The Ragweed Finder: A Citizen-Science Project to Inform Pollen Allergy Sufferers About Ambrosia artemisiifolia Populations in Austria
Source abstract
Abstract
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) is a highly invasive species that produces large amounts of allergenic pollen. This poses a serious health risk to allergy sufferers. The “Ragweed Finder” is an Austrian citizen science platform (website and app) that enables the public to report occurrences of ragweed, which are then verified by experts. Over 90% of reports are confirmed as positive, with most originating from eastern Austria, where ragweed is widespread. The number of reports has generally increased over time, except in 2020 during the pandemic. Report frequency does not directly correlate with daily pollen concentrations, but peaks before and during pollen season. Most observations occur along traffic routes, likely due to seed dispersal by vehicle airflow or easier accessibility for users. Verified observations are displayed on an interactive map, helping allergy sufferers to avoid exposure and informing local authorities of the need for targeted control actions. The data are also used to raise awareness among policymakers and help to enact the first law for the control and prevention of ragweed in Burgenland (Austria), in 2021: the “Burgenland Ragweed Control Act”. This demonstrates the success of the “Ragweed Finder” as an important tool for monitoring this invasive species in Austria.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization · Species Distribution and Climate Change · Forest Insect Ecology and Management
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Research and Development Department, AZ Pollen Research GmbH, 2000 Stockerau, Austria
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Center for Environment and Health, Department for Air, Noise, Environmental Impact Assessment and Aerobiology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, 1097 Budapest, Hungary
Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 81102 Bratislava, Slovakia
Funding
University of Vienna
References (41)
Show source-provided references
1. Fischer, M.A., Oswald, K., and Adler, W. (2008). Exkursionsflora Für Österreich, Liechtenstein und Südtirol, Landesmuseen. Land Oberösterreich, Biologiezentrum der Oberösterr.
2. WFO (2023, December 11). Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Available online: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000063493.
3. Biological Flora of the British Isles: Ambrosia artemisiifolia10.1111/1365-2745.12424 ↗
4. Spread of Invasive Ragweed: Climate Change, Management and How to Reduce Allergy Costs10.1111/1365-2664.12156 ↗
5. The European Parliament and The Council of the European Union (2014). Regulation on the Prevention and Management of the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Alien Species, Official Journal of the European Union.
6. Buttenschøn, R.M., Waldispühl, S., and Bohren, C. (2009). Guidelines for Management of Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Aarhus University Press.
7. Hall, R.M., Urban, B., Wagentristl, H., Karrer, G., Winter, A., Czerny, R., and Kaul, H.-P. (2021). Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) Causes Severe Yield Losses in Soybean and Impairs Bradyrhizobium Japonicum Infection. Agronomy, 11.10.3390/agronomy11081616 ↗
8. Bullock, J.M., Chapman, D., Schafer, S., Roy, D., Girardello, M., Haynes, T., Beal, S., Naturebureau, B.W., Dickie, I., and Phang, Z. (2010). Assessing and Controlling the Spread and the Effects of Common Ragweed in Europe, Natural Environment Research Council.
9. Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Mais: Entwicklung und Konkurrenz
10. Climate Change and Future Pollen Allergy in Europe10.1289/EHP173 ↗
11. Sam, S., Halbritter, H., and Heigl, H. (2023, December 12). Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Available online: https://www.paldat.org/pub/Ambrosia_artemisiifolia/304617.
12. Ragweed Pollen Allergy: Burden, Characteristics, and Management of an Imported Allergen Source in Europe10.1159/000487997 ↗
13. Estimation of pollen and seed production of common ragweed in France
14. Economic Burden of Inadequate Management of Allergic Diseases in the European Union: A GA2LEN Review10.1111/all.12470 ↗
15. Ragweed Pollen Source Inventory for France—The Second Largest Centre of Ambrosia in Europe10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.10.057 ↗
16. A Method for Producing Airborne Pollen Source Inventories: An Example of Ambrosia (Ragweed) on the Pannonian Plain10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.05.002 ↗
17. Changes in the Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Habitat Preferences of Ambrosia artemisiifolia during Its Invasion of Austria
18. Ragweed (Ambrosia) Pollen Source Inventory for Austria10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.108 ↗
19. Hemmer, W., Schauer, U., Trinca, A.-M., and Neumann, C. (2009). Prävalenz der Ragweedpollen-Allergie in Ostösterreich, Umweltbundesamt GmbH.
20. Haklay, M. (2013). Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information: Overview and Typology of Participation. Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge, Springer.10.1007/978-94-007-4587-2_7 ↗
21. Dirr, L., Bouchal, J.M., Bastl, K., Bastl, M., Berger, U.E., and Grímsson, F. (2023, January 1–2). 5 Years Ragweed Finder: From the Idea to the Official Reporting Tool of Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Proceedings of the Austrian Citizen Science Conference 2023—PoS (ACSC2023), Linz, Austria.10.22323/1.442.0004 ↗
22. Methods and Standards of Pollen Monitoring—Significance of Pollen Measurements at Different Altitudes10.1007/s40629-023-00268-3 ↗
23. QGIS Development Team (2024). QGIS Geographic Information System 2024, QGIS.
24. Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (2021). Verwaltungsgrenzen (VGD) BEV 1:250 000 Stichtag 01.04.2021, Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying.
25. (2025, August 28). Digitales 10m—Geländemodell Aus Airborne Laserscan Daten in Der Projektion EPSG:31287 (Lambert). Available online: https://www.data.gv.at/datasets/b5de6975-417b-4320-afdb-eb2a9e2a1dbf?locale=de.
26. (2025, August 28). OpenStreetMap Contributors OpenStreetMap Data [Data Set]. Available online: https://www.openstreetmap.org.
27. An Automatic Volumetric Spore Trap10.1111/j.1744-7348.1952.tb00904.x ↗
28. Recommended Terminology for Aerobiological Studies10.1007/s10453-017-9496-0 ↗
29. Defining Pollen Seasons: Background and Recommendations10.1007/s11882-018-0829-z ↗
30. Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf die demographische Struktur Österreichs
31. Changes in Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Lockdown Based on the Sociodemographic Profile of 5569 Students and Academic Staff of Austrian Universities10.1016/j.puhe.2023.04.003 ↗
32. Pollen Information Consumption as an Indicator of Pollen Allergy Burden10.1007/s00508-015-0855-y ↗
33. Karrer, G., and Vitalos, M. (2009, January 23–26). Dispersal of Ambrosia artemisiifolia Seeds along Roads: The Contribution of Traffic and Mowing Machines. Proceedings of the Biological Invasions: Towards a Synthesis, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.
34. Assessing the Usefulness of Citizen Science Data for Habitat Suitability Modelling: Opportunistic Reporting versus Sampling Based on a Systematic Protocol10.1111/ddi.13128 ↗
35. Avoidance of Allergens as an Environmental Method in the Prevention of Inhaled Allergy Symptoms10.1016/j.aller.2019.06.011 ↗
36. The Influence of Mowing Regime on the Soil Seed Bank of the Invasive Plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia L10.3897/neobiota.28.6838 ↗
37. (2021). Burgenländisches Ragweed-Bekämpfungsgesetz (Bgld. RBG). Standard No. Bgld. LGBl. Nr. 58/2021.
38. The Impact of Mowing on the Growth and Blooming of Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
39. Leaf Damage Has Weak Effects on Growth and Fecundity of Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)10.1139/B09-110 ↗
40. Karrer, G., Milakovic, M., Kropf, M., Hackl, G., Essl, F., Hauser, M., Mayer, M., Blöch, C., Leitsch-Vitalos, M., and Dlugosch, A. (2011). Ausbreitungsbiologie und Management Einer Extrem Allergenen, Eingeschleppten Pflanze–Wege und Ursachen der Ausbreitung von Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) Sowie Möglichkeiten Seiner Bekämpfung, Umweltbundesamt GmbH.
41. Ophraella Communa, the Ragweed Leaf Beetle, Has Successfully Landed in Europe: Fortunate Coincidence or Threat?10.1111/wre.12072 ↗