The Natural History of Pollination

The Natural History of Pollination
Author: Michael Proctor
Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
Total Pages: 492
Release: 1996
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

This is a brand new, fully updated edition of the natural history classic first published in 1973 as The Pollination of Flowers. The importance of insects in pollinating flowers is today so well known it is easy to forget that it was discovered little more than two centuries ago: before that, it was believed that the concern of bees with flowers was simply a matter of collecting honey. But the methods by which pollen reaches the female flower, enabling fertilisation and seed production to take place, include some of the most varied and fascinating mechanisms in the natural world. The Natural History of Pollination describes all the ways in which pollination is brought about: by wind, water, birds, bats and even mice and rats; but principally by a great diversity of insects in an amazing range of ways, some simple, some bizarre. This book is a unique introduction to a complex yet easily accessible subject of great fascination.

The Natural History of Pollination (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 83)

The Natural History of Pollination (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 83)
Author: Michael Proctor
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Total Pages: 732
Release: 2012-11-29
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0007383118

This is a brand new, fully updated edition of the natural history classic first published in the New Naturalist series in 1973 as The Pollination of Flowers. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com

Pollinators and Pollination

Pollinators and Pollination
Author: Jeff Ollerton
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2021-01-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1784272299

A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.

The Natural History of Flowers

The Natural History of Flowers
Author: Michael Fogden
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2018-09-05
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1623496454

Flowers have played an important role in human culture and survival for thousands of years. The final products of flowers—fruits and seeds—are vitally important as food. Flowers provide bursts of color to homes and gardens and they symbolize love, sorrow, and renewal. Yet we often overlook their real purpose. Why do flowers exist and why do they have certain colors, shapes, and smells? What function does a flower have in the life and survival of the plants themselves? In nature, flowers play an essential role in improving a plant’s chances of survival. Some flowers are pollinated by wind or water but most are designed to attract and reward pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, to carry their pollen from flower to flower. After being pollinated, flowers produce fruits and again take advantage of wind, water, and animals to disperse their seeds, ensuring a new generation of their species. Pollination and seed dispersal are fine-tuned systems, and their importance in sustaining a healthy environment cannot be overstated. And, as ongoing climate and other environmental changes apply new pressures, flowers must continue to adapt in order to survive. In this beautifully illustrated book with over 200 stunning photographs, Michael Fogden and Patricia Fogden draw from existing research and their extensive field experiences all over the world to present a detailed but accessible introduction to the natural history of flowers. They discuss a representative sample of flowering and fruiting strategies, illustrating interactions between plants and their pollinators and dispersers, and conclude with descriptions of their favorite tropical flowers.

Pollination Biology

Pollination Biology
Author: Dharam P. Abrol
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 812
Release: 2011-10-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9400719426

This book has a wider approach not strictly focused on crop production compared to other books that are strictly oriented towards bees, but has a generalist approach to pollination biology. It also highlights relationships between introduced and wild pollinators and consequences of such introductions on communities of wild pollinating insects. The chapters on biochemical basis of plant-pollination interaction, pollination energetics, climate change and pollinators and pollinators as bioindicators of ecosystem functioning provide a base for future insights into pollination biology. The role of honeybees and wild bees on crop pollination, value of bee pollination, planned honeybee pollination, non-bee pollinators, safety of pollinators, pollination in cages, pollination for hybrid seed production, the problem of diseases, genetically modified plants and bees, the role of bees in improving food security and livelihoods, capacity building and awareness for pollinators are also discussed.

Status of Pollinators in North America

Status of Pollinators in North America
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2007-05-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309102898

Pollinators-insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction-are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination. This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.

Pollination

Pollination
Author: Timothy Walker
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0691211841

An enticing illustrated look at pollination, one of the most astonishing marvels of the natural world Pollination is essential to the survival of most plants on Earth. Some plants rely on the wind to transport pollen from one flower to another. Others employ an array of ingenious strategies to attract and exploit pollinators, whether they be insects, birds, or mammals. This beautifully illustrated book provides an unprecedented look at the wonders of pollination biology, drawing on the latest science to explain the extraordinarily complex relationship between plant and pollinator, and revealing why pollination is vital for healthy ecosystems and a healthy planet. Timothy Walker offers an engaging introduction to pollination biology and explores the many different tactics of plant reproduction. He shows how wind and water can be effective yet wildly unpredictable means of pollination, and describes the intimate interactions of pollinating plants with bees and butterflies, beetles and birds, and lizards and bats. Walker explores how plants entice pollinators using scents, colors, and shapes, and how plants rely on rewards as well as trickery to attract animals. He sheds light on the important role of pollination in ecology, evolution, and agriculture, and discusses why habitat management, species recovery programs, and other conservation efforts are more critical now than ever. Featuring hundreds of color photos and illustrations, Pollination is suitable for undergraduate study and is an essential resource for naturalists, horticulturalists, and backyard gardeners.

Bees

Bees
Author: Christopher O'Toole
Publisher: Firefly Books
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2014-11-17
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1770855610

The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food is dependent on the pollinating services of bees. Only recently have biologists discovered that human survival is inextricably linked to the survival of insects, specifically, bees. Today the 16-20,000 species of bee continue to play vital roles in human ecology. We survive only by grace of the life-sustaining network of bee-plant relationships. Bees immerses readers in the world of a group of insects whose diversity of form and behavior is eloquent testimony to the fine-tuning of natural selection. Written by a world-leading entomologist and specialist in bees, the book's topics include: What are bees? (The Wasp Inheritance) - Bees as foragers, their nesting instinct, on-board computing facility, sun-compass orientation and sense of time The many ways of being a bee -- Solitary versus social, Miners and masons, Leafcutters and carpenters Bees and flowering plants The male of the species -- Mating strategies, patrols, competition, territoriality, the role of scent The enemies of bees -- Cleptoparasites, cuckoo bees Bees and People -- historic and contemporary Bees in Folk and Modern Medicine The Conservation of Bees -- the decline of bees and honeybees, bees in human ecology, bee conservation, urban bees Bee projects -- the backyard bee scientist. Bees can be found throughout history in roles poetic and military, in medicine and agriculture, in the kitchen and in the kit of a traditional healer. They have played a bigger role in human existence than is often recognized. This beautifully illustrated, appreciative tribute will be welcomed by entomologists, students and all naturalist readers.

Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees

Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees
Author: David W. Roubik
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 528
Release: 1992-05-29
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780521429092

Humans have been fascinated by bees for centuries. Bees display a wide spectrum of behaviours and ecological roles that have provided biologists with a vast amount of material for study. Among the types observed are both social and solitary bees, those that either pollinate or destroy flowers, and those that display traits allowing them to survive underwater. Others fly mainly at night, and some build their nests either in the ground or in the tallest rain forest trees. This highly acclaimed book summarises and interprets research from around the world on tropical bee diversity and draws together major themes in ecology, natural history and evolution. The numerous photographs and line illustrations, and the large reference section, qualify this book as a field guide and reference for workers in tropical and temperate research. The fascinating ecology and natural history of these bees will also provide absorbing reading for other ecologists and naturalists. This book was first published in 1989.