Air Pollution Killing The Fragrance of Flowers
Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 11:52:28 AM PDT
Air pollution from our power plants and cars is
destroying the fragrance of flowers. This may sound like a silly, liberal "tree-hugging" complaint about the evils of air pollution. But, think about the ecological impact: Our lovely little bees use the scent of flowers like a roadmap to the source in order to pollinate flowers for our bouquets as well as our flowering plants for our food supply.
A new University of Virginia study indicates that air pollution destroys the fragrance of flowers, which inhibits the ability of pollinating insects to follow the trail of the flower's scent to the flower:
The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today's polluted environment downwind of major cites, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters,
Essentially certain pollutants chemically alter the flower's scent molecules, destroying the fragrance:
To investigate this, they created a mathematical model of how the scents of flowers travel with the wind. The scent molecules produced by flowers are very volatile and they quickly bond with pollutants such as ozone, hydroxyl and nitrate radicals, which destroy the aromas they produce. This means that instead of traveling intact for long distances with the wind, the scents are chemically altered and the flowers, in a sense, no longer smell like flowers. This forces pollinators to search farther and longer and possibly to rely more on sight and less on smell.
The study found that "air pollution destroys the aroma of flowers, by as much as 90 percent from periods before automobiles and heavy industry."
If the pollinating insect can not pick up the flower's scent, then it is harder to find the flower. If the bee can not find the flower, it can not pollinate the flower. If flowers are not pollinated, this affects the ability of the plant to "proliferate and diversify." As an organic gardener, I rely on this pollination so my plants produce lovely yummies to eat.
The result, potentially, is a vicious cycle where pollinators struggle to find enough food to sustain their populations, and populations of flowering plants, in turn, do not get pollinated sufficiently to proliferate and diversify.
This side effect of air pollution may also "partially explain why wild populations of some pollinators, particularly bees -- which need nectar for food -- are declining in several areas of the world, including California and the Netherlands."
Other studies, as well as the actual experience of farmers, have shown that populations of bees, particularly bumblebees, and butterflies have declined greatly in recent years. Fuentes and his team of U.Va. researchers ... believe that air pollution, especially during the peak period of summer, may be a factor.
We know air pollution is sickening and killing people, yet we don't seem to really care...at least not enough to rank air pollution as one of the highest issues to be addressed by Congress. Instead, the public generally ranks environmental issues at the bottom. We need to realize that environmental issues are now public health and security issues as well.
Permalink | 29 comments