How bees help plants have sex - Fernanda S. Valdovinos

蜜蜂如何幫植物作媒—菲南達·瓦多米諾 (Fernanda S. Valdovinos)

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

Bees are very busy little matchmakers.

蜜蜂是細小忙碌的媒人

Wingmen in every sense of the word.

從各方面說都是牽線的

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

你看，蜜蜂在兩性關係的情事上

is to help plants find mates and reproduce.

就是幫助植物找尋配偶和繁殖

In their work as pollinators,

作為傳粉者

honeybees are integral to the production

蜜蜂是食物生產不可或缺的部分

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

產量約佔我們所吃食物的三分之一

And these bees,

而那些蜜蜂

dutifully helping lonely plants have sex,

稱職地幫助孤獨的植物去性交

aren't alone.

其實並不孤單

But rather are part of a very complex network

相反是屬於一個很複雜的

of matchmaking creatures,

傳粉媒介（蟲媒）網路

critical for the pollination of natural ecosystems and crops.

對自然生態系統和作物的授粉很重要

Plants in many natural ecosystems need help to have sex.

在不少自然生態系統中 植物在性交上都需要幫助

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

就如大多數的人 他們都太忙而沒時間找伴

They have too much photosynthesis to do,

他們要行太多光合作用

and they can't find the time to evolve feet

他們也沒時機去演化出腳

and walk to a singles bar.

並走到單身酒吧

Those places are called meat markets for a reason,

這些地方被稱為人肉市場其來有自

because plants can't walk.

因為植物不能走動

So they need matchmaker pollinators

所以他們需要傳粉媒人

to transport their pollen grains

去傳送花粉

to flowers of the same plant species,

到同品種的花兒

and they pay these pollinators with food.

而他們則給這些傳粉者食物做為報償

Today, around 170,000 plant species

今天大約有十七萬種植物

receive pollination services

接受傳粉服務

from more than 200,000 pollinator species.

由超過二十萬的傳粉者提供

Pollinators include many species of bees,

傳粉者包括多種品種的蜜蜂

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

蝴蝶、飛蛾、蒼蠅、黃蜂、 甲蟲、甚至小鳥和蝙蝠

who together help pollinate many species of trees,

他們一起為多種品種的樹木

shrubs and other flowering plants.

灌木和開花植物授粉

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

而開花植物則替傳粉者提供 豐富的食物來源作為回報

For instance, fossil records suggest

舉個例，化石記錄顯示

bees may have evolved from wasps that gave up hunting

蜜蜂可能是從嘗過花蜜的美味後

after they acquired a taste for nectar.

放棄獵食的黃蜂演化而來

Plant pollinator networks are everywhere.

植物傳粉者的網路隨處可見

Ecologists record these networks in the field

生態學家在野外記錄這些網路

by observing which pollinators visit which plants,

方法是觀察哪種傳粉者拜訪哪種植物

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

或是分析傳粉者身上帶的花粉品種

Networks, registered in these ways,

以這種方法登錄到的網路

contain from 20 to 800 species.

可包含 20 到 800 種的物種在內

These networks show a repeated structure, or architecture.

這些網路有著重覆的結構，或稱架構

Pollinators interact with plants in a very heterogenous way.

傳粉者與植物以非常異種的方式互動

Most plants are specialists,

大多數的植物都是狹適應型

they have only one or a few matchmakers.

他們只能接受一種或少數幾種媒介

Meanwhile, only a few generalist plants

同時，只有少數幾種廣適應型植物

hire a diverse team of matchmakers,

能雇用多元化的媒人團隊

getting visits from almost all the pollinators of the network.

讓網路內幾乎所有的傳粉者都能逗留

The same occurs with pollinators.

這同樣也發生在傳粉者上

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

多數為狹適應型 只能以少數幾種植物為食

while a few pollinators, including the honeybee usually,

但也有幾種傳粉者，通常包括蜜蜂

are generalists, busily feeding from and matchmaking for

是廣適應型，忙碌地幫牠的生態系裡

almost all the plant species in that ecosystem.

幾乎所有的植物作媒及從中取食

What's interesting is that specialists and generalists

有趣的是，無論狹適應型或廣適應型

across both plants and pollinators,

在植物及傳粉者兩邊都可看見

sort themselves out in a particular pattern.

而以一種獨特的模式分別

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

多數的傳粉者網路 我們有數據證明，為嵌套式的

In a nested network, specialists tend to interact more

嵌套式網路中 狹適型與廣適型間的互動

with generalists than with other specialists.

多過與其他狹適型間的互動

This is because if you're a specialist plant,

這是因為如果你是一株狹適型的植物

and your only matchmaker also specializes on you

而你唯一的媒人也只專注於你

as its only food source,

視你為唯一的食物來源

you're each more vulnerable to extinction.

你們兩個就更容易絕種

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

所以，你最好找一個廣適型的傳粉者

that has other sources of food

牠還有其他的食物來源

to ensure its persistence in bad years.

以確保在荒年也能堅持下去

The same goes if you're a specialist pollinator.

同樣的，如果你是狹適型的傳粉者

You're better off in the long run

以長遠之計，你最好

specializing on a generalist plant

專攻一種廣適型的植物

that gets pollinated by other species

所以你不在附近幫忙時

in times when you're not around to help.

還能從其他種類身上授粉

Finally, in addition to nestedness,

最後，除了嵌套式

the networks are usually modular.

這種網路通常還模組化

This means that the species in a network

這意味者一個網路內的物種

are compartmentalized into modules of plants and animals

劃分成幾個包含動植物的模組

that interact more with each other

他們與在自己模組內的個體互動多

than with species in other modules.

與其他模組內的個體互動少

Think of them like social cliques.

把他們想成社會上的黨派就對了

A plant or pollinator dying off

一株植物或一隻傳粉者死亡

will effect the species in its module,

會對其所屬模組的物種產生影響

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

但這些影響對網路內 其餘部分就輕微的多

Why's all that important?

為什麼這很重要？

Because plant pollinator network structure effects the stability of ecosystems.

因為植物傳粉者的網路結構 會影響到生態系統的穩定

Heterogeneous distribution, nestedness and modularity

異質分佈、嵌套性及模組性

enable networks to better prevent and respond to extinctions.

使網路更能預防絕種或對之作出反應

That's critical because nature is never static.

這很重要，因為大自然絕非靜態

Some species may not show up every year.

某些種類並非年年出現

Plants flower at different times.

植物在不同的時間開花

Pollinators mature on varying schedules.

傳粉者也有不同的成熟時間表

Generalist pollinators have to adapt their preferences

廣適應型傳粉者必須 調整他們的優先順序

depending on who's flowering when.

而這取決於誰在什麼時後開花

So from one flowering season to the next,

所以從這個開花季到下一個開花季

the participants and patterns of matchmaking

相親的和作媒的模式

can drastically change.

會大大改變

With all those variables,

有這麼多的變數

you can understand the importance of generalist pollinators,

你就能瞭解廣適型傳粉者的重要性

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

像蜜蜂，牠們不但 對作物收成的穩定性很重要

but the entire network of plants and pollinators

對我們在大自然所見整個植物

we see in nature, and rely on for life.

及傳粉者的網路也很重要 而且還靠牠們維持生命

Next time you see a bee fly by,

下次你看到一隻蜜蜂飛過

remember that it belongs to a complex network of matchmakers

要記得牠是一個複雜媒人圈的一員

critical to the love lives of plants all around you.

對你身邊的植物的愛情生活至為重要