtained with the mapping are summarized in Table 3, Table 4, Table 5 and Table 6. In these tables, "Sites Code" defines the relevant study area where the pollen value is defined, "Variable" defines the pollen amount range measured/determined in the relevant study area. In addition, the maximum and minimum pollen amount values of the related plant species/species are presented in these tables as well.
Table 3
The summary of potential pollen counts of annual pollen amount by months based on the range-x
Sites Code | Variable | Pollen Counts (%) | Pollen counts of plants |
Min. (%) | Max . (%) | lowest | highest |
1a | x (0–9 polen/m³) | 0,8 | 5,7 | Rhamnaceae | Betulaaceae Corylus Populus Quercus Rosaceae Salix |
2b | 0,9 | 6,7 | Acer Berberidaceae Cistaceae Elaeagnaceae Fagus Hedera Liliaceae Moraceae Populus Sambucus | Cupressaceae Fabaceae |
3c | 0,9 | 23 | Acer Aesculus Ailanthus Alnus Betulaaceae Corylus Cupressaceae Cistaceae, Elaeagnaceae Fagus Fraxinus, Juglandaceae Populus Quercus Rhamnaceae Rosaceae Salix Sambucus Tilia Ulmus | Pinaceae |
4d | 1 | 10 | Acer Elaeagnaceae Juglandaceae Rhamnaceae | Cupressaceae |
5e | 1 | 12 | Acer Alnus Berberidaceae Moraceae | Betulaaceae Cupressaceae |
6f | 1 | 10 | Cistaceae Corylus Moraceae Platanus Tamarix Ulmus | Cupressaceae |
Table 4
The summary of potential pollen counts of annual pollen amount by months based on the range-y
Sites Code | Variable | Pollen Counts (%) | Pollen counts of plants |
Min. (%) | Max . (%) | lowest | highest |
1a | y (10–99 polen/m³) | 4 | 28 | Betulaaceae Corylus Cupressaceae Juglandaceae Moraceae Platanus Salix Ulmus | Fabaceae |
2b | 0,9 | 23 | Ailanthus Betulaaceae Cupressaceae Fabaceae Juglandaceae Platanus Populus Quercus Ulmus | Pinaceae |
3c | 0,6 | 13 | Acer Ailanthus Alnus Betulaaceae, Corylus Fabaceae Fagus Fraxinus Pinaceae Populus Salix | Moraceae Platanus Quercus |
4d | 1 | 43 | Acer Platanus | Fabaceae |
5e | 8 | 25 | Acer Juglandaceae Moraceae Platanus | Cupressaceae Pinaceae |
6f | 3 | 10 | Alnus Betulaaceae Corylus Lonicera Populus Salix | Cupressaceae Moraceae Rosaceae |
Table 5
The summary of potential pollen counts of annual pollen amount by months based on the range-z
Sites Code | Variable | Pollen Counts (%) | Pollen counts of plants |
Min. (%) | Max . (%) | lowest | highest |
1a | z (100–999 polen/m³) | 10 | 40 | Ailanthus Moraceae Platanus Populus | Cupressaceae |
2b | 12,5 | 25 | Fabaceae Quercus | Cupressaceae Pinaceae Populus |
3c | 14 | 57 | Moraceae | Cupressaceae |
4d | - | 100 | | Pinaceae |
5e | 14 | 28 | Cupressaceae Fabaceae Moraceae Platanus | Pinaceae |
6f | 20 | 40 | Cupressaceae Populus Quercus | Betulaaceae |
Table 6
The summary of potential pollen counts of annual pollen amount by months based on the range-w
Sites Code | Variable | Pollen Counts (%) | Pollen counts of plants |
Min. (%) | Max . (%) | lowest | highest |
1a | w (1000–9990 polen/m³) | 33 | 67 | Cupressaceae | Pinaceae |
2b | - | 100 | - | Cupressaceae |
6f | - | 100 | - | Salix |