Science Sub-Journal: The first global prediction of the importance of pollinators to plant seed production

This is the discovery of a paper "The General Vulnerability of Plant Seed Production to Decreased Pollinators" published in the journal "Science Advances" on October 13, 2021

Dr.

The study involved 21 scientists from 23 institutions on five continents, led by Dr.

Professor Tiffany Knight of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, a senior co-author of the study, said that the recent global assessment of pollination highlights our knowledge gaps in understanding how plants depend on animal pollinators: she explained: " Our comprehensive research addresses this gap and allows us to link trends in pollinating biodiversity and populations to the consequences of plants at a global level

Although most plants are pollinated by animals, most plants also have a little ability to reproduce themselves

Researchers use the contribution of pollinators to seed production—measured by comparing seed production without pollinators to seed production with pollinators—as an indicator of their importance to plants

The results of the study showed that if there were no pollinators, one-third of the flowering plants would not produce seeds, and the fertility of half of the flowering plants would be reduced by 80% or more

"Recent studies have shown that the number of many pollinators has declined, and some have even become extinct

Professor Mark van Kleunen from the University of Konstanz, one of the co-authors of the study, said that not all pollinators have disappeared: “If pollinators decrease , Or just a change in the number of pollinator species, we can expect a chain reaction to plants, and the affected plant species may decrease, further harming animal species and human populations that depend on these plants

He added: "This also means that when pollinators continue to decline, plants that do not rely on pollinators, such as many problematic weeds, may spread more

Dr.

However, according to Dr.

"We lack high-quality long-term monitoring data on pollinators in Africa (including South Africa), although some work has already begun in this area

Journal Reference :

1. James G.