Influence of climatic variables on the production and dispersion of allergenic pollen in Mexico City.

Climate change has diverse biological impacts on plants, significantly altering their reproductive processes. These alterations are reflected in flowering phenology and pollen production rates, which are highly sensitive to climatic variations and are frequently used as bioindicators in temperate regions.

Pollen data analysis is essential to assess the effects of climate change on plants at a regional level. Temperature emerges as a key factor influencing changes in flowering phenology, and advances in reproductive stages are increasingly linked to global warming. Likewise, water availability significantly influences plant productivity.

Global warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, is the primary driver of climate change in vast regions of our planet. Increased surface air temperatures, changes in water availability, and high atmospheric CO2 concentrations directly impact plant biology, affecting photosynthesis and thus modifying plant growth and development. Furthermore, temperature and precipitation variations related to some patterns of interannual climate variability, such as the North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation, can influence plant phenology. These changes have public health implications, as they can modify pollen production and increase the prevalence and severity of pollen-related allergic diseases.