Have you heard about the declining bee populations in the news? Seen the commercials about Buzz the Bee vanishing from cereal boxes? The message is clear: our bees are disappearing. But bees aren’t the only threatened pollinators; in fact, practically every pollinator is at risk due to human activity. But what actually are pollinators, and how well do you know the different kinds? In addition, why are they important, and what will the impact be if they disappear? Keep reading to find out!
What are pollinators?
These little friends collect pollen from flowers to encourage fertilization. They move pollen from the anther (the male structure) of one flower to the stigma (the female structure) of another flower. They do this for flowers of the same species, encouraging reproduction as the pollen fertilizes the flower’s egg. Given some time and the right environment, the flower’s eggs will become seeds. These seeds are then protected by a fruit. Animals come along and eat the fruit, spreading the seeds as they drop off the plant or in their feces later on. New plants grow where the seeds land, and the whole process begins again!
Why do pollinators pollinate? It’s how they feed! The sugary nectar they collect from pollinating plants provides them with carbohydrates (i.e. energy) to move around, and pollen provides protein, fats, vitamins and minerals to thrive. In other words, pollination is mutually beneficial to the plants and pollinators!
You have definitely heard about some pollinators – honey bees and butterflies, to name a few. But there are actually about 200,000 pollinator species in the world! Majority are invertebrates like insects, but still about 1,000 pollinators are mammals, bats or birds. Pollinators are responsible for pollinating approximately 80 percent of all crops that humans grow and consume. This includes fruits, grains and other flowering crops. Pollination of the agricultural industry in the United States is an estimated value of 10 billion dollars annually, and 3 trillion globally.
As you can see, pollinators play an integral part of this process. If pollinators did not move pollen from the anther to the stigma of different flowers, fertilization would not occur and thus seeds could not grow. If seeds couldn’t form and spread, neither could fruit, so there wouldn’t be anything for animals to eat.
Where are pollinators found?
Habitat depends wildly on the type of pollinator, but most insect pollinators are fond of shrubland, forests, fields, meadows and grasslands. Pollinating bats, most of which are found in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, like caves as well as large trees with cavities, thick foliage, crevices and potentially human-made structures that act like “tents” for them to roost. Pollinating birds like hummingbirds require nesting areas in trees, shrubs or meadows.
Why are pollinators in danger?
There are a few reasons. Let’s take a look at the greatest risks they face:
1. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation
As land is developed and changed for human use, the natural environment that these native pollinators once used disappears. They cannot forage in the same way on lawns, tar mats and cities. Even if these lands are converted back into natural landscapes, the soil and plant quality may not be what they once were, contributing to the overall decline in ecosystem health.
2. Invasive species
As humans plant invasive species in their gardens and as their seeds spread, these species can out-compete native ones that pollinators rely on. While some non-native species can be beneficial to pollinators, such as purple loosestrife, others like autumn olive, or European buckthorn crowd out wildflowers in natural areas.
3. Disease
The introduction of non-native pollinators had led to disease transfer amongst different species. The most well-known disease is the Varroa mite, carried over to the Western hemisphere by the Asian honey bee. These mites latch onto honeybee larvae as they develop; mites reproduce within a few days, rapidly infesting the developing bee and consuming its fat cells. This impairs hormone regulation, wing function and energy regulation.
4. Pollution
Insecticides are one pollutant that interfere with nervous system function, altering the signals that allow pollinators to recognize nests and orient themselves. Insecticide sprayed regularly slow developmental rates, increase malformation and alter learning behaviour. Neonicotinoids, a nicotine-based pesticide, have caused wide-spread deaths in bee populations.
Air pollution like smog can interfere with the scent trails from flowers that bees use to locate them. Light pollution can harm moth pollinators as they are attracted to the light, increasing their vulnerability to bat and bird predators.
What can we do to reduce our contribution to pollinator loss?
While we need large-scale change with how the global agricultural and urban development industries are managed, there are ways each of us can support pollinator populations.
1. Plant native wildflowers.
This is one of the easiest ways to support our pollinators. Not only are you providing food for pollinators, but wildflowers are beautiful, inexpensive (you can get free ones from the Bring Back the Bees campaign) and require little to no maintenance. Once they establish, most wildflowers will return every year, spreading their seeds and beauty.
2. Reduce your use of insecticides and fertilizers on your lawn and garden.
As we know, these can have toxic effects on pollinators. If you have to use one, check labels for bee toxicity risks, and apply them in the evening/night when bees and butterflies are resting.
3. Don’t worry about the weeds!
Those “pesky” weeds like dandelions are actually great food sources for pollinators. Leave them to grow on your lawn, or at least in one patch.
4. Make a bee nest.
Some bees don’t create hives. Instead, these bees like to nest in damp, decaying wood and sandy soil. To support these pollinators, leave fallen branches alone, or build a bee house.
5. Spread the word!
Let others know about the importance of our pollinators, and what they can do to support them. The more people that are aware, the more people who are helping these important creatures.
Final thoughts
Pollinators are crucial for the environment and our food system. Let’s each do our part to protect them. The more we do individually, the more large-scale change we can push to happen.
Have you taken action in your own life to protect pollinators? What do you think is most important for us to change to protect them? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time!