Pollination and Why is it so Important to us:
When we talk about pollination, we are talking about plant reproduction.
Pollination is the transfer of a “male” pollen grain to a “female” flower part to allow reproduction to occur. Reproduction, of course, is required for the continuation of any species.
While some plants are able to pollinate themselves without the help of an animal (e.g., wind pollination), science tells us that an incredible amount of plants require pollination by an animal (like a bee or other pollinator species).
The number of plants that require an “animal source” is greater than 85% of all plant species on Earth. Imagine our grocery store shelves with 85% less plant-based foods available.
“Animal sources” of pollination include some birds, like hummingbirds, and some bats. Even some mammals and reptiles also act as pollinators. Of course, the majority of pollinators are insects. Insect pollinators include bees, butterflies, beetles, ants, wasps, flies, and even the male mosquito.
Pollinators not only are necessary for our own food, but support the food and habitat of animals.
Healthy ecosystems depend on pollinators. About 90 percent of all the flowering plants on earth are pollinated by insects and animals! — plants which help stabilize our soils, clean our air, supply oxygen, and support wildlife.
Pollinators also benefit the economy. In the United States alone, pollination by honey bees contributed to over $19 billion of crop production in 2010, while pollination by other insect pollinators contributed to nearly $10 billion of crop production.
Pollinators around the world are in steep decline. This decline is so much more than a national conservation issue. It is a global conservation issue and priority project. Causes of pollinator decline include habitat loss, a changing environment, pesticides, and parasites. While some of the solutions to pollinator decline require government action, many do not. That’s where Rotary comes in. With more than one million Rotarians across the globe, we can make a significant impact on improving local pollinator habitats.
Photography courtesy of Daniel Caron, Guest speaker at District 6650 Annual Convention 2021.