Humans are not the most important species on earth. Shocking revelation, right? So who is the most important? Bees are titled the most important being on earth because 70% of the world's agriculture depends exclusively on bees. Without the hard work of bees' pollinating, those plants would not be able to reproduce. So happy World Bee Day!
Bees – including honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees are very important because they pollinate food crops. Pollination is where insects move pollen from one plant to another, fertilising the plants so that they can produce fruit, vegetables, seeds and so on. If all the bees went extinct, it would destroy the delicate balance of the Earth’s ecosystem and affect global food supplies.
70% of world's agriculture depends exclusively on bees
Globally, pollinators are responsible for pollinating more than 1,200 crops. 87 of the leading 115 food crops, or about 75%, depend on pollinators. Every year, pollinators contribute more than $217 billion to the global economy.
BEES ARE DYING IN HIGH RATES
Predators, parasites and diseases
Invasive predators, parasites and disease-causing bacteria called “pathogens” have been blamed for the collapse of honeybee colonies around the world.
Pollution
Pollution – particularly from exposure to pesticides – is a key cause of pollinator decline. Insecticides targeting insect pests, fungicides targeting fungal pathogens of crops and herbicides targeting weeds.
Find out more about pesticides and especially about Roundup alternatives in the article of ConsumerNotice.org.
Global warming
Global warming is believed to be a major driver of wild bee declines. Some wild bees can only survive in a narrow range of temperatures. As their habitats get warmer, the places where they can live grow smaller.
Habitat destruction
Farming destroys the kinds of spaces that bees use to nest, it takes away the diversity of food that bees use to forage on and it even has wider impacts on other animals like wild birds, mammals and amphibians.
Main sources: theconversation.com, buzzaboutbees.net, planetbee.org
LET'S FIGHT TO SAVE BEES AND WORLD ECOSYSTEMS
VAKOVAKO will soon fight to save world ecosystems. 100 % of all donations given via our app to „WORLD ECOSYSTEMS“ area will by transfered to related NGOs. Let’s help them expand their activities together.