Did you know that if the bees disappeared, we would only have 4 years to live? This famous phrase belongs to the renowned scientist Albert Einstein, who knew the importance of the pollination of bees and the essential function of these within the correct functioning and ecological balance of planet Earth. Although domestic bees ( Apis mellifera) are probably the most prominent species within insect pollination, the reality is that in Europe alone there are more than 1,884 species of wild bees, along with thousands of species of bumblebees, butterflies, bats, birds, rodents and other pollinators .
If you want to discover more details about the surprising world of pollination, in this Green Ecologist article you will find detailed information about what is pollination and its types.
What is pollination of plants
The plant pollination is the biological process by which pollen is transported from the male structures of a flower to the female parts, either within the same plant (when the flowers have male and female organs or the plant has both male and female flowers) or between different plants (in those species in which there are plants with only male flowers and other plants with only female flowers). In the latter case, the process is called Cross pollination.
Through this curious process, the first phase of the reproduction of plant species (or fertilization) is carried out, so if we ask ourselves what is the function of pollinationWe can clearly state that it is the first step to achieve the survival and evolution of plant species, through their reproduction.
To expand more information on this topic, we invite you to read this other post on What are the parts of a flower and their functions. Let's see in the next sections how exactly pollination occurs, as well as the different types of pollination that exist in nature, since apart is manual or artificial pollination, and the importance of this process.
How pollination occurs
As we have seen in the previous section, the pollination process is necessary for it to take place fertilization, within the function of plant reproduction. But what exactly is pollination?
The natural pollination It is about the transport of pollen through biotic and abiotic agents, which guarantee that the male gametes (pollen) found in the stamens of the flowers are deposited in the pistil of the flowers, thus fertilizing the female gametes (ovules).
This process has numerous and different pollination strategies developed both by pollinators and by the plants themselves. What example of the pollination process with adaptation of the plants themselves and through insects, we highlight the amazing case of the bumblebee orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora), whose colors and texture resemble the body of females of certain species of bumblebees. Through this mimesis, the orchid manages to attract male bumblebees to itself, which will later carry the pollen grains on their bodies covered with hair until they reach another orchid, thus achieving the pollination of this plant species.
Pollination types
The plant world never ceases to amaze us and hides mysteries as amazing as the existence of plants pollinated by the wind. In this section we will see what exactly the pollination classes, which are grouped into three types:
- Anemophilic pollination or wind pollination.
- Hydrophilic pollination or through water.
- Zoophilic or animal pollination.
Within this last type of pollination, the subgroup of the entomophilic pollination (made by insects), since there are thousands of species of insects that carry out the pollination process in millions of plants around the planet's ecosystems. Here you can learn more about What are pollinating insects and their importance.
Importance of pollination
We have already seen how important pollination is to plants and how it is done, as well as the types that exist, so we only need to talk about the great importance of this process for nature and for us.
Pollination is essential to maintain the balance of ecological systems, as well as the food security of people, since the production of agricultural systems depends directly on the pollination of crops. As we have seen throughout the article, pollination allows the fertilization and reproduction of plant species, so that it ensures the existence of new plant individuals and the species are perpetuated. Therefore, it is the process that allows plants to reproduce and, directly, there is food for herbivorous animals and omnivorous animals, as well as that due to this there is food for carnivorous animals.
On the other hand, the existence of pollinators of high biodiversity optimally favors both crop yields and balance of natural ecosystems. Thus, in agricultural and natural ecosystems, resilience can be developed through biodiversity of pollinators that are in them, whose ecological function and response to environmental conditions allow minimizing the risks caused by climate change that threaten current and future ecosystems. Here you can learn more about the importance of pollination and below you can see a video about this process that is part of the reproduction of vegetables.
Now that you have learned more about what pollination is and what it consists of, you may also be interested in learning more about the Reproduction of plants by entering this link.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is pollination and its types, we recommend that you enter our Biology category.
Bibliography- Smith-Ramírez, C. & Armesto, J. (1998) Nectarivory and pollination by birds in Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae) in the temperate forest of southern Chile. Scientific Journal of Natural History, University of Chile. Volume 71, pp: 51-63.
- Nates-Parra, G. (2005) Wild bees and pollination. Revista Forum: Integrated Pest Management Agroecology (Costa Rica). Volume 75, pp: 7-20.
- Lemus-Jimenez, L.J. & Ramírez, N. (2003) Pollination and pollinators in the vegetation of the coastal plain of Paraguana, Falcón state, Venezuela. ECOLOGÍA Magazine, Venezuelan Scientific Act. Volume 54, pp: 97-114.
