Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same or another flower. Pollination is required to produce seeds and fruits in up to 80 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including 2/3 of the world’s food plants. Exposure to pollinators may also maintain and promote genetic diversity in crops and other plants. There are over 100,000 species of pollinators, including mammals, birds, insects and other invertebrates.
In recent years the population of native pollinators has declined in the US and in OklahoMa. Some possible reasons for the decline include disease spread by non-native species of mites, pesticide use, loss of pollinator habitat and disruptions in migration corridors pollinators have typically followed in search of pollen.
Migratory pollinators require a continuous Supply of nectar sources to maintain their energy requirements for migration. In some areas development or agriculture has disrupted traditional corridors, and the pollinators have to find alternative routes or discontinue migration. Some migratory pollinators include monarch butterflies and hummingbirds. New research shows that each spring, as monarch butterflies travel north from Mexico, the adults lay their eggs and die. The eggs hatch and pupate into new adults, which continue north into Canada. By fall, it is actually fifth- or Sixth-generation adult monarchs that complete the cycle back to Mexico. Monarchs are one species of about 180 butterflies and skippers that have been counted in Oklahoma.
Home gardens, farms, parks, open spaces, even outdoor classrooms and schoolyards can be designed to help provide and improve pollinator habitat. Some ways to improve habitat include providing water, food resources, nest sites and nest-building materials. Avoiding pesticides is also important. The best food for pollinators comes from native plants. Some highly specialized pollinators may depend on only one or a few plant types for food, shelter, or reproduction. In addition, native plants are better suited to the growing conditions of a region and generally require less care.
Pollinators benefit from food resources, but nest sites, overWintering sites, and other resources may be needed even more. Birds, bats, and butterflies require a water source. Butterflies require hiding places for pupae. Butterflies and bees benefit from a damp salt lick (a damp or muddy area of soil in which sea salt or wood ashes are mixed). Some bees and wasps require mud as nest-building material. Other bees use dead trees or tree limbs or open patches of bare earth as nest sites.
Overwintering sites are also in short supply for many Pollinators, especially in areas with extensive urban and suburban development. Many homeowners attempt to keep a neat yard and garden area by cleaning up dead leaves and brush that could serve as winter shelter for pollinators. To aid pollinators in finding suitable overwintering habitat, homeowners could consider leaving cut plant stems exposed and leaving twigs and brush in small piles. Artificial nest sites can be built for some pollinators. Prairie restoration, establishment of wildlife preserves, and encouragement of diverse wildlife landscaping rather than monoculture lawns, are other examples of ways to help pollinators.
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