Role Of Honey Bees In Ecosystem

A Keystone species, like an animal or plant helps define and shape an entire ecosystem. These species are a key function to an ecosystem. Without keystone species the ecosystem and habitats would dramatically differ and change or, would not exist at all, species who depend on those environments would not exist either. If keystone species didn’t exist there would be no ecosystem for other species to live in. Many of the animals and plants we rely on as food sources wouldn’t exist without a keystone environment leaving a human-dominated world. Human impacts on many keystone species are causing dangers to the environment and the raising the risk of endangerment on specific keystone species. Actions need to be taken to ensure this does not harm the environment or the key stone species (National Geographic , 2019).

Honey bees are flying insects which are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica. Honey bees are the only insects that produce food for humans. Bees have wings, antennae and three segmented body parts which makes them insects, the head, thorax, and the abdomen. Bees have a long straw like tongue called a proboscis, this allows them to drink nectar from deep within blossoms. They use the nectar to create honey. Honey bees live in colonies, the colonies consist of a queen bee, drones and worker bees, these colonies live in hives. When bees feel threatened, they are forced to defend themselves, the stinger on a bee is barbed which means it becomes stuck in the skin of a victim. The bee dies when it tears itself away from the stinger leaving all of the venom in the victim. Honey bees take the nectar from blooming flowers and turn it into honey.

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Due to bees being small in size they attract many larger predators like birds, small mammals, reptiles and other insects, these are all known to prey on bees. Bears and larger mammals are known to destroy beehives whilst foraging and trying to eat the honey inside. This results in bees losing their queen, losing their home or being killed.

Honey bees are a crucial keystone species, it is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on pollination. Cooperation and collaboration is needed to inform people around the world about the importance of honey bees and why we must protect them. Honey bees forage for nectar and pollen from flowering plants. Without bee’s, pollination would be very difficult. Pollination is the process of the fertilisation a plant. This occurs by the dispersal of transferring pollen to the pistil of the plant, crosspollination is the effect of pollen being delivered from one flora to another to create a different plant, this occurs from bees and other animals transferring pollen. Without cross pollination 30% of the world’s food crops and 90% of wild plants would not be available today. Bees play a large role in the transportation of pollen, when bees visit plants for feeding the pollen sticks the hairs on the outside of their body. Bees then cart the pollen around from flower to flower crosspollinating fauna. Plants attract bees through their brightly coloured petals, scent and nectar and pollen that they provide. Bees also pollinate plants that provide food and habitats for all types of animals. Bees are a critical part of the ecosystems that support life .

‘It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination’ (Honeybee Enterprises Ltd, 2013). Out of 115 food crops, 87 require pollination. Honey bees benefit the economy due to their pollination. A recent study that was conducted showed that honey bee pollination contributed to one trillion dollars earnt in the agriculture markets and produce sold, this is a reason why we need to maintain bee populations. In a general farming crop honey bees can increase the yield up to 50% (Honeybee Enterprises Ltd, 2013). Honey bees are in high demand to help farmers pollinate their crops. However, with the impact’s humans have on bees creates a very high risk of them becoming endangered. ‘Humans affect colonies of bees in numerous ways’ (The Bee's Knees, 2019).

Colony Collapse Disorder is where an adult honey bee disappears from it’s hive, leaving behind baby bee larvae to fend for themselves. Colony collapse disorder can be caused by climate change, parasites, diseases and loss of suitable habitat, many of these are caused by human impacts. This is where the application and limitations of scientific knowledge needs to be applied. This should enable scientists to gain a greater understanding and more knowledge of what is impacting the populations of bees, this will help scientists develop solutions and make discoveries to design a solution. One of the main human influence’s bees are endangered by are humans, spraying pesticides and insecticides on their crops. Pesticide and insecticides are chemical substances used to alleviate insects or other organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants or animals. Bees are attracted to these flowering crops in spring and inhale the chemical fumes of the insecticides and pesticides. These chemicals don’t kill bees straight away, it weakens their immune system and makes them more vulnerable to pests

Actions need to be taken to ensure the bee population is restored and all bees are healthier. Application and limitation of the knowledge and understanding needs to be undertaken to ensure people know what they are doing to the honey bee population and need to be made aware of how to help and find solutions. Communication and collaboration is also needed to get everyone involved including scientists to find a practical solution. There are many ways to help restore bee population such as cutting down on, reducing or banning the use of pesticides, to protect bee health by preserving the wild habitat and to restore ecological and organic agriculture. Anyone can help bees by planting a variety of flowering plants, reducing pesticide use and providing a nesting habitat. These actions will ecologically advantage the natural ecosystem, water filtration, pollination, oxygen production, from blooming trees, and improving crop yields (Greenpeace , 2019).

Bibliography

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