Because plants cannot seek out mates the way animals do, they must rely on outside agents, called vectors, to move their genetic material from one plant to another. Such vectors include bees, certain birds and wind.
Flowering plants carry the male portion of their genetic material in their pollen. When bees fly from one flower to another, pollen is spread from plant to plant. If pollen from one flower is able to reach another flower of the same species, then that plant will be able to form seeds and reproduce.
Without bees, pollination and reproduction would be practically impossible for some plant species. This makes bees a vital part of every ecosystem they inhabit. Humans also greatly benefit from the pollination bees provide. Bees' work allows humans to enjoy fruits, vegetables and other plant products that would not be available otherwise.
Maria Cook is a freelance and fiction writer from Indianapolis, Indiana. She has written about science as it relates to eco-friendly practices, conservation and the environment for Green Matters.
What Part of the Plant Makes Seeds? The Difference Between Seeds and Spores. Examples of Synergy in Nature. Facts About Symbiotic Relationships. Concerned bee researchers recently met to discuss the current pollinator status in North America and to publish a report about it. Since January , there have been a number of reports in the media about the mysterious disappearance of large numbers of honey bees called colony collapse disorder.
This has many growers concerned about how they will continue to be able to pollinate their crops. Now more than ever, it is critical to consider practices that will benefit pollinators by providing habitats free of pesticides, full of nectar and pollen resources, and with ample potential nesting resources. Home Pollination. Why are bees important? Why are bees good pollinators? Where and how do bees live? Why do bees need flowers throughout the growing season?
Bees need our help! View information by type Articles People Publications Videos. Search Search. Over time, bees have also evolved to better collect pollen using pollen baskets , which are located near their hind legs to carry pollen back to the bee colony using their pollen-collective hair. Flowers have attraction skills unlike any other. For example, bees can see UV light, but not red light, therefore they are attracted to flowers that are in the ultraviolet color range rather than red-hued.
Flowers have even made the pollination period much more efficient by signaling pollinations via a color change to attract them only when they're needed the most. Bees will prioritize flowers with a sweeter or minty scent to pollinate, so a fragrant flower has the ability to attract a bee over long distances.
As humans, it's important to understand that the preservation of bees directly correlates to our ecosystems surviving. Bees not only pollinate the flowers that we admire, but they fertilize our crops that we rely on the production of to eat. Because of this, time has allowed both bees and flowers to evolve and become more efficient throughout its lifecycle - directly benefiting the human population.
Without the great relationship between flowers and bees, we would lose out on about two-thirds of our food supply. The Role of The Bee Bees are thought to be one of the first intentional pollinators that coincided with flowering plants dated back to million years ago.
The Role of The Flower Pollen plays a vital role in the reproduction of life for both the flower and the bee. The Evolution of Bees Bees have been pollinating crops for around million years.
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