How The Honey Bee
is Important
Many of us know the story that the honey bee pollinates our flowers and other plants. Which is completely true, but the process of pollination stimulates the growth of plants. It starts out when a honey bee goes to a plant to receive pollen or nectar as a source of food, however during the venture for food pollen often gets attached to their feet due to hairs. A bee must travel to multiple flowers before they are able to return to the hive. Because they have pollen from a previous flower, the pollen often will move onto the new flower. When the pollen does reach a different flower, the pollen may begin the reproduction process, in which the pollen(fertilization) reaches the stigma of the flower which allows the production of seeds to create a new plant. This process is not vital, but does potentially increase the plants growth and reproduction when it is pollinated by a honey bee. When pollinated, the growth rate of plants undoubtedly will increase because the process of pollination allows plants to reproduce and create more plants.
Simply without the honey bee and it's "accidental" role, there would not be much food around. They prove to be a very important species on the planet because they help supply the large food chain that we have. Without enough food, there would not be enough to feed our herbivores or omnivores, and without those carnivores cannot feed on other species. If ever the case, a lack of food can cripple the whole world! This is why the honey bee is extremely vital to our ecosystem.
A list provided below gives some examples of how dependent us humans and plants are of the honey bees. A large portion of some of our favourite fruits and vegetables would largely not be accessible if the honey bee population had not existed.
Crop - Alfalfa, hay & seed
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 60%
Crop - Apples
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Almonds
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 100%
Crop - Citrus
Dependence on insect pollinators - 20 to 80%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Cotton
Dependence on insect pollinators - 20%
Proportion that are honey bees - 80%
Crop - Soybeans
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10%
Proportion that are honey bees - 50%
Crop - Onions
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Broccoli
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Carrots
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Sunflowers
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Other fruits and nuts
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10 to 90%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Other vegetables
Dependence on insect pollinators - 70 to 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Other field crops
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10 to 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 20 to 90%
(From The Ottawa Sun: http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/05/18/hose-black-and-yellow-insects-are-dropping-in-numbers--and-that-could-mean-a-big-loss-for-canadian-crops)
As you can see a large variety of plants are very dependent on the pollination process by bees. There are other insects that are able to pollinate plants, but something such as broccoli or onions may or may not be existent if the honey bee species were extinct. Broccoli or onions depend solely on other insects to help pollinate them to create more and 90% of the insects that pollinate these vegetables are bees. Broccoli or onions surely have the possibility of not existing had it not been for the bees.
Simply without the honey bee and it's "accidental" role, there would not be much food around. They prove to be a very important species on the planet because they help supply the large food chain that we have. Without enough food, there would not be enough to feed our herbivores or omnivores, and without those carnivores cannot feed on other species. If ever the case, a lack of food can cripple the whole world! This is why the honey bee is extremely vital to our ecosystem.
A list provided below gives some examples of how dependent us humans and plants are of the honey bees. A large portion of some of our favourite fruits and vegetables would largely not be accessible if the honey bee population had not existed.
Crop - Alfalfa, hay & seed
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 60%
Crop - Apples
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Almonds
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 100%
Crop - Citrus
Dependence on insect pollinators - 20 to 80%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Cotton
Dependence on insect pollinators - 20%
Proportion that are honey bees - 80%
Crop - Soybeans
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10%
Proportion that are honey bees - 50%
Crop - Onions
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Broccoli
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Carrots
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Sunflowers
Dependence on insect pollinators - 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 90%
Crop - Other fruits and nuts
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10 to 90%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Other vegetables
Dependence on insect pollinators - 70 to 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 10 to 90%
Crop - Other field crops
Dependence on insect pollinators - 10 to 100%
Proportion that are honey bees - 20 to 90%
(From The Ottawa Sun: http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/05/18/hose-black-and-yellow-insects-are-dropping-in-numbers--and-that-could-mean-a-big-loss-for-canadian-crops)
As you can see a large variety of plants are very dependent on the pollination process by bees. There are other insects that are able to pollinate plants, but something such as broccoli or onions may or may not be existent if the honey bee species were extinct. Broccoli or onions depend solely on other insects to help pollinate them to create more and 90% of the insects that pollinate these vegetables are bees. Broccoli or onions surely have the possibility of not existing had it not been for the bees.