Why Bees Are Important For The Ecosystem?
When you see a bee fly across you, what is your immediate reaction? Do you start swatting your hand to get rid of it? Do you run away fast hoping it does not follow you? Or do you stand there still, and allow yourself to calm down, and for the bee to fly away on its own? As much as these bugs may frighten an individual, its value to the ecosystem is highly needed. When bees aren’t scaring people, they are helping the environment by pollinating.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther (male part of the flower) to the stigma (female part of the flower). While bees go plant to plant receiving nectar, they are also leaving pollen which is needed for plants to reproduce. Bees pick up pollen from plants and pass it along with other plants as they go around and collect nectar. Certain plants require more pollen than usual, so bees make several trips among the plants.
Bees need “bee-tracks” to allow them to know where they are able to find nectar. Although these trackers are visible to bees they cannot be seen by humans. While all the bees go along the different plants they leave “bee-tracks” for other bees to follow as well. One unique part of this process is that bees collect nectar from one specimen of plants and remain in that specimen during that trip.
For example, if they go to a sunflower, they make sure to go to another sunflower and stick to that plant without any intersections from other insects. This allows reproduction to stay within the same specimen. Fun fact, bees are attracted more to white, blue, and yellow plants. The amazing part of this whole process is that bees do not do this job to help other organisms survive, but they do this naturally as if this is a normal task.
Without the pollen given by the bees, plants are unable to reproduce. These leaves other organisms with no plant food resources. The chain continues on when other organisms need animal eating plants as their food resource. It begins with the production of plants that are eaten by herbivores omnivores. Then goes on to carnivores which eventually concludes the chain.
Bees help the universe incredibly without the recognition as a job, but as their natural habit. Not only do they help plants reproduce, but they also create a honey with the nectar they collect. Isn’t that amazing? With one simple habit, bees help maintain this whole ecosystem. The unfortunate part of bees is that they sting other organisms when feeling attacked. This is their way of defense. The individual is left with a protuberance for a couple of days, while the bee is left dead.
As tragic this may be, they are also not recognized for their hard work in the ecosystem. Bees play an important role in the ecosystem, yet they are little recognized to the ecosystem. They should be valued for their hard work, and helping us humans and other organisms survive day today. So now asked again, when you see a bee fly across, what is your immediate reaction?
