BACKGROUND Wild plants harbour a variety of viruses and these have the potential to alter the composition of pollen. The potential consequences of virus infection of grasses on pollen-induced allergic disease are not known. METHODS We have collected pollen from Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot; a grass species implicated as a trigger of allergic rhino-conjunctivitis) from Wytham Wood, Oxfordshir...

The role of backcountry huts as focal points for weed establishment and spread into New Zealand’s national parks has received little attention. In this study we describe the pattern of weed spread around Takahe Valley Hut, Murchison Mountains, Fiordland National Park. Established in 1948, the hut is located at 900 m a.s.l. at the ecotone between Nothofagus forest and valley floor shrubland/gras...