Pollination and the Honey Bee

Transcription

1 ! Page 1 of 8 Name: Obtain a flower from your teacher. Use forceps to gently hold the flower. Carefully study your specimen, then complete Section 1 below. Section 1. Study your flower, then answer the questions below. Describe and then sketch your flower in the space below. Number of petals: Color of petals: Describe the scent: Surrounding the female pistil are several long stamens, the male part of the flower. The long stalk of the stamen is called the filament. On top of the filament is the anther. This is where pollen is produced. Section 2. Study the male parts of your flower, then sketch one stamen below. Be sure to label the stamen, filament and anther.

2 ! Page 2 of 8 Using your forceps, carefully remove half of the petals. This will expose several parts of the flower s anatomy. A long, central pistil will rise out of the center of the flower- this is the female part of the plant. The long stalk of the pistil is called the style. At the top of the style is the sticky stigma. This sticky substance is what traps pollen. Pollen needs to reach the stigma, travel inside the style down to the center of the style to the ovaries. Eventually a seed (or seeds) will be produced here. Section 3. Study the female parts of your flower, then sketch it. Be sure to label the filament, anther, style and stigma. While you studied your flower, you may have noticed powder-like pollen falling off of it. Pollen can come in many different colors, from white and orange to deep pink and blue. Carefully brush some pollen onto a microscope slide and view it carefully. If your flower didn t have any pollen, pair up with a group who did. Section 4. Study the pollen from your flower, then answer the questions below. 1. What color is the pollen? 2. Can you see each individual grain? 3. Describe the appearance and shape of the pollen grains. 4. Sketch a pollen grain below.

3 ! Page 3 of 8 Flower Anatomy Checklist Make sure you have found each of the structures below, know where on the flower to find them, whether they are male or female parts and understand the function of each. Structure Function Petal Pistil Style Stigma Ovaries Stamen Filament Anther Pollen

4 ! Page 4 of 8 Research Topics On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions. 1. Almonds, alfalfa and apples are three significant crops in the USA that require bee pollinations. For each of these crops research the following information: a) what the crop is used for b) what bee species is best suited for pollinating the crop c) similarities and differences between the bee species 2. Bees pollinate more than 95 crops in the USA. Search on line and find at least 15 crops. Find more if you can! 3. Choose three of the crops that you found above and write down different products they are used in. For example, apples are used in apple pie, apple juice, etc. 4. Many foods that we eat require pollination. What plants, other than food crops. need pollination to survive? 5. What foods would we have to rely on if bees stopped pollinating our crops? 6. Bees and flowers exhibit coevolution. Describe the advantages for bees and plants in this relationship. Are there any disadvantages? 7. Some plants do not rely on bees for pollination. What other methods do plants use to transfer pollen and reproduce? 8. What physical and behavioral characteristics do honey bees that make them good pollinators? 9. You have been asked to give a presentation at your local board meeting. Several citizens are concerned about bee hives that have been set up at a local farm and they are trying to place a ban on beekeeping in your town. What reasons might you give to persuade your fellow citizens from pursuing this ban?

5 ! Page 5 of 8 Name: Directions: Flowers have nectar guides visible only in UV light. Bees use these markings to find the flower s nectaries. If you were a flower and you wanted to attract bees, what would your nectar guides look like?

6 ! Page 6 of 8 Name: Directions: The honey bee and hundred of native bee species pollinate foods that we eat every day. Below are several different types of foods. Circle those that you think need to be pollinated by bees. Illustrations by L. I. Lynch

7 ! Page 7 of 8 Name: Directions: It is said that bee pollination is responsible for producing one third (33%) of the foods we eat. Keep a food journal of the foods you and your family eat for at least one day and longer if you can. Fill in the blanks below to determine how much you rely on bee pollination. Food types. In the space below, list the different foods that you and your family ate. Research on line to determine which are pollinated by bees. Circle those foods. Total number of foods used: Number of bee-pollinated (circled) foods: Number of non-bee-pollinated (uncircled) foods: How much do you depend on bee pollination? Follow the equation below to determine what percentage of food you eat relies on bee pollination. Number of bee-pollinated (circled foods) x 100 = % Total number of foods used x 100 =

8 ! Page 8 of 8 Name:!!!!!!!!!!! Directions: Answer the questions below. 1. What are two ways that flowers attract insects, like bees? 2. Name five different foods that are pollinated by bees? 3. What two food items do bees get from plants? Directions: Label the flower illustration below with the following terms: Petal, Pistil, Stigma, Ovary, Anther Next, put a CIRCLE around the male parts of the flower. Put a RECTANGLE around the female parts. L. I. Lynch