The environment is dependent on the role of every creature. But the bees are the most crucial living being contributing to the health of the planet. If they were to disappear off the face of our planet, we would be following soon enough.
The world’s agricultural output is dependent exclusively on bees. They are its most important contributors, toiling to pollinate the flowers that allow nearly three-quarters of the plants to reproduce. No wonder the Earthwatch Institute affirmed bees to be the most precious species on the planet at a Royal Geographical Society meeting in London. And mankind looks up to these tiny creatures for their survival.
Depending On The Bees
The world’s growing population needs even more diverse foods; balanced and wholesome enough to ensure the survival of humankind. And bees are the most important creature that can ensure that. They not only provide us high-quality food directly, but they also pollinate an overwhelming majority of the plants of the world. It is reckoned that every third spoonful of food that we eat has been possible thanks to the bees.
These tiny tireless creatures visit millions of tiny flowers and fly off with the nectar without harming it. instead, they deposit bits of pollen grains that ensure that the plants reproduce.
Losing these tiny unassuming creatures will wreak havoc on our ecosystem and the total agricultural output. There is a vital synergy between plants and bees that is harmonious and all-embracing.
It has taken over 100M years to propagate the rich variety of plant life that has, in turn, supported animal life on earth.
Around 230 species of these tiny creatures buzz around the planet. And surprisingly, only a fraction of them live in hives. And their sizes vary from the tiny 2 mm ones to the 4 cm giants. They never adapt easily to new genetic varieties of plant life that are currently being developed.
The Decimation Of Bee Colonies
Bees pollinate and help produce the fruits and seeds of three-quarters of our food crops. 87 major food crops are dependent partially or wholly on the bees for their survival. These species are consumed by innumerable bird and animal species. This rich diversity of our planet is possible due to the contribution of the unassuming bees.
A sharp drop in the population of bees would majorly affect major produce like cocoa, tomatoes, almonds, and apples. These are but a few of the crop varieties that are supported by the bees. These are based on reports of FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization).
Honey is the healthiest sweetener known to mankind. This golden nectar was $2.4B in value to the world’s leading honey producers even a decade back. And if we calculate the worth of the pollination, it would be between $235B and $577B each year. And all of this contribution comes free if only we took care to ensure that we do not destroy their habitat through the use of chemical pesticides.
The bee population around the globe has been devastated by various causes, mostly human-made. We have devised processes that will soon destroy the planet’s chief pollinator. And innumerable species will follow. Modern farming methods that guarantee high produce in short time cycles have destroyed bee habitats. This includes the random use of unregulated pesticides. Vast bee colonies have been wiped out through these methods.
Random globalization is another cause of the destruction of the bees. It has transmitted pathogens and pests quickly across the globe and has wiped off the native population.
Another piece of disturbing development is the effect of mobile telephones. The waves generated have led to disorientation among bees, studies by the Federal Institute of Technology of Switzerland have indicated.
The solution can only be global. It requires a total worldwide stop to, or at least strict regulation on utilizing lethal pesticides, particularly neurotoxins. We instead should propagate the strict use of natural traditional alternatives.
No comments:
Post a Comment