Monday 3 September 2018, 12:50pm
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land and the gathered waters he called “seas”. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:9 -10
Then God said, “let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plant bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the third day. Genesis 1:11-13
How did God make sure “seed-bearing plants and trees” would reproduce or grow again? It is through a process called pollination and through ‘helpers’ called pollinators.
Going back for a moment to Part I of my pollination story from last July, everything that morning occurred in or around some kind of circular shape. What did the circle mean…what did it represent? I reviewed the definition and meaning of a circle. A circle is a universal symbol representing many things, among them; wholeness, infinite, perfection, protection, inclusion.
The circle represents the earth and inside the earth are lands, lakes, oceans, plants, trees and flowers including people and animals. They all live together and share the same available earth’s resources.
What is pollination and how does it work? For example, each flower has a reproductive system which consists of stamens (males) and pistils (females). They work much like sperm and ova in humans. Pistils are found in the center of a flower surrounded by stamens. The stamens (males) produce pollens that are transferred to pistils (females) for production of seeds. The process is called pollination. Pollination occurs through self-pollination or help from pollinators.
There are seed-bearing flowers (crops-plants, fruit trees) with self-pollinating qualities while some only have stamens or pistils and need help in transferring pollens from stamens to a flower with pistils so it can reproduce seeds. This is where the “helpers” or pollinators come in.
Here, the finch is resting with its first claw of the right foot in the center of the pistils while the other two claws rest mostly on the stamens or outer portion of the center.
Pollinators are birds, insects and animals. While visiting the flowers, they help in carrying the pollens where it needs to go so that the production of seeds and fruits can take place. But again, not all pollinators are animals and insects. For example, pollens from wheats sown by farmers are carried by wind for pollination. Some pollens are pollinated by way of drifting on water surfaces like in ponds.
What if there was only self-pollination? Life would not be as abundant and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and medicines. Though there are many self-pollinating seed-bearing plants and flowers, there are also a great many needing help from pollinators for the production of seeds and fruits. But not everything is being pollinated by birds and insects. For example, farmed wheat is pollinated by wind. Some pollens get transported by way of water surfaces like in ponds.
Though most of us don’t see or think about pollination, we reap the benefits. Because of bird and insect pollinators, we’re privileged to a large and delicious variety of choices in fruits, vegetables and flowers. Think of those delicious strawberries, apples, peaches and watermelons…Or those yummy pumpkin pies at Thanks Giving…And what about the great variety of beautiful, vibrant colors of flowers we get to choose from for our loved ones on Valentines or our moms on Mothers’ day?
Pollinators like bees also reap life supporting benefits from the pollens taken back to the hives while simultaneously, like other pollinators, feeding themselves with the abundance of nectar in flowering plants, nuts and fruit trees. One thing is sure, our lives are greatly enriched because of pollination help from pollinators.
In Pollination Part III, I will write about pollinators, their importance and to what degree they affect our food sources.
What are Pollinators | Pollinator.org Wind and Water Pollination - USDA Forest Service https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/wind.shtml http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-an-ecosystem.html Pollinators Home Page - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service https://www.fws.gov/pollinators/ Pollination - Pollination By Animals - Flowers, Plant, Seed, and Plants ...science.jrank.org/pages/5392/Pollination-Pollination-by-animals.html What Is Pollination in Plants? - Definition & Types - Video & Lesson ... https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-pollination-in-plants-definition-types-quiz.html
