Pollinator Conservation Quiz

Pollinator Conservation

• Pollinators are crucial for sexual reproduction in gymnosperms (e.g., grasses) and angiosperms (vascular plants not grasses).
• Pollen prevents inbreeding by carrying sperm cells from one plant to another.
• A vector moves pollen between plants; wind is inefficient, animals (often in mutualism) are more effective.
• Animal-pollinated plants have sticky or barbed pollen grains (e.g., dandelion).
• Wind-pollinated plants have light, small, smooth pollen (e.g., corn).
• Bees have good eyesight (including UV) and a good sense of smell. They are intelligent and can count.
• Only bee females have leg hairs for pollen transport.
• Bees are diurnal and agile, and they communicate using a waggle dance.
• Honeybees are eusocial, living in groups with multiple generations in hives.
• Bumblebees are primitively eusocial, living in small groups with diverse nest sites.
• Native bees are mostly solitary.
• Wild insect pollinator diversity and abundance have declined in many agricultural landscapes.
• Fruit set in crops is positively associated with flower visitation by wild insects in 41 worldwide crop systems.
• Fruit set increases significantly with honey bee visitation in only 14% of the studied crop systems.
• Overall, wild insects pollinate crops more effectively than honeybees.
• Wild insect visitation enhances fruit set by twice as much as an equivalent increase in honeybee visitation.
• Visitation by wild insects and honeybees promote fruit set independently.
• New practices are needed for integrated management of both honeybees and wild insects.
• Plants offer pollen as food, but often store pollen away in tubes (tomatoes, potatoes, cranberries).
• Bumblebees, native bees, and other insects grab pollen tubes with their mandibles (mouthparts) and legs.
• Bees vibrate their wings at 100x/sec to shake pollen grains from the anther onto themselves.
• Buzz pollination force of buzzing can be 30x that of gravity.
• Bee-friendly flowers are colorful (not usually red), have a landing platform, nectar guides (may be UV visible), and are mildly fragrant.
• Canola, alfalfa, strawberries, blueberries, pumpkin, tomatoes, onions, cranberries, sunflowers, and red clover are plants pollinated by insects (not wind).
• Many other crops (e.g., coffee, mangoes, almonds) rely on insect pollination.
• Insect population decline is a global phenomenon affecting invertebrates in the last 40 years.
• Insecticide use, habitat loss, deforestation, and monoculture agriculture contribute to declining insect populations.
• Colony collapse disorder affects pollinators.
• Pollinating birds are declining due to pollinator loss, negatively impacting food crops and pollination of wildflowers.
• Scientists cite pesticide use, monoculture agriculture, urbanization, and habitat destruction as reasons for insect decline.
• Neonicotinoids harm bee populations by reducing their ability to survive winter hibernation, which is a cause for concern.
• Sub-lethal effects of pesticide exposure can cause immunity problems in honeybees increasing risk of dying from viral infections like deformed wing virus (DWV).
• Fungicides increase the probability of Nosema infection in bees, posing a threat to pollinator health.

Pollinator Conservation Actions

• Minimize pesticide use.
• Maintain or create pollinator-friendly lawns and gardens naturally.
• Eliminate cosmetic lawn chemicals in some regions.
• Accept some damage to lawn aesthetics in order to reduce pesticide usage
• Let nearby beekeepers know about bee-related pesticide application risks, and let them know when they are planting.
• Plant in the early morning or evening when bees are less active. Use seeds that aren't treated with pesticides.
• Maintain cover and forage areas.
• Create uncultivated areas where pollinators can nest.
• Provide clean water and mud for nesting.
• Provide nesting areas (e.g., bee hotels/nests).
• Use nectar and pollen-producing plants that bloom throughout the year. (e.g., willow, maple, cherry).
• Monitor and report pollinator sightings.
• Support organizations that study and protect pollinators, or volunteer for their work.

Review Questions

• What are the different native bee types? (honeybees, bumblebees, native bees)
• How can pollinators be conserved?.(minimize pesticide use, maintain cover/forage areas, maintain and create nesting areas, mitigation of factors leading to pollinator decline)
• What is buzz pollination (the bee vibrates its wings to shake pollen from the anther) ?
• What are the main causes of pollinator declines? (pesticides, habitat loss, pollution, overworking, inbreeding, disease)
• Who is Rachel Carson and what happened? (author of Silent Spring, recognized effects of pesticide use on environment)
• What is the precautionary principle? (taking preventative action in face of uncertainty to avoid potential harm)