Filios Pollination TeacherResourceGuide

8/13/2019 Filios Pollination TeacherResourceGuide

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/filios-pollination-teacherresourceguide 1/4

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDEPOLLINATION

Cheni Filios, Cornell University

What is the life cycle of a plant?• seed – germination – vegetative growth – sexual maturity – flowering – pollination –

new seed develops

Why do we need pollination?• Seeds form through pollination! • Joining of information from parent plants to pass on genes and make new seeds

What is needed to make a seed?• Compatible male reproductive cells (pollen) and female reproductive cells (ovules with

eggs)

How do these cells come together?• Wind – pollen grains float in the air and randomly come in contact with female flower

parts• Animals – pollinators directly transfer pollen to female flower of the same species

Why do some plants use wind pollination and others use animal pollination?• Wind pollinated plants benefit from not depending on an animal to help regenerate

seeds • Wind pollination is risky! Plants must produce a lot of pollen to ensure pollination.• This can lead to self pollination and decrease seed diversity. • Animal pollinated plants do not need to produce as much pollen because it is brought

directly to the plant same species by the animal. • Animals increase cross pollination and increase genetic diversity. • Animals must be present at the time of flowering to aid in pollination or the pollen

cannot move by itself!

How do plants attract pollinators?• Flowers! Rewards inside flowers help animals survive.

Why are animals attracted to flowers?• Rewards

o Nectar – Sugars. Example: Pollinators with a high metabolism need to eat a lotof sugar to keep flying (hummingbirds)

o Pollen – Protein. Example: Pollinators that are larger and need a morenutritious diet (bats)

o Oils and fragrance – used for attracting mates. Example: Orchid (Euglossine) bees need oils to create pheromone and attract females

• Safe place to lay eggs and provide food for young• Find shelter, warmth or a place to meet mates



What happens when a pollinator visits a flower?• Animal looking for rewards comes in contact with male flower parts. • Pollen is not smooth and sticks to hairs on animal’s body • Animal moves on to another flower of the same species looking for more rewards • Pollen from the animal’s body comes in contact with the female parts of the next flower

it visits • POLLINATION!

Why do plants want cross pollination?• To allow for increased genetic diversity• Many plants have evolved so their pollen cannot pollinate the female parts on the same

flower or plant, the pollen must be transferred to another plant

How do plants insure proper pollination?• Plants evolve characteristics that animals recognize:

o Color – animals see differently, some can see certain colors better than others,animals that are active at night need light colored flowers and some animals seeUV light that humans cannot

o Nectar guides – these bulls eye shaped UV markings on the flower guide the pollinators towards the nectar, which is usually close to the pollen source

o Color change – certain species of plants can change the color of flowers afterthey have been pollinated, animals learn over time which flower color has themost rewards and connect this to the color.

o Scent – animals link scent and memory quickly• Male and female parts mature at different rates or are separated male-only flowers and

female-only flowers to reduce self-pollination

How do pollinator/plant relationships develop?• Flower characteristics (mentioned above) evolve to attract pollinators that are best able

to pollinate that flower• Pollen, nectar, oils and fragrances are expensive for plants to produce, some

characteristics develop that keep away animals that are unable to properly pollinateflowers:

o Long flower tubes keep away animals with short mouthparts and allow onlylong tongued animals (moths, butterflies …)

o Small flowers without landing pads have rewards for pollinators that feed whilecontinuously flying (hummingbirds …)

o Flowers open at night for nocturnal pollinators o Flowers mimic animals and fool pollinators into thinking they are mating

(Orchids) • To ensure survival and success of animals and plants, they co-evolve to benefit both

organisms

Why do we need pollination?• Without pollination the world would not be as green as it is now, there would be no

new seeds produced and the variety of plants that we had would decrease drastically• Without seeds we would not have all of the food products that we rely on

Protect your pollinators to allow healthy happy plants and people for years to come!



Resources for more information about pollination

Websites:• http://www.nappc.org/

o North American Pollinator Protection Campaigno The best website available for resources on pollination, projects for classrooms,organizations affiliated with the Pollination Protection Campaign and more

o Detailed lesson plans for in the classroom with teacher guides and studentguides available for printing directly off website

o Availability to order posters and materials for the classroom

• http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/education/butterfly_condensed.htmo Conservatory of Flowers: Golden Gate Parko limited information on the details of pollination and its mechanismso Excellent website for descriptions of pollinators and their roles in nature

• http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_flowers_list.html#topo Many more flower pictures of UV nectar guides

Books and articles:• Meeuse, Bastiaan and Sean Morris. The Sex Life of Flowers. New York: Facts on

File, 1984.o Amazing book with superb colored pictures, explores entire range of pollination

starting with flower biology, pollination syndromes and plant/animal co-evolution

o Excellent summary of how pollinators affect modern life

• Weiss, M. 1991. Floral colour changes as cues for pollinators. Nature 354:227-229.o Article in Nature magazine that best explains color change in flowers after

pollination



Match the Pollinator with the Flower Type

Pollinator Flower

Shape

Color Special

adaptations

Smell Timing Rewards

for pollinatoHoney Bees Large landing

platform oflower lip

Brightlycolored (yellowor blue)

UV nectarguides andsmell patterns

Minty fragrance open in daytime nectar, pollen o both

Flies Nectar is oftenexposed,shallow flowers

Pale colors Nectar guidesare present

Not strongsmellingSome attractdung flies andsmell of rottingmeat

Open indaytimeThose thatattract dungflies are oftentraps and close

Nectar o pollen

Moths Fringed petalslong tube tohide nectarfrom other

pollinators withshort tongues

White or lightcolored Visual andscent nectarguides

Strong sweetsmells open at night nectar

Butterflies Flowers have platforms towalk on, longtube to hidenectar

Bright red orwhite

Strong sweetsmells

Open indaytime

nectar

Beetles Open shape likea bowl Pale colors, lessimportant thatother features

Generate heat toevaporatesmells

Strong smellinglike dung, fish Close with beetles insideand keep them

prisoner

flowertissue, pollen anectar

Birds Sturdy because birds are heavy,flower tube iswider than

butterfly andmoth flowers

Favor redflowers, but

pollinate manydifferent colorflowers

Seed producingovary is hiddenso the birds willnot hurt it while

pollinating

No scent Open indaytime

Lots ofnectar,rarely

pollen

Bats Large sturdy

flower that is bell-shaped,many stamenswith pollen

White or pale

colors

Scent marks are

left on flowersafter they are pollinated to letother batsknow!

Strong odor of

stale, rottenfood and sweatyfeet!

Open at night Lots of

pollen asweettastingflowertissue

Non-flyingmammals

Shape of flowerdepends onshape ofanimals snout

Not white Flowers are lowgrowing

Little scent Often open atnight

nectar

Compiled by Cheni Filios, Fall 2007, Cornell University

Documents

Filios Pollination TeacherResourceGuide