The Importance of Pollinators
One of the most important (yet overlooked) agricultural tools is not the newest John Deere tractor model or a breakthrough Syngenta seed. It’s actually something that is despised by most of the general public and can only be cultivated by trained and attentive professionals. It’s bees. As an elementary schooler, I remember learning about the bee as the friend of a flower; the creature who should be thanked for beautiful gardens. However, it was never once mentioned that the bee has a hand in the food on our plates. Soybeans, apples, berries, cantaloupes, buckwheat, almonds, cucumbers, and even cotton are all pollinated by bees. The benefits of bees and wasps reaches far beyond just roses and tulips—their contributions alone feed thousands of people every day.
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Photo from www.picquery.com
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Some fast facts about pollinators:
Although bees and wasps are the most prominent pollinators, they don’t work alone. Other species who spend their time taking in pollen from plants and dispersing them around (promoting biodiversity and eco-friendly vegetative covers) are butterflies, moths, and birds, especially hummingbirds, sunbirds, and honeyeaters. Pollination is basically taking the sex cells (pollen) of one flower and delivering them to another to allow reproduction to occur. All of these species listed do transport pollen, however, bees are the only ones that know to take it to the female portion of the flower of the same species—ensuring reproduction happens.
But this is not just a thank you post to shout out our pointy-rumped pals. These guys are in trouble, and, with them, the abundance of our food supply. Bee keepers, only over the past five to ten years, have been reporting entire populations of bees vanishing without a trace. They say there is no period of decline, nor corpses left over after they’re gone. Bees are literally disappearing. According to a USDA survey, the total number of colonies owned by large (having more than 5 colonies) beekeepers declined 8% from 2015 to 2016. The Natural Resources Defense Council reported that more than 25% of America’s managed honey bee population has been lost since 1990.
Although an exact reason has not been identified, two major agricultural practices are most blamed for the decline of pollinator species. 1) Crop fields are expanding meaning that there is a drastically decreasing amount of vegetative cover available for pollinators to feed on. And, 2) increased reliance on pesticides is eradicating populations of pollinators. What we see here is two man-made methods that are increasing yields actually preventing Mother Nature from acting as her own enhancer.
- 35% of all crops grown in the world depend to some extent on pollinators to grow
- Just the value of these crops (not counting the many production, processing, transportation, and retail jobs they support) contributes as much as $577 billion to economies around the world
- At least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of wild plants are enhanced by cross pollination
- Close to 100 crop species grown in the US rely to some degree on bees
- More than $15 million in American crops are pollinated by bees
- Two hives of bees are required to pollinate a single acre of almond trees
Although bees and wasps are the most prominent pollinators, they don’t work alone. Other species who spend their time taking in pollen from plants and dispersing them around (promoting biodiversity and eco-friendly vegetative covers) are butterflies, moths, and birds, especially hummingbirds, sunbirds, and honeyeaters. Pollination is basically taking the sex cells (pollen) of one flower and delivering them to another to allow reproduction to occur. All of these species listed do transport pollen, however, bees are the only ones that know to take it to the female portion of the flower of the same species—ensuring reproduction happens.
But this is not just a thank you post to shout out our pointy-rumped pals. These guys are in trouble, and, with them, the abundance of our food supply. Bee keepers, only over the past five to ten years, have been reporting entire populations of bees vanishing without a trace. They say there is no period of decline, nor corpses left over after they’re gone. Bees are literally disappearing. According to a USDA survey, the total number of colonies owned by large (having more than 5 colonies) beekeepers declined 8% from 2015 to 2016. The Natural Resources Defense Council reported that more than 25% of America’s managed honey bee population has been lost since 1990.
Although an exact reason has not been identified, two major agricultural practices are most blamed for the decline of pollinator species. 1) Crop fields are expanding meaning that there is a drastically decreasing amount of vegetative cover available for pollinators to feed on. And, 2) increased reliance on pesticides is eradicating populations of pollinators. What we see here is two man-made methods that are increasing yields actually preventing Mother Nature from acting as her own enhancer.
Some may argue that man’s ability to multiply yields with new technologies (like GMOs) bypasses Mother Nature’s own capabilities, meaning that our advances might make more food than bees do. While embracing new innovations and instating progressive methods are absolutely important strategies for feeding growing populations, losing bees is costing the world agricultural industry $5.7 billion every year. We must also consider the environmental repercussions of losing pollinators: without them, not only would agriculture decline measurably, but every aspect of world ecosystems would be in jeopardy.
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Photo from www.pollinator.org/
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So what can you do? Plant a garden with annually-blooming flowers. Milkweed is the gold standard for protecting butterflies. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even install a bee block on your land that’s a safe place for bees to live. Try grass-fed or range-grown alternatives of animal products to support farmers that are protecting grasslands, which are the native habitats of many pollinator species and the place where many of their food sources are naturally found. Although nests of wasps should be removed from around the home, don’t go crazy trying to kill every bee you come into contact with. They’re only a threat if they perceive danger, so just calmly move away from them.
Sources:
MIZEJEWSKI, David. “10 Ways to Save Pollinators.” The National Wildlife Federation Blog, National Wildlife Federation, 5 June 2015.
Sass, Jennifer. “Why We Need Bees: Nature’s Tiny Workers Put Food on Our Tables.” The Earth's Best Defense, Mar. 2011.
Schober, Marc. “The Importance of Bees in Agriculture.” AgWeb - The Home Page of Agriculture, Farm Journal, Inc., 16 June 2013.
Schwartz, John. “Decline of Pollinators Poses Threat to World Food Supply, Report Says.”The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Feb. 2016.
Sources:
MIZEJEWSKI, David. “10 Ways to Save Pollinators.” The National Wildlife Federation Blog, National Wildlife Federation, 5 June 2015.
Sass, Jennifer. “Why We Need Bees: Nature’s Tiny Workers Put Food on Our Tables.” The Earth's Best Defense, Mar. 2011.
Schober, Marc. “The Importance of Bees in Agriculture.” AgWeb - The Home Page of Agriculture, Farm Journal, Inc., 16 June 2013.
Schwartz, John. “Decline of Pollinators Poses Threat to World Food Supply, Report Says.”The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Feb. 2016.