How bees help plants have sex - Fernanda S. Valdovinos

蜜蜂是怎样帮助植物繁衍后代的——费尔南达 S.巴尔多维诺斯

翻译人员: Yingjie Wu 校对人员: Quanzhou Jiang

Bees are very busy little matchmakers.

小小蜜蜂是非常忙碌的红娘，

Wingmen in every sense of the word.

在这世界的每一个角落牵线搭桥。

You see, the bees' side of the whole "birds and the bees" business

你看，蜜蜂在整个“小鸟和蜜蜂”（俚语：性关系）事件中的作用，

is to help plants find mates and reproduce.

就是帮助植物寻到伴侣并进行繁衍。

In their work as pollinators,

作为授粉昆虫

honeybees are integral to the production

我们所吃食物的近三分之一都离不开

of nearly 1/3 of the food that we eat.

蜜蜂对生产的帮助。

And these bees,

并且，

dutifully helping lonely plants have sex,

这些尽职尽责地帮助孤独植物寻找伴侣的蜜蜂们

aren't alone.

并不是独自在战斗的。

But rather are part of a very complex network

它们是一个复杂的“红娘网”中

of matchmaking creatures,

的一部分，

critical for the pollination of natural ecosystems and crops.

对生态体系和作物的授粉起着至关重要的作用。

Plants in many natural ecosystems need help to have sex.

在很多自然生态系统中，植物都需要帮助才能繁殖。

Like many of us, they're too busy to find a relationship.

就像我们中的很多人一样，它们忙得没空去寻找伴侣，

They have too much photosynthesis to do,

它们有太多的光合作用要进行，

and they can't find the time to evolve feet

并且它们没有时间去进化出双脚，

and walk to a singles bar.

也不能“走”到酒吧。

Those places are called meat markets for a reason,

酒吧被称作“‘肉类’市场”（俚语：性市场）是有原因的，

because plants can't walk.

因为植物是不能走路的（植物不是肉） :) 。

So they need matchmaker pollinators

所以它们需要传粉者牵线搭桥，

to transport their pollen grains

把它们的花粉粒

to flowers of the same plant species,

传播给同种植物的花朵，

and they pay these pollinators with food.

与此同时，它们也给传粉者提供食物。

Today, around 170,000 plant species

今天，大约有17万种植物

receive pollination services

都在使用传粉服务，

from more than 200,000 pollinator species.

也有超过20万种的传粉者。

Pollinators include many species of bees,

传粉者包括很多种蜜蜂、

butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, beetles, even birds and bats,

蝴蝶、蛾子、苍蝇、胡蜂、甲虫，甚至还有鸟类和蝙蝠。

who together help pollinate many species of trees,

它们齐心协力，帮助了许多种树木，

灌木和其他开花植物传粉。

shrubs and other flowering plants.

In return, flowering plants are an abundant and diverse food source for pollinators.

作为回报，开花植物给传粉者提供大量丰富的食物来源。

For instance, fossil records suggest

比如，化石记录显示，

bees may have evolved from wasps that gave up hunting

蜜蜂可能是从某些因尝试过花蜜后而放弃猎食

after they acquired a taste for nectar.

的胡蜂进化而来的食。

Plant pollinator networks are everywhere.

植物和传粉者的互动无处不在，

Ecologists record these networks in the field

生态学家们实地考察并记录植物和传粉者的关系网，

by observing which pollinators visit which plants,

观察哪种传粉者会拜访哪种植物，

or by analyzing the identity of pollen loads on their bodies.

或分析传粉者身上花粉的种类。

Networks, registered in these ways,

这样的一个关系网，

contain from 20 to 800 species.

可以包含从20到800种物种。

These networks show a repeated structure, or architecture.

这些关系网体现出了一个重复性的框架结构，或可称为艺术建筑。

Pollinators interact with plants in a very heterogenous way.

传粉者以很不均匀的方式和植物们接触。

Most plants are specialists,

大多数植物都是专才，

they have only one or a few matchmakers.

它们只有一种或者很少的红娘。

Meanwhile, only a few generalist plants

同时，另外不多的一些植物是通才，

hire a diverse team of matchmakers,

雇佣了一队形形色色的红娘，

getting visits from almost all the pollinators of the network.

并接受关系网中几乎全部传粉者的拜访。

The same occurs with pollinators.

同样的情况也发生在传粉者身上；

Most are specialists that feed on only a few plant species,

大多数专才都只去很少的植物那儿觅食。

while a few pollinators, including the honeybee usually,

但一少部分传粉者，包括最常见的蜜蜂，

are generalists, busily feeding from and matchmaking for

都是通才，忙碌地为生态系统中的几乎全部植物找对象，

almost all the plant species in that ecosystem.

也接受几乎所有植物提供的食物。

What's interesting is that specialists and generalists

值得一提的是，植物和传粉者中的专才和通才

across both plants and pollinators,

值得一提的是，植物和传粉者中的专才和通才

sort themselves out in a particular pattern.

都以一种特定的形式将自己和大众区分开来。

Most pollinator networks, for which we have data, are nested.

我们的数据显示，大多数传粉者关系网都是嵌套的。

In a nested network, specialists tend to interact more

在一个嵌套的关系网中，专才更倾向于与通才交往

with generalists than with other specialists.

更甚于与其他专才交往。

This is because if you're a specialist plant,

这是因为如果你是一棵专才植物，

and your only matchmaker also specializes on you

并且你唯一的传粉者也把你当作

as its only food source,

它唯一的食物来源，

you're each more vulnerable to extinction.

那么你们在物种灭绝的压力下都会更脆弱。

So, you're better off specializing on a generalist pollinator

所以，作为一棵专才植物，你唯一的传粉者如果还能有

that has other sources of food

别的食物来源，这样更能保证它在灾年的存活，

to ensure its persistence in bad years.

对你自身传粉也更有益处。

The same goes if you're a specialist pollinator.

同样的道理也适用于一个专才传粉者。

You're better off in the long run

假如你是专才传粉者，并且你唯一的觅食对象是一棵通才植物，

specializing on a generalist plant

那么这样的关系在长期看来对你自身也是有利的。

that gets pollinated by other species

因为在你自己力不从心的时候，

in times when you're not around to help.

其他传粉者也会帮助你的植物传粉。

Finally, in addition to nestedness,

最后，除了嵌套性之外，

the networks are usually modular.

这些关系网通常都是模块化的。

This means that the species in a network

意思是，在关系网中的物种，

are compartmentalized into modules of plants and animals

同一模块中的动物和植物会进行

that interact more with each other

更多的互动，

than with species in other modules.

而不常与其他模块的物种互动。

Think of them like social cliques.

为了便于理解，可以把这些模块想象成社会中排外的小团体。

A plant or pollinator dying off

某个植物或传粉者的死亡

will effect the species in its module,

会更多地影响它这个模块中的物种，

but those effects will be less severe on the rest of the network.

但对关系网中的其他物种，它的影响就没有那么严重了。

Why's all that important?

那么，关系网到底为什么如此重要呢？

Because plant pollinator network structure effects the stability of ecosystems.

因为植物和传粉者之间的关系网结构会影响到整个自然生态系统的稳定性。

Heterogeneous distribution, nestedness and modularity

非均匀分布，嵌套性和模块化

enable networks to better prevent and respond to extinctions.

使关系网能够更好地预防和应对物种灭绝。

That's critical because nature is never static.

这点至关重要的，因为自然从来不是一成不变。

Some species may not show up every year.

有些物种可能不一定每年都会出现，

Plants flower at different times.

植物在不同的时间段开花，

Pollinators mature on varying schedules.

传粉者也有各种各样成长阶段。

Generalist pollinators have to adapt their preferences

通才传粉者要根据不同植物的开花时间

depending on who's flowering when.

调整它们对食物的喜好。

So from one flowering season to the next,

所以从一个花期到另一个，

the participants and patterns of matchmaking

传粉的参与者和形式

can drastically change.

都可以发生翻天覆地的变化。

With all those variables,

了解到所有这些变量

you can understand the importance of generalist pollinators,

我们可以明白通才传粉者，比如蜜蜂，

like bees, to the stability of not only a crop harvest,

对从某种作物成熟到整个植物-传粉者关系网保持稳定

but the entire network of plants and pollinators

的重要性。

we see in nature, and rely on for life.

这些关系网在自然中随处可见，也是我们所赖以为生的。

Next time you see a bee fly by,

下次，当你见到一只蜜蜂飞过时，

remember that it belongs to a complex network of matchmakers

要记得它属于一个复杂的传粉者关系网，

critical to the love lives of plants all around you.

并对你周围所有可爱的植物有着至关重要的影响。