Phenotypic variation of Fucus spiralis was examined in terms of morphology and chemical composition, as determined by pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS). After discriminant analysis both techniques revealed the existence of two morphotypes which were subsequently designated as F. spiralis and F. spiralis forma nanus. The nanus plants differed from the nominate spiralis in that they were shorter, narrower and had fewer branches, but had more units of growth from a single holdfast. F. spiralis f. nanus was consistently higher on the shore than F. spiralis, but the two morphotypes overlapped in terms of shore exposure level. We suggest that the formae exist within a mosaic of stable phenotypes representing populations specifically adapted to the local environment. PyMS data were in agreement with morphological descriptions showing that gross morphology can be correlated with chemical composition.

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Whether insect pollinators use wind-pollinated plants have implications for insect monitoring and conservation strategies in a wide range of environments. Habitats, such as coniferous plantations and arable crops of the Poaceae family are not typically considered priority for the monitoring of insect pollinators or habitat enhancement. Further many pollinator monitoring techniques focus on flowers and do not count insect interactions with wind-pollinated plants. Using two honey bee colonies from distinct environments (urban and rural) in north east England, we investigate the use of wind-pollinated plants over the summer of 2021. We combine honey bee pollen pellet analysis with airborne pollen sampling to investigate whether honey bees use three common wind-pollinated plant groups (Pinus sp., Plantago sp. and Poaceae) that have previously been considered sources of forage. Our results show that honey bees do forage on Plantago and Poaceae pollen, in line with previous studies. However, we show statistically that Pinus pollen is contamination from the atmosphere and not actively collected. It is important to consider airborne contamination before making interpretations based on small amounts of pollen in samples of bee products. The use of members of the Poaceae has implications for insect pollinator monitoring in urban environments, which has not always been considered in past studies.

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