Med opraševalce spadajo različne vrste žuželk, ptičev in sesalcev (netopir). Najbolj znana opraševalka na našem območju je kranjska čebela. Je pomembna, vendar še zdaleč ni edina. Vsaj polovica opraševanja v kmetijstvu je namreč delo divjih opraševalcev. Mednje spadajo divje čebele (čmrlji, čebele samotarke) in muhe trepetavke, oprašujejo pa tudi druge žuželke, kot so metulji, nekateri hrošči in ose.
Skoraj 40 % vseh opraševalcev na svetu je ogroženih. Ogroža jih izguba habitata, razdrobljenost, bolezni in pesticidi, eden glavnih razlogov pa je pomanjkanje hrane. Njihova biotska pestrost upada zaradi uporabe umetnih gnojil in pesticidov, pa tudi zaradi neustreznega časa košnje. Mnogi travniki so vedno bolj gnojeni, zgodaj in pogosto košeni, zato ne zacvetijo in opraševalcem ne zagotavljajo hrane.
Ali lahko zaključimo, da smo za izumiranje opraševalcev glavni povzročitelji ljudje?
Ali veste, kolikšen delež vaše hrane je odvisen od opraševalcev?
Zavedati se moramo, da so opraševalci ključni za proizvodnjo rastlinske hrane. Zadnja desetletja opažamo hitro upadanje števila opraševalcev, zato je ponekod v svetu že ogrožena kmetijska pridelava. V Evropi npr. grozi izumrtje kar četrtini vrst čmrljev, pri polovici vrst pa velikost populacij upada.
Kar 80 % tako kmetijskih kot divjih rastlin je odvisnih od opraševalcev. Z vidika proizvodnje hrane pa žužkocvetke, ki se oprašujejo z žuželkami, pa predstavljajo kar tretjino naše rastlinske hrane. To ne pomeni, da bi po izumrtju opraševalcev lahko izumrli tudi mi, bi pa vsekakor imeli manj pestro in manj zdravo hrano. S tem bi se morali odreči večini naših najljubših jedi, kar pa bi posledično lahko privedlo do slabše kvalitete življenja.
KAKO LAHKO SPLOH REŠIMO OPRAŠEVALCE PRED IZUMRTJEM?
Z izobraževalnimi programi, preko medijev in preko akcij bi bilo treba ozaveščati javnost o pomembnosti obstoja opraševalcev, pa tudi posledic naših dejanj nanje in na okolje.
Košnjo je treba prestaviti na kasnejše obdobje, in s tem bi opraševalcem omogočili časovno čim daljše hranjenje na cvetovih. Podobne akcije ozaveščanja kmetov potekajo povsod po Sloveniji in tudi po Evropi.
Pomembno je, da vsak posameznik stori nekaj za ohranjanje opraševalcev.
Nudimo lahko podporo lokalnim čebelarjem z nakupom njihovega medu in ostalih čebeljih izdelkov. Pomagamo jim lahko tudi s pridobivanjem dostopa do primernih zemljišč za postavitev panjev in čebelnjakov.
Na vrtovih in visokih gredah lahko nasadimo medovite rastline, s čimer prispevamo k prehrani opraševalcev. Pri tem pazimo, da ne zasadimo tujerodnih vrst, pač pa naša lokalna zelišča in sadno drevje. Poskrbimo lahko tudi za njihova gnezdišča, in sicer z izdelavo tako imenovanih hotelov za divje opraševalce.
Slika: Hotel za opraševalce
Kot zanimivost pa je tukaj še video opraševalcev pri delu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsrZEUPsEk
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ENGLISH:
POLLINATORS
Pollinators include various types of insects, birds and mammals (bats). The most famous pollinator in our area is the Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica). It is important, but it is far from being the only one. At least half of the pollination in agriculture is done by wild pollinators. These include wild bees (bumblebees, solitary bees) and quivering flies as well as other insects such as butterflies, some species of beetles and wasps. Nearly 40 % of all pollinators in the world are endangered. They are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, diseases and pesticides. One of the main reasons for their dwindling numbers is the lack of food. Their biodiversity is declining due to the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, as well as improper mowing times. Many lawns are increasingly being fertilised and mown too frequently, so they do not bloom and do not provide food for pollinators.
Can we conclude that humans are the main contributors to the extinction of pollinators?
Do you know how much of your food depends on pollinators?
We must be aware that pollinators are the key to the production of plant-based food. In recent decades, we have seen a rapid decline in the number of pollinators, which is why agricultural production is already under threat in some parts of the world. In Europe, for example, a quarter of bumblebee species are threatened with extinction, while half of the species are declining.
As much as 80 % of both farming and wild plants depend on pollinators. In terms of food production, insect-pollinated flowers account for as much as a third of our plant-based food. This does not mean that we humans would become extinct with the extinction of pollinators, but we would certainly have less diverse and less healthy food. This would mean giving up most of our favourite foods, which in turn could lead to a poorer quality of life.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP SAVE POLLINATORS FROM EXTINCTION?
We should raise public awareness of the importance of the existence of pollinators, as well as how our actions affect them and the environment. We can do that by promoting education programmes, media and campaigns.
Mowing should be postponed to a later period in order to allow pollinators to feed on the flowers for as long as possible. Similar campaigns to raise awareness among farmers are taking place all over Slovenia and Europe.
It is important that each individual does something to preserve the pollinators.
We can offer support to local beekeepers by purchasing their honey and other bee products. We can also help them by gaining access to suitable land for the placement of hives and beehives.
In gardens and raised garden beds, we can plant nectar-rich plants to contribute to the diet of pollinators. We should be careful not to plant invasive species, but rather our local herbs and fruit trees. We can also provide habitats for them by creating so-called hotels for wild pollinators.
Image: Hotel for pollinators
As a matter of interest, here is a video of pollinators at work: