The importance of cultivated land for spreading of allergenic plants in Italy

摘要

We studied the ecological characteristics of the plants of Italian cultivated land that cause allergies in sensitized individuals. Differences between the allergenic flora of annual and perennial cultivations were found. Prevalence of annual thero-phytes was found in seasonal and annual crops subjected to soil tillage and to strong human disturbance. Plants growing in stable, moderately disturbed cultivations (citrus and olive groves, vineyards) were more often perennials. Allergenic species dispersed by wind and those endowed with multiple dispersal strategies (polychory) were well represented in seasonal and annual crops. The moderate height of these cultivations facilitates circulation of air, favouring the diffusion of anemochoric plants, which explains the abundance of the Poaceae and the Asteraceae families. The spreading of some allochth-onous invasive allergenic species was ascertained. The entrance of allergenic plants from surrounding natural ecosystems increases the overall allergenicity of Italian cultivations. The results obtained pointed out a strong relationship between allergenic flora, human impact, and the structure of the cultivations. They point out the importance of knowledge about the ecological characteristics of the allergenic florarninfesting the cultivations, which enables efficacious control of the diffusion of the most dangerous species.