Unraveling the increasing burden of allergies: Spatiotemporal dynamics of pollen allergy risk in China.

Pollen allergies have increased significantly worldwide in recent years. However, its mechanism from an ecological perspective has not been fully elucidated. Here, we report, for the first time, the spatial distribution patterns of artificially planted allergenic plants (APAPs) and naturally distributed allergenic plants (NDAPs) in China. Field investigations (2007-2023) and ecological niche modeling efforts revealed that APAPs are concentrated in economically developed urban regions, while NDAPs exhibit distinct ecological niches across climatic gradients. Further risk analysis indicates that pollen allergy risk correlates significantly with socio-economic and environmental factors, demonstrating that regions southeast of the Heihe-Tengchong Line are particularly vulnerable. Future climate scenarios show a substantial increase in NDAP distributions and associated allergy risks by 2100, highlighting a critical expansion of high-suitability areas for allergenic plants. Further monitoring across diverse climatic regions elucidates the ecological mechanisms driving increased pollen allergies, with warmer temperatures leading to prolonged flowering periods and higher pollen counts. These findings highlight the urgent need for adaptive public health strategies to mitigate the impact of pollen allergies in a rapidly changing environment, offering critical insights for the development of effective intervention programs to address global climate challenges.