Einstein’s Bees
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Wolran Kim (Mar 2011)
I live in Utah. Utah is called the Beehive State because the symbol of the state is the beehive and the state insects are bees. I have seen the article about disappearing bees. Albert Einstein (1879~1955) left us a warning earlier: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” The first signal of the end of the world (or reform) which many predictors mentioned was bees disappearing from the earth. Then, what kind of connection would there be between humans and the bees? We use honey as a medicine and daily necessity because honey has immune components and other ingredients for regaining strength. The remarkable fact is that bees handling 70% of human food.
After plant seeds fall on the ground, they root depending on the status of the land. The buds from the seeds get nutrients out of leaves because they cannot do effective photosynthesis. Leaves begin photosynthesis and roots begin the absorption of mineral nutrients around the time they were depleted of the nutrients from cotyledon leaves. Photosynthesis is that plants produce glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water using light energy. And plants use insects like bees and butterflies through honey and pollen for normal breeding of their species. Plants pollinate when pollen tubes have been sent down to ovary of the pistil, after pollen from stamen touches the pistil. Seeds are grown from the ovary and the fruit is the role of a great film which protects the seed. Usually a flower consists of pistil and stamen, and a pumpkin flower is divided female and male. A perennial plant goes through the winter and annual plant finishes the short life after its seeds fall to the ground. Insects are intermediaries of pollination who give flowers the pollen of one another for the separation of male and female plants.
Bees have at least a few twigs and feathers, and pollen clings to here. Bees feed, pollen and nectar rely solely on flowers, and sometimes nectar is transformed and stored to honey. There is no doubt that bees and flowers, which are pollinated by bees, have evolved at the same time. A small amount of pollen is lost while bees gather pollen between flowers, these plants produce cross-pollination. Bees are worthy as intermediaries more than produce honey and wax. Males are usually short-lived and do not collect pollen, also they are not involved to nurture their young. The females build houses or feed, and they don't have any particular anatomical structure for carrying pollen. Most bees are pluralistic and collect pollen from many kinks of flowers. But some of them collect pollen from a certain flower type or color only (Fears).
Let's look at the role of bees. Bee activity is directly connected with human survival because most plants rely on bees’ pollination. One third of entire crop production on Earth bears fruit by activity of the insects, and 80% of them are carried through bees. This is a serious situation that the whole flora which has bees as the medium of propagation may become extinct without bearing fruit and conserve. Bees’ disappearance has often been looked at scientific journals and international broadcasting. Ecosystems on the planet we are living continue in the cycle which is compact and complete food chain. All the food we eat every day is the product of these ecosystems undoubtedly. We are members of the ecosystem.
Farm produce must pass through pollination to bear fruit. There are chemical methods using accelerators mechanical methods using wind or vibrations, and biological methods obtaining assistance of insects, and the most effective method is modification by bees. Unfortunately, the crops that require pollination increases, and the number and type of insect are shrinking due to global warming and environmental pollution parameters. So, advanced nations have long conducted research and development in the field of pollinating insects. Because pollinator insects have to be kept alive well to preserve and maintain intact the environment.
The bees are unlike butterflies, only insects who helping flowers pollination in winter and rarely in fall. Bees' roles quite well retain regardless of seasonal or environmental disasters, because their role is specified as workers and queen bee for working and laying eggs. What happens if there are no proper pollination in winter and autumn? Food, there is the problem. Bees take charge of three parts in food chain; as the parasites, as a hunter, and as insects in plant community. It is all too obvious that ecosystems and food chain will fall gradually, and the top step of the food chain, impacts to human if these 'bees' disappear.
Abnormal phenomenon, CCD—Colony Collapse Disorder—has in the several decades been given many different names; disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease. But recently it has become severely damaged. The word, CCD is environment-related neologisms and it was one of this year's new words from The New York Times in late 2007 (HoneyBee). This phenomenon is that bees are missing collectively; millions of bees do not return to their homes and disappear as the collective in many places around world. So if the bees will completely disappear, what will happen? First, we will see reckless behavior of insects and other animals in a destroyed ecosystem. Second, we will no longer be able to see natural plants which pollinate by bees, but only the cultivated plants. Third, we may not be the top step of the food chain any longer.
CCD has generated throughout four continents including 35 states in the United States. CCD spread throughout the United States, and 36% of bees are gone. The west coast bee keepers said they lost 60% and the eastern coasters said 70%. CCD is spreading to whole Europe include England, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece across the Atlantic. CCD is a phenomenon about hives being massacred, including the queen bee, larvae and other immature bees remaining in the nest, because working bees who out to gather honey and pollen never come back to their nests. This report came from U.S. and Europe first and there has been reports from Asia since 2007 (Kaplan).
Losses of managed honey bee colonies nationwide totaled 33.8 percent from all causes from October 2009 to April 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Beekeepers identified starvation, poor weather, and weak colonies going into winter as the top reasons for mortality in their operations (Agricultural). The cause of this phenomenon is not evident, but there are five hypothesis; electromagnetic waves generated by various radio equipments; an unidentified virus which bees are not resistant to; global warming; genetically modified plants; organic chemistry which people have created in the laboratory.
The first case was already proven in an actual experiment in Germany. The bees that are exposed to electromagnetic waves through the mobile phone cannot find their house and bees’ behavior changes near power lines. So researchers think the mobile phone electromagnetic waves prevent strong homing instinct of bees through interfering their direction detection system. The risk of cell phones is still in controversy about them increasing the risk of brain tumors and reduces the number of sperm.
Second, the virus, bees are one of the most sensitive animals for environmental change. Bees are the only organism who keeps the first appearance without any variation over the last 50 million years on earth. It means they had been protect themselves thoroughly from external viruses and pathogens. Bees have natural antibiotics as the best weapon, and this has protected bees from all kinds of virus. For example, if there were new cold virus this winter, the bees already can defeat it by next spring. So, biologist supposing that a new virus, which even bees could not defend appeared. The virus may comply with environmental factors or ecological space can be a factor, and it must be enormous powerful thing which make bees powerless (Public).
Third, global warming causes bees to be unable to collect honey and pollen, because flowering time made earlier from warmer weather. This is plausible enough, and the claim is seen as credible. The rest of hypotheses are not verified through the experiment, but they also have authenticity through long time observations. Scientists study to identify the cause and solution to this situation. No matter which hypothesis prove as the cause, humans are potentially responsible for them all.
4o years ago, Rachel Carson (1907~1964) showed the appearance of an ecosystem that there is no birds singing even though spring come; through 'Silent Spring' (Experts). She obviously knew that pesticides such as DDT were the cause. Carson says, "But that picture has changed dramatically over the last forty years and although we have largely removed the threat of dangerous pesticides identified by Rachel Carson, we are rapidly heading towards her Silent Spring unless we do something radical." Perhaps the reason the bees started disappearing might be that bees gently felt the wrath of nature. The protection of the environment is the duty of each one of us. I hope the bees find their way to home as soon as possible.
Humans are under obligation to give back nature to the bees as soon as possible. The cause of CCD is still unknown. The safety of mankind will be guaranteed if specific causes and alternatives of CCD—the evidence of insecure ecosystem—are Investigated systematically. We can try to create proper environment for bees, supply additional protein to bees, and replace an alternative species which have stronger viability for beekeepers; plant and encourage the planting of good nectar sources such as red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed. In addition, let the public know and engaging in many ways about the seriousness of the CCD, and this will be a good way to prepare for the worst case.
================
Wolran Kim (Mar 2011)
I live in Utah. Utah is called the Beehive State because the symbol of the state is the beehive and the state insects are bees. I have seen the article about disappearing bees. Albert Einstein (1879~1955) left us a warning earlier: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” The first signal of the end of the world (or reform) which many predictors mentioned was bees disappearing from the earth. Then, what kind of connection would there be between humans and the bees? We use honey as a medicine and daily necessity because honey has immune components and other ingredients for regaining strength. The remarkable fact is that bees handling 70% of human food.
After plant seeds fall on the ground, they root depending on the status of the land. The buds from the seeds get nutrients out of leaves because they cannot do effective photosynthesis. Leaves begin photosynthesis and roots begin the absorption of mineral nutrients around the time they were depleted of the nutrients from cotyledon leaves. Photosynthesis is that plants produce glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water using light energy. And plants use insects like bees and butterflies through honey and pollen for normal breeding of their species. Plants pollinate when pollen tubes have been sent down to ovary of the pistil, after pollen from stamen touches the pistil. Seeds are grown from the ovary and the fruit is the role of a great film which protects the seed. Usually a flower consists of pistil and stamen, and a pumpkin flower is divided female and male. A perennial plant goes through the winter and annual plant finishes the short life after its seeds fall to the ground. Insects are intermediaries of pollination who give flowers the pollen of one another for the separation of male and female plants.
Bees have at least a few twigs and feathers, and pollen clings to here. Bees feed, pollen and nectar rely solely on flowers, and sometimes nectar is transformed and stored to honey. There is no doubt that bees and flowers, which are pollinated by bees, have evolved at the same time. A small amount of pollen is lost while bees gather pollen between flowers, these plants produce cross-pollination. Bees are worthy as intermediaries more than produce honey and wax. Males are usually short-lived and do not collect pollen, also they are not involved to nurture their young. The females build houses or feed, and they don't have any particular anatomical structure for carrying pollen. Most bees are pluralistic and collect pollen from many kinks of flowers. But some of them collect pollen from a certain flower type or color only (Fears).
Let's look at the role of bees. Bee activity is directly connected with human survival because most plants rely on bees’ pollination. One third of entire crop production on Earth bears fruit by activity of the insects, and 80% of them are carried through bees. This is a serious situation that the whole flora which has bees as the medium of propagation may become extinct without bearing fruit and conserve. Bees’ disappearance has often been looked at scientific journals and international broadcasting. Ecosystems on the planet we are living continue in the cycle which is compact and complete food chain. All the food we eat every day is the product of these ecosystems undoubtedly. We are members of the ecosystem.
Farm produce must pass through pollination to bear fruit. There are chemical methods using accelerators mechanical methods using wind or vibrations, and biological methods obtaining assistance of insects, and the most effective method is modification by bees. Unfortunately, the crops that require pollination increases, and the number and type of insect are shrinking due to global warming and environmental pollution parameters. So, advanced nations have long conducted research and development in the field of pollinating insects. Because pollinator insects have to be kept alive well to preserve and maintain intact the environment.
The bees are unlike butterflies, only insects who helping flowers pollination in winter and rarely in fall. Bees' roles quite well retain regardless of seasonal or environmental disasters, because their role is specified as workers and queen bee for working and laying eggs. What happens if there are no proper pollination in winter and autumn? Food, there is the problem. Bees take charge of three parts in food chain; as the parasites, as a hunter, and as insects in plant community. It is all too obvious that ecosystems and food chain will fall gradually, and the top step of the food chain, impacts to human if these 'bees' disappear.
Abnormal phenomenon, CCD—Colony Collapse Disorder—has in the several decades been given many different names; disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease. But recently it has become severely damaged. The word, CCD is environment-related neologisms and it was one of this year's new words from The New York Times in late 2007 (HoneyBee). This phenomenon is that bees are missing collectively; millions of bees do not return to their homes and disappear as the collective in many places around world. So if the bees will completely disappear, what will happen? First, we will see reckless behavior of insects and other animals in a destroyed ecosystem. Second, we will no longer be able to see natural plants which pollinate by bees, but only the cultivated plants. Third, we may not be the top step of the food chain any longer.
CCD has generated throughout four continents including 35 states in the United States. CCD spread throughout the United States, and 36% of bees are gone. The west coast bee keepers said they lost 60% and the eastern coasters said 70%. CCD is spreading to whole Europe include England, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece across the Atlantic. CCD is a phenomenon about hives being massacred, including the queen bee, larvae and other immature bees remaining in the nest, because working bees who out to gather honey and pollen never come back to their nests. This report came from U.S. and Europe first and there has been reports from Asia since 2007 (Kaplan).
Losses of managed honey bee colonies nationwide totaled 33.8 percent from all causes from October 2009 to April 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Beekeepers identified starvation, poor weather, and weak colonies going into winter as the top reasons for mortality in their operations (Agricultural). The cause of this phenomenon is not evident, but there are five hypothesis; electromagnetic waves generated by various radio equipments; an unidentified virus which bees are not resistant to; global warming; genetically modified plants; organic chemistry which people have created in the laboratory.
The first case was already proven in an actual experiment in Germany. The bees that are exposed to electromagnetic waves through the mobile phone cannot find their house and bees’ behavior changes near power lines. So researchers think the mobile phone electromagnetic waves prevent strong homing instinct of bees through interfering their direction detection system. The risk of cell phones is still in controversy about them increasing the risk of brain tumors and reduces the number of sperm.
Second, the virus, bees are one of the most sensitive animals for environmental change. Bees are the only organism who keeps the first appearance without any variation over the last 50 million years on earth. It means they had been protect themselves thoroughly from external viruses and pathogens. Bees have natural antibiotics as the best weapon, and this has protected bees from all kinds of virus. For example, if there were new cold virus this winter, the bees already can defeat it by next spring. So, biologist supposing that a new virus, which even bees could not defend appeared. The virus may comply with environmental factors or ecological space can be a factor, and it must be enormous powerful thing which make bees powerless (Public).
Third, global warming causes bees to be unable to collect honey and pollen, because flowering time made earlier from warmer weather. This is plausible enough, and the claim is seen as credible. The rest of hypotheses are not verified through the experiment, but they also have authenticity through long time observations. Scientists study to identify the cause and solution to this situation. No matter which hypothesis prove as the cause, humans are potentially responsible for them all.
4o years ago, Rachel Carson (1907~1964) showed the appearance of an ecosystem that there is no birds singing even though spring come; through 'Silent Spring' (Experts). She obviously knew that pesticides such as DDT were the cause. Carson says, "But that picture has changed dramatically over the last forty years and although we have largely removed the threat of dangerous pesticides identified by Rachel Carson, we are rapidly heading towards her Silent Spring unless we do something radical." Perhaps the reason the bees started disappearing might be that bees gently felt the wrath of nature. The protection of the environment is the duty of each one of us. I hope the bees find their way to home as soon as possible.
Humans are under obligation to give back nature to the bees as soon as possible. The cause of CCD is still unknown. The safety of mankind will be guaranteed if specific causes and alternatives of CCD—the evidence of insecure ecosystem—are Investigated systematically. We can try to create proper environment for bees, supply additional protein to bees, and replace an alternative species which have stronger viability for beekeepers; plant and encourage the planting of good nectar sources such as red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed. In addition, let the public know and engaging in many ways about the seriousness of the CCD, and this will be a good way to prepare for the worst case.