A follow-up study examining airborne Ambrosia pollen in the Milan area in 2014 in relation to the accidental introduction of the ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa

Bonini, Maira; Šikoparija, Branko; Prentović, Marija; Cislaghi, G.; Colombo, Piergiuseppe; Testoni, C.; Grewling, Łukasz; Lommen, S.T.E.; Müller‐Schärer, Heinz; Smith, Matt

doi:10.1007/s10453-015-9406-2

Cited by 29 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…We had expected low densities of pollen in Italy, where all sites are located on the Po Plain and are colonised by the Ophraella beetle. Although the Po Plain is one of the major areas infested with A. artemisiifolia in Europe (Essl et al 2015), pollen numbers have dramatically decreased in this area since the Ophraella beetle was detected in 2013 (Bonini et al 2015). Italy was among the countries with low pollen densities but its numbers were not significantly different from average.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining variability in the production of seed and allergenic pollen by invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia across Europe

et al. 2017

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To better manage invasive populations, it is vital to understand the environmental drivers underlying spatial variation in demographic performance of invasive individuals and populations. The invasive common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, has severe adverse effects on agriculture and human health, due to its vast production of seeds and allergenic pollen. Here, we identify the scale and nature of environmental factors driving individual performance of A. artemisiifolia, and assess their relative importance. We studied 39 populations across the European continent, covering different climatic and habitat conditions. We found that plant size is the most important determinant in variation of per-capita seed and pollen production. Using plant volume as a measure of individual performance, we found that the local environment (i.e. the site) is far more influential for plant volume (explaining 25% of all spatial Published in "Biological Invasions doi: 10.1007/s10530-017-1640-9, 2018" which should be cited to refer to this work. variation) than geographic position (regional level; 8%) or the neighbouring vegetation (at the plot level; 4%). An overall model including environmental factors at all scales performed better (27%), including the weather (bigger plants in warm and wet conditions), soil type (smaller plants on soils with more sand), and highlighting the negative effects of altitude, neighbouring vegetation and bare soil. Pollen and seed densities varied more than 200-fold between sites, with highest estimates in Croatia, Romania and Hungary. Pollen densities were highest on arable fields, while highest seed densities were found along infrastructure, both significantly higher than on ruderal sites. We discuss implications of these findings for the spatial scale of management interventions against A. artemisiifolia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining variability in the production of seed and allergenic pollen by invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia across Europe

et al. 2017

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“…The insect preferentially feeds on A. artemisiifolia, and severe defoliation can result in a reduction of flower and seed production, or can even kill the plant before flowering (Zhou et al 2014). During the summer 2013 and 2014, concentrations of airborne ragweed pollen were significantly lower near the center of the colonized Italian area than what would be expected based on meteorological data of the region (Bonini et al 2015). This strongly indicates a huge effect of the insect, and a direct benefit for human health.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 45%

Defoliation of common ragweed byOphraella communabeetle does not affect pollen allergenicity in controlled conditions

Lommen

Ciappetta

Ghiani

et al. 2016

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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Ragweed allergy is one of the primary causes of seasonal allergies in Europe and its prevalence is expected to rise. The leaf beetle Ophraella communa, recently and accidentally established in N-Italy and S-Switzerland, represents a promising approach to control ragweed, but negative side effects should be excluded before its use. Since biotic and abiotic stresses are known to influence the allergenicity of pollen, we set out to assess the effect of sub-lethal defoliation by O. communa on the quantity and quality of ragweed pollen. Seventeen sister pairs (including six clones) of ragweed plants were grown in controlled conditions. One of each pair was exposed to O. communa as soon as the plant started to produce reproductive structures. After 10 weeks of exposure, plant traits were measured as a proxy for pollen quantity. Pollen quality was assessed by measuring its viability and allergenicity. Generally, plants produced very few male flowers and little amount of pollen. Damage by the beetle was severe with most of the leaf tissue removed, but no treatment effect was found on any of the quantitative and qualitative traits assessed. In conclusion, O. communa did not increase the amount or allergenicity of ragweed pollen grains in our experimental conditions.

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“…In the first year of its detection, O. communa reached high enough densities to completely defoliate and prevent flowering and seed set of most ragweed plants in the Milan area. Bonini et al (2016) showed that airborne common ragweed pollen levels observed in the Milan area in 2013 and 2014 were approximately 80% lower than in years prior to the establishment of O. communa. The decrease in ambrosia pollen observed in the Milan area could not be explained by meteorology in these years, suggesting that the decrease is related to the presence of large numbers of O. communa (Bonini et al 2016).…”

Section: Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L (Common Ragweed) (Asteraceae)mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Bonini et al (2016) showed that airborne common ragweed pollen levels observed in the Milan area in 2013 and 2014 were approximately 80% lower than in years prior to the establishment of O. communa. The decrease in ambrosia pollen observed in the Milan area could not be explained by meteorology in these years, suggesting that the decrease is related to the presence of large numbers of O. communa (Bonini et al 2016). Studies are also underway to assess the non-target risks posed by O. communa to sunflower and native plant species.…”

Section: Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L (Common Ragweed) (Asteraceae)mentioning

confidence: 91%

Weed biological control in the European Union: from serendipity to strategy

et al. 2017

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A follow-up study examining airborne Ambrosia pollen in the Milan area in 2014 in relation to the accidental introduction of the ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa

Cited by 29 publications

References 6 publications

Explaining variability in the production of seed and allergenic pollen by invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia across Europe

Explaining variability in the production of seed and allergenic pollen by invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia across Europe

Defoliation of common ragweed byOphraella communabeetle does not affect pollen allergenicity in controlled conditions

Weed biological control in the European Union: from serendipity to strategy

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