Human And Wildlife Biometeorology

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

• to show how the weather events influence biological processes• investigate circadian rhythms in plants, animals and human• learn methods for calculating biometeorological and thermophysiological indices• indicate clothing recommendations based on above mentioned indices • learn how large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns affect human weather pains• learn the influence of airborne, anthropogenic and biological particles on human health• identify sudden, short-term weather phenomena affecting wildlife and human

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

• Basic computer skills• Basic knowledge about meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, cloudiness)

Syllabus

Week 1: Fundamental principles of meteorology and climatology (lecture, 2h)Week 2: Introduction to wildlife and human biometeorology (lecture, 2h)Week 3: Release mechanisms of hazardous particles and gases as PM10, NOx, O3 (lecture, 2h)Week 4: Practical guide for retrieving climate and weather data from Web sources (computer workshop, 3h)Week 5: Calculating equivalent, effective temperature, wind chill and other biometeorological and thermophysiological indices (computer workshop, 5h)Week 6: Using portable thermohigrometer and kata thermometer to measure air cooling power (field works, 3h)Week 7: Atmospheric circulation patterns and weather pains (practical classes, 2h)Week 8: Sudden, short term weather events (e.g. intensive radiation; extreme winds; thunderstorm asthma) affecting human health (practical classes – groups, 2h)Week 9: Anthropogenic particles and gases release and transport – dispersion modelling (computer workshop, 3h)Week 10: Emission thresholds of biological and anthropogenic particles concentration (practical classes – discussion, 3h) Week 11: Plant and animal phenology/seasonality as a biological response to changing climate factors (computer workshop, 3 h).

Reading list

Johnsson A. 2008. Light, circadian and circannual rhythms. Solar Radiation and Human Health, Oslo http://www.dnva.no/geomed/solarpdf/Nr_5_Johnsson.pdf De Freitas CR, Grigorieva EA 2014. The impact of acclimatization on thermophysiological strain for contrasting regional climates. International Journal of Biometeorology 58:2129–2137 DOI 10.1007/s00484-014-0813-9Ozeki K. et al. 2015. Weather and headache onset: a large-scale study of headache medicine purchases Int J Biometeorol 59:447–451Błażejczyk K. 2012. Comparison of UTCI to selected thermal indices. Int J Biometeorol 56:515–535WHO 2013. Health effects of particulate matter. World Health Organization http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/189051/Health-effects-of-particulate-matter-final-Eng.pdf Bogawski et al 2016. Flowering phenology and potential pollen emission of three Artemisia species in relation to airborne pollen data in Poznań (Western Poland). Aerobiologia 32(2): 265–276Taylor PE, Jonsson H 2004. Thunderstorm asthma. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports 2004, 4:409–413