(17) Bee Pollination
9 Dec 2022
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Document Summary
Transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) from anthers to stigmas. Pollen grains travel down the style to fertilize ovules. Self-fertile or self-compatible can pollinate themselves, but bene t from insect visits (peaches) Self-infertile need cross-pollination (pollen is transported to a ower of a different plant). 75% of flowering plant species rely on biotic pollination. Living organisms that move the pollen grain. Zoophily pollination by vertebrates (hummingbirds, bats, robins) One third of our total diet (western countries) is dependant, directly or indirectly, upon insect-pollinated plants (mainly by bees) Improve the quality (shape, sugar content) and quantity of agricultural crops (yield. Trend to monoculture (greater concentration of pollinators needed at bloom time) Decline of pollinator populations (pesticides, diseases of bees, decline of beekeeping, removal of pollinator habitats from crop fields) Increased vulnerability of some plant species to extinction. Consequences are difficult to assess in non-agricultural systems. Rare plant species or with small populations . Bumble bees specialized in certain crops.
