Types of pollination: what is it, what types exist and what is its importance
The plant world is full of surprises and wonders. The way plants have evolved to adapt and reproduce is truly amazing. This is evidenced by various types of pollination, thanks to which plants can survive and reproduce. Without a doubt, this is a very engaging topic.
Next, we’ll discuss more about the pollination process. We will explain how it is produced and what importance it has not only for the plant kingdom, but for the entire planet. Apart from, We will talk about the different types of pollination that exist. If you are interested in the topic, I recommend reading further.
What is pollination?
Before we talk about the different types of pollination that exist, let’s first explain what exactly this process involves. Well, pollination of plants is basically a biological process by which pollen produced by the male structures of plants is transported to the female parts. They can be found in the same plant, provided that the plant has both male and female organs and/or flowers. But pollination also takes place between different plants when they have only male or female flowers. In the latter case, I predict the process is called cross-pollination.
It should be said that this engaging process is the first phase of plant reproduction. We can therefore conclude that the main function of pollination is clearly perceptible the first step in ensuring plants survive and evolve through reproduction. If you want to learn more about this topic, I recommend reading the article about what plant fertilization is.
How does plant pollination occur?
As we mentioned earlier, the entire pollination process It is necessary to fertilize plants. without which they could not reproduce. However, we are going to comment in more detail on what exactly this process involves.
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What is pollination?
In natural pollination Pollen transport is carried out by abiotic and biotic factors. They ensure that male gametes, i.e. pollen, which are initially found in the flower stamens, can fertilize female gametes, i.e. ovules, depositing them in the flower pistil.
As I’m sure you can imagine, pollination has different strategies for carrying out this process. They were produced both by the plants themselves and by pollinating factors. A good example of the pollination process carried out by insects is an amazing case Ophrys bombyliflora, known as the bumblebee orchid. Their colors and texture are very similar to the bodies of females of some bumblebee species, hence their name. Due to this similarity, this flower attracts male bumblebees. These, sitting on top of the flower, fill their hair-covered bodies with pollen, which they eventually transfer to other orchids. And this is how this plant species reproduces.
What are the 4 types of pollination?
The plant world is full of amazing processes and strategies. A good example is the different types of pollination we will discuss in this section. We can distinguish this process the method by which it is carried out. This would be the following classification:
- Pollination by wind: This is done using the wind.
- Hydrophilic pollination: This is done through water.
- Zoophilic pollination: Animals do it.
In this last group of zoophilic pollinations, there is primarily a specific subgroup, which may be the best known: entomophilous pollination, that is, the one done by insects. There are thousands of insects that are involved in the pollination of millions of different plants found in countless ecosystems across the planet.
In addition to this classification, we can also distinguish four main types of pollination, which we will discuss below:
- Crusade
- Direct
- Natural
- Vision
Cross-pollination
Let’s start with cross-pollination. What kind of guy is this? How it’s done? Well, with this type of pollination, pollen grains are transferred from the flower of one plant to the flower of another. That’s why it’s called a “crusade.” Pollen is transferred from one plant to another through the so-called external vector. This can be both abiotic and biotic. Cross-pollination occurs when birds such as hummingbirds or bats participate in the process; insects such as bees, wasps and butterflies; wind or water. We could include all the types we mentioned earlier in this vast group: anemophilic pollination, hydrophilic pollination and zoophilic pollination.
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This type of cross-pollination is necessary in cases where male and female organs are not the same copy, but also when they appear at different moments of the plant’s growth. Examples include almonds, melons and sunflower seeds. However, there are many more species that require cross-pollination to reproduce.
direct pollination
Among the four main types of pollination, there is also direct pollination, also called self-fertilization or self-pollination. In these cases, pollen moves from the anther of the flower to the stigma of the flower. The most unusual thing about this process is that the pollen grain only travels from one point to another, without an intermediate vector as is the case with cross-pollination.
Plant species that pollinate directly or self-pollinate They are called autogamous. The great advantage of this type of pollination is that plant species have the ability to reproduce even without the presence of external pollinators. It should also be noted that almost no pollen is wasted in this way because the distances the grains travel are usually very tiny. Autogamous plants include, for example, beans, mangoes, peanuts and peas.
natural pollination
Now let’s talk about natural pollination. As expected, this is exactly what happens without human intervention, that is, naturally. All cases belonging to direct pollination, which include anemophilic, hydrophilic and entomophilic types of pollination, are considered examples of natural pollination.
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After many years of evolution, plant species found a way to transport pollen in a completely natural way and without human assistance to be able to reproduce to meet specific needs. All types of pollination that we have discussed so far occur naturally, without any interference on our part.
artificial pollination
Unlike natural pollination, we have artificial pollination, also called manual pollination. As I’m sure you can imagine, this process actually takes place with human participation. What actually happens is that in the process we override nature and control the reproduction of plants.
Generally, doing this process manually is usually done by two reasons:
- when is dtoo few natural pollinators in a specific area where agricultural cultivation is located.
- When we want prevent changes in specific features a specific plant.
But how is this work accomplished? It is plain but labor-intensive in vast quantities. It is crucial to bag the flowers to prevent the arrival of natural pollinators. We need to collect pollen from the stamen and transfer it to the stigma. We can utilize e.g. a brush for this. Then you need to cover the flowers again until they are fertilized.
The importance of pollination
Thanks to all this information, it will become clear to us what pollination is and what importance it has for the plant kingdom. However, this process is necessary not only for plants, but also for us. Thanks to them the balance of ecosystems is maintained, as well as human food security. We must not forget that agricultural production is directly dependent on crop pollination. Without pollination, up-to-date plant individuals would not arise. Without up-to-date plants, we and herbivorous animals would lack food. As a result of the disappearance of herbivores, carnivores will also feel negative effects.
It should also be noted that high biodiversity of pollinators supports both the balance of natural ecosystems and crops. In this way, both natural and agricultural ecosystems can develop resilience thanks to the biodiversity of their pollinators. This is made possible by their ecological function and response to environmental conditions the risks caused by climate change are minimized. This detail is extremely crucial because current and future ecosystems are highly threatened because of it.
As you can see, pollination is necessary not only for plants, but also for the entire planet. Therefore, we must take care of and respect ecosystems.