Hummingbird 'Tag' Suggests Fragmentation May Be Part Of Pollination Crisis

[Staff]

Hummingbird 'Tag' Suggests Fragmentation May Be Part Of Pollination Crisis
ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209223515.htm

To find out the cause of what’s being called a global “pollination crisis,” researchers at Oregon State University have successfully attached an electronic tracking device to a hummingbird for the first time – and the darting travels of the tiny bird may be pointing the way to at least part of the problem.

In the tropical forests of Costa Rica, this green hermit hummingbird, which is an important pollinator of some forest plants, in essence refused to visit isolated sites and traveled only in narrow corridors of the remaining forest – even if that meant taking the roundabout way back home.

This supports the theory that fragmentation and disturbance of landscapes may indeed be a significant contributor to pollination problems that are plaguing plants around the world, researchers say.

Anyone familiar with the concept of green corridors? Imagine what we could collectively achieve if one wildlife hospitable yard to the next wildlife hospitable yard began connecting? The potential is unlimited, no?

[Equilibrium]

I am. I believe this is the way to go. One neighbor with native species benefitting the local fauna connecting to another neighbor with native species benefitting local fauna connecting to yet another and another and together we might be able to piece back together some of the habitat lost to development.

[TheLorax]

I'm totally sold on wildlife corriders. I would like to learn more about them though.