In nature, all elements are interconnected, and each species plays a specific role, and so do honey bees. A decline in their population or what is even more frightening, the possible complete disappearance may pose a grave threat to the environment and compromise many agricultural practices. Throughout the last century, the status of the honeybee in the United States has turned to endangered as researchers observed a phenomenon called “colony collapse disorder.” Honeybees are not native to the United States; in fact, they were imported to the New World from Europe in the 17th century. For centuries, the insects have mainly been employed in agriculture; however, as opposed to their European counterparts, they lacked survivability and resistance to diseases. The honeybee population has been seeing a steady decline since the 1990s which is attributed to climate change, parasites, and the widespread use of chemical compounds in industrial agriculture. This essay outlines three adverse outcomes of the decrease in the honeybee population for farmers in the United States.
Honeybees and Pollination
Undoubtedly, the most crucial role that a honeybee plays in agriculture is pollination. Their ability to pollinate flowers is unmatched and has yet to be reproduced by human technology. While collecting nectar, bees carry pollen from the male reproductive organ of one flower to the female reproductive organ of another one, bringing about fertilization and further development of a fruit. In case a high-quality colony visits an apple or a pear tree, the fruits appear to grow heavier and bring more profit to the farmers (Geslin et al., 2017). However, with an irreversible decline in the number of honeybees, farmers are deprived of such advantages and struggle to meet the needs of the growing population of the US. A large proportion of food production relies on these insects, and in their absence, the country may face a food shortage. The work of farmers will be disrupted since they will be unable to replicate the pollination.
The Easiness of Keeping Honeybees
One may argue that the honeybee is not the only pollinator, and in case of the species vanishes, humankind may try to domesticate and employ other bee species, for there are more than 20,000 of them in the world, 4,000 of which are native to North America. Alternatively, if the honeybee survives, farmers may use it together with other bee species. For instance, it was shown that blueberries grow larger and have more seeds when visited by several bee species at once (Rogers, Tarpy, & Burrack, 2014). However, one should not forget that so far, the honey bee has proven to be a significantly manageable animal with which farmers with proper training interact with ease. Moreover, some types of bees only thrive under specific climate conditions. Inventing ways of taming other species and providing an appropriate environment are likely to be tremendously time- and resource-consuming and lead to the overall stagnation of the agricultural sector of the United States.
Honeybees, Soil, and Livestock
The importance of bees may be highlighted by showcasing the complexity of their impact on modern agriculture in the United States. Out of many plants that bees pollinate, clover is probably one of the most versatile in use. In nature, clover provides nitrogen fixation enabling other plants to use this compound as a nutrient, which they are otherwise unable to do. As for farmers, clover and other legumes are extremely cost-effective as they increase this essential element in soil, plants, and animals on par with expensive nitrogen fertilizers (Grains Research & Development Corporation, 2014). For instance, in 2012 alone, crop legumes fixed roughly 167,000 tonnes of nitrogen with a total worth of $270 million (Grains Research & Development, 2014). As for livestock, clover is proven to be protein-rich and highly digestible forage. Clover is also eaten by wild animals, which helps sustain biodiversity around farming fields. It becomes evident that by pollinating, honeybees facilitate the flowering of useful plants which in turn, enhance soil quality and are fed to livestock due to their beneficial properties.
Conclusion
The role of honeybees for farmers in the United States cannot be underestimated. The honeybee is the world’s most important pollinator of food crops, and a further decline or may result in less harvest and consequently, food shortages. On the contrary, when a colony is densely populated and sufficiently maintained, farmers enjoy more abundant fruits and increased profits. As opposed to other pollinators, the behavior of these insects is highly controllable whereas finding ways to manage a different species would be strenuous. Lastly, due to the complexity of the pollination mechanism, it is nigh on impossible to have the same impact on plants, soils, and animals that honeybees have. Therefore, the decline in their population has adverse implications for the entire agricultural sector of the United States.
References
Geslin, B., Aizen, M. A., Garcia, N., Pereira, A. J., Vaissière, B. E., & Garibaldi, L. A. (2017). The impact of honey bee colony quality on crop yield and farmers’ profit in apples and pears. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 248, 153-161.
Grains Research & Development Corporation. (2014). Nitrogen fixation of crop legumes: Basic principles and practical management. Web.
Rogers, S. R., Tarpy, D. R., & Burrack, H. J. (2014). Bee species diversity enhances productivity and stability in a perennial crop. PLOS ONE, 9(5), 1-8.