Fungal spore calendar for the warm temperate climate zone. What else besides Cladosporium spores?

The qualitative and quantitative composition of airborne fungal spores results from the interaction of fungal biology, environmental factors, particularly climate, weather conditions, vegetation, land cover and human activity. Continuous aeromycological monitoring is rarely conducted due to the challenges associated with identifying the abundance of spores present in the air. In southeastern Poland such studies have been conducted only occasionally. Therefore, the aim of this research was to update the spore calendar with data on previously unstudied spore taxa. Using the volumetric method, the occurrence of 27 spore taxa was analyzed over a five-year period (2019–2023). Throughout the entire season, first- and second-order temporal compositional clusters were distinguished and characterized based on their distinctive spores. At the beginning of the season, Diatrypaceae and Pezizaceae spores were the most prominent. Airborne Periconia, Arthrinium, and Boletus type spores appeared in higher concentrations toward the end of the growing season. Although Cladosporium spores were definitely dominant in the air, Leptosphaeria type, Ganoderma, Alternaria, Pezizaceae, Botrytis, and Epicoccum spores should be considered a significant component of aeroplankton in the temperate climate zone. A comparison of current data with archived records suggests that fungi may exhibit diverse responses to significant increases in air temperature.