Your future flies on the wings of pollinators: Things you should know about pollinators and pollination O. R. Chip Taylor Director Monarch Watch Department Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas
Abstract The diversity of plant and animal life that exists on the planet today is largely the product of the interactions of pollinators and plants. The rise of the Angiosperms over 250 million years ago and their relationships with an increasingly diverse group of organisms that facilitated pollen transfer and therefore successful reproduction by the plants has given rise to at least 250,000 plant species. These plants in turn produce the fruits, nuts, berries, seeds and foliage that support over a million insect species, and the majority of our non-marine birds and mammals. Ask yourself would humans be here without pollinators and how will we manage if pollinators decline?
Pollinators are essential Nearly 80% of our world's crop plants require pollination.
Pollen Vectors Animals Wind Water
Animal Pollinators Birds, Bats, Bees, Beetles, Flies, Butterflies and Moths
Timing of Pollination Morning Afternoon Night
Broad-tailed Hummingbird DAVID INOUYE
Soldier http://ninnescahlife.wichita.edu/node/409 beetle
Syrphid fly bumble bee mimic DAVID INOUYE
Eristalis tenax DERRICK DITCHBURN
Scaeva pyrastri DERRICK DITCHBURN
White-lined sphinx JIM LOVETT
Carpenter bee - Xylocopa virginica
Bombus pennsylvanicus Bumble bees are declining in many areas JOHN FRISCH
Leaf cutter bee DAVID INOUYE
Green metalic bee - Augochlora DAVID INOUYE
Little bee - Stelis perpulchra DAVID INOUYE
Digger bee Anthophora abrupta Lenora Larso
Carlin s bee - Andrena carlini DAVID
Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators Mutual benefits Exploitation Cheating
Value of Pollination Crops - 15 Billion All Vegetation - 256 Billion
Crops 90 Fruit, Nut and Vegetable Crops Apples, plums, peaches, pears, Cranberries, blue berries, almonds. Pollination is directly or indirectly associated with 1/3 of the food we eat.
What do Bees Need? Resources Nectar sources - provides carbohydrates = energy Pollen - provides nutrients needed for brood rearing
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) Symptoms: Sudden disappearance of bees, usually in fall Brood (developing larval bees) present Resources (honey and pollen) present Queens and a small number of young bees may be present
Possible Causes of CCD Stress/18 wheel bee biology Loss of bees/stress on social structure Inadequate nutrition Pesticides - internal and external Miticides - legal and not Imidicloprids Pathogens and parasites Varroa mites/viruses Tracheal mites Nosema ceranae Bacteria and Fungi Australian bees Lack herd immunity
Management of Honey Bees for Pollination Trucking to monocultures Holding yards Control of diseases and parasites Feeding Requeening
Loss of Pollinators:Consequences Less efficient crop production Increased cost of production Loss of some crops Loss of biodiversity England/Netherlands
Pollinator declines can result in loss of pollination services which have important negative ecological and economic impacts that could significantly affect the maintenance of wild plant diversity, wider ecosystem stability, crop production, food security and human welfare. Potts, S. G., J. C. Biesmeijer, et al. (2010).
Solutions Reduce dependency on chemical control of parasites/pathogens. Select for disease and pathogen resistant bees - let nature do it. Feed Fumigilin during fall and spring. Improve management to maximize nutrition/maximize pollen input and diversity. Increase domestic bee production.
Solutions Increase funding for research on the use of native pollinators. Protect and restore habitats for native pollinators. Increase education efforts concerning the value of pollinators Eliminate importation of bees from Australia done!.
Acknowledgements Thanks to David Inouye for the use of some of his slides and my apologies and thanks to all others whose images I ve purloined from the internet.
2 Sept
POLLINATOR GARDENS Birds, bees, butterflies, monarchs Garden size, landscape design, plants Water Native grasses and forbs No-mow fescue or buffalo grass Walkways, kiosks Parking, access
23 Sept 2012 CHIP TAYLOR
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Chip Taylor introduction to the
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115 volunteers planted 1100 plants in 55 minutes CHIP TAYLOR
BEE PLANTS MINTS LAVENDER, SALVIA LEGUMES PEA, BEAN RELATIVES COMPOSITS SUNFLOWER RELATIVES
BUTTERFLY PLANTS NECTAR ASTERS GOLDENRODS ZINNIAS AGERATUM MEXICAN SUNFLOWER BRAZILIAN VERBENA CALAMINT JOE-PYE WEED HOST PLANTS MILKWEEDS monarch FENNEL swallowtail PIPEVINE swallowtail PASSIFLORA fritillaries MALVA painted lady WILLOWS viceroy
Buckeye CHIP TAYLOR
MONARCH PLANTS NECTAR MILKWEEDS ASTERS ZINNIAS SUNFLOWERS SPANISH NEEDLE IRONWEED BONESET HOST COMMON MILKWEED SWAMP MILKWEED BUTTERFLY WEED SHOWY MILKWEED ANTELOPE HORN MANY OTHERS BY REGION
Milkweed Plugs CHIP TAYLOR
Swamp CHIP TAYLOR
Butterfly Weed CHIP TAYLOR
Sullivant s Milkweed CHIP TAYLOR
BIRD PLANTS HUMMINGBIRDS SEED EATERS BERRY EATERS RED FLOWERS SALVIA, AGASTACHE, MONARDA SUNFLOWERS, ASTERS, CONEFLOWERS SERVICEBERRY, COTONEASTER, BEAUTYBERRY
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SUMMARY Determine what you want to attract Chose a site, design the layout, amend the soil Consider sun vs shade, water source, drainage Select plants according to pollinators Clump the plants by species Add mulch Develop a maintenance plan List visitors to your habitat or just enjoy