Powerful Pollinators
Pennsylvania has long been, and continues to be, an agricultural state, and while technological and procedural advances have radically changed how (and how efficiently) crops travel from farm to table, it all still largely hinges on a few fuzzy and frightfully fragile fliers.
Nearly 75% of major food crops — including fruits, vegetables and nuts — depend on pollinators. Scientists estimate between 200,000 and 350,000 different animal species help with pollination, including some bird and marsupial species. But when people think of pollination, bees and butterflies come to mind.
“People think of bees and butterflies because they’re charismatic and large,” says Carolyn Mahan, Ph.D., professor of biology and environmental studies at Penn State University. “They have bright colors and they fly slowly, so they are much more visible. People learn to recognize bees, especially honeybees, from a young age.”
From the June 2020 issue of PENNlines.