Forest Pollinators

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The birds and the bees—in addition to many other animals—help forests survive by pollinating many trees and other plant species. In turn, the forest provides habitat for the pollinators.

Credits

Created by Alli Kenlan, Explore Natural Communities Intern Summer 2017, NatureServe.

Sounds: Woodpecker and insects, Indigo Bunting, Bird 1, Bird 2, recorded by Explore Natural Communities Interns 2017, NatureServe. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0.

Music: Daily Beetle, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0.

Photo: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Dogwood, Matt Jones, courtesy of NatureServe. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0.

References:
Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden Using Native Plants
Gardening and Landscaping Practices for Nesting Native Bees
Honey
Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada
NPSpecies
Trees that attract bees: Gardening Q&A with George Weigel

Transcript

Podcast time: 2:53 minutes

[sounds of crickets and birds calling fades in]

Let's take a moment to talk about pollinators. I'm sure you've heard the word before, but I'll just give you a reminder of what it means. [music starts] Pollinators are mammals, insects, reptiles and birds that spread plant pollen from flower to flower, allowing the plant to produce fruits and seeds. This is an important job, too! About one third of the world's food crops that we eat are pollinated by wild animals!

When you think about pollinators, where do you picture them? It's easy to envision them in an open meadow or a vibrant garden full of bright, colorful flowers. But, you might be surprised to know that even dense forests, like the ones at this park, can also be a great home for pollinators.

You already know that most pollinators love flowers and the sweet nectar they provide. Low-growing forest shrubs like blueberry and huckleberry grow little bell flowers that are inviting to birds and bees. Trees like dogwood, redbud, and tuliptree are popular among pollinators in the forest, too. Imagine a whole tree covered in flowers! Another tree called blackgum, or tupelo, is especially loved by bees and people; you might have heard of tupelo honey, which is made by the bees that pollinate these trees!

Forests provide much more for pollinators than just flowers; they also provide habitat. Birds, as you know, love forested areas. Tall trees provide a great spot to perch, rest, nest, and feed. Lower down, shrubs create good hiding spots for little birds from their larger predators! There are also countless insects found in trees and on the forest floor for birds to snack on!

Many pollinating insects are ground-dwelling, which means they would be fine burrowing in the soil of a forest or a meadow. But, not all of them live in the ground! Some small bee species excavate hollows in the broken or dead stems and branches of woody shrubs like roses and blackberries, or sumac, or even the old stalks of goldenrod. The big, fuzzy carpenter bee (Xylocopa spp.) is a cavity nester that likes to move into abandoned tunnels in tree trunks. They are one of the few species that can make their own cavities if necessary.

An important thing to remember about these forests is that they are full of native plants and trees. Natural communities like forests with occasional patches of meadow provide all that pollinators need, but today there are less of these natural green spaces available! In places where the natural community is gone and the habitat is lost, you can plant a pollinator garden with native species to help. But, there's nothing better for the animals than an undisturbed natural community right where it belongs! [bird calls]

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