Earth is home to many plants and animals. These living things rely on each other to survive. One way plants rely on animals is for pollination. Pollen is a grain on many plants with flowers. For the plant to make seeds or fruit, it needs the pollen to be moved to other plants. The plants can then grow more plants.
Since plants are not able to move from place to place, they need help from animals to spread their seeds or pollen. Many animals can take on the role of pollinators. The most common are bees. Other insects that pollinate plants are butterflies and beetles. Small animals like birds and bats also help with pollination.
The pollinators also benefit from helping the plants. Some eat the fruit from plants. Bees visit the flowers to collect nectar. This nectar is brought back to the hive to make honey. The number of bees has been getting smaller over the years. Scientists are researching ways to help these important pollinators. One way to help bees is to put the types of plants that attract bees in gardens at home.
What Do You Think? How do humans hurt or help pollinators?
Reading Response Click on this link to respond to your reading. Print out the response page or upload it to your classroom site.
Photo Credit: Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock
