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Contact: Annalisa Ariatti

International Collaboration for Forecasting ragweed Pollen

Discussion Group

A Ragweed Discussion Group was initiated at the 2007 PAAA (Pan-American Aerobiology Association) meeting held at the Pennsylvania State University. The ragweed phenology model and website was presented and a lively discussion on future directions for the collaboration ensued. A number of changes to the system were suggested and the following list of project goals was created.

Long-term Goals:

Provide accurate forecast of ragweed pollen concentration in the air for the European and North American continents on the Internet.
Provide a PAAA/IAA interpretation of the risk of ragweed allergy symptom expression for the European and North American public on the Internet.
Provide a mechanism for the public to report symptoms of ragweed pollen.
Provide an archive for historical ragweed phenology and pollen concentration measurements and related data.
Provide a mechanism whereby researchers can access the data archive.

Intermediate-term Goal (>1 year):

Create a North American phenology map.
Recruit professional and citizen scientists to contribute to the ragweed pollen phenology and aerial concentration database.

Short-term Goals (2007):

Provide feedback on the functionality of the website for collecting ragweed phenological data.
Provide a “first draft” of a ragweed distribution/density map for Europe.
Refine ragweed phenology model (species specific?) after 2007 ragweed pollen season has ended.

Current programming desires:

A simple way for users to add locations during the season (mostly in response to loosing locations due to feeding or eradication). Highest priority.
A way to indicate ragweed species on the data entry form (may not be able to identify species at set-up because plants are too small). We will provide a pull down menu with 3 species. (common ragweed - A. artemisiifolia; great/giant ragweed -A. trifida, and A. psilostachya (intermediate priority)
Access to an archive of maps (lower priority).

Participants agreed to submit observations on ragweed phenology to the database throughout the rest of the 2007 season to address short term goals 1 & 3. The “current programming desires” have been incorporated into the website. To submit an observation, you need first to download an Excel spreadsheet by clicking on one of the links below. There are 2 types of observation sites: monitoring sites and mobile scouting sites. Monitoring sites are locations where you plan to follow the phenological progress of ragweed plants (typically 10) throughout the remainder of the season. However, we often find ragweed plants unexpectedly during the course of a day, perhaps while hiking in the countryside or just walking in town. These sites are considered mobile scouting sites where you may make a quick observation to be submitted to the database at some convenient time.

We have developed a single form that you may use for recording either 10 individual plant observations or the desired information for the most advanced plant you find, the one whose development is most retarded, and the average plant. For a monitoring plot use the first ten columns to record your observations on individual plants. If you are scouting a population use the right-hand columns to record data for the most advanced, average, and retarded plants. As you readily realize, the data from the former type of observation is more “scientific”; however, mobile scouting data is very valuable to the modeling effort for it allows us to obtain greater geographic representation. If you intend to participate, please click on the form below.

You may print the form and use it in the field as a datasheet. The form requests that you include information about yourself, the ragweed sampling site, and the plants you observed. Once you have filled out a form, e-mail it to Regula Gehrig or Annalisa Ariatti. Within a few days after you submit your observation, we will send a user name and password to your email address that will provide access to the restricted access website and the model output. Thereafter you may enter data directly to the database. Note also, that there will be a link to a library of images of ragweed phenological stages. After you have access to the restricted site, you may create addition monitoring or mobile scouting sites without the help of Regula or Annalisa, although feel free to contact them for assistance.

Thank you very much. We hope that you want to participate in this collaboration.

Scouting Form