pollinators
important in more ways
than you might think
Pollination
 Pollination
- When pollen is moved within
flowers or carried from flower to flower by
pollinating animals, the wind, or water.
 About 80% of all plants are pollinated by
biotic pollinators
http://www.pollinator.org/pollination.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/plantstrategies/index.shtml
Pollinators
 An
animal that carries pollen from one
flower to another
 Pollinators get two things by visiting plants:
Nectar - Liquid sugar, a high energy
substance
Pollen – High protein substance
1.
2.


Bees may collect this & feed to their young
Other pollinators pick this up unintentionally
in their hair.
Why Plants Need Pollinators
 The
transfer of pollen in and between
flowers of the same species leads to
fertilization, and successful seed and fruit
production for plants.
 Pollination ensures that a plant will
produce full-bodied fruit and a full set of
viable seeds.
http://www.pollinator.org/pollination.htm
Did you know?


At least 1/3 of all the foods you eat are
dependent upon pollinators.
This means that millions of plants are
dependent on pollinators to reproduce!
http://entomology.cornell.edu
Plant Strategies
 Attracting
pollinators is so important that
plants have adapted strategies to attract
pollinators to them:



Color
Form or shape
Scent
Invertebrate Pollinators
 Bees
 Wasps
 Beetles
 Butterflies
 Moths
 Flies
Bee Pollinated Plants

In the United States, there are over 4,000 species of native
bees.
What a human sees…
What a bee sees…
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/bees.shtml
Butterfly Pollinated Plants

Butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen
between plants.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/butterflies.shtml
Moth Pollinated Plants

Most moths pollinate the plants at night
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/moths.shtml
Vertebrate Pollinators
 Bats
 Hummingbirds
 Lizards
Bat Pollinated Plants

Most moths pollinate the plants at night
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/bats.shtml
Hummingbird Pollinated Plants

In the continental United States, hummingbirds are key in
wildflower pollination.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/birds.shtml
Lizard Pollinated Plants

Although uncommon, lizards, skinks, and geckos may be
pollinator
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/unususal.shtml
Checking Up
1.
2.
3.
Why are pollinators important to the
survival of plants?
How do plants ensure pollinators will visit
them?
What do you think would happen if a
plant was pollinated by only one or two
species of pollinators?