Is it true that if the bees die off so will the rest of the world?

Question

like what was said in "The Happening" or is it just a movie thing?

Answer 1

from what i understand that is kinda true.bees are like the #1 plant pollinators.if plants werent pollinated many of them would disappear.a lot of farmers rely on bees to pollinate their fruit trees.thats why many people are trying to help bees & study why some populations of bees are decreasing.

if bees died off it would probably set off a chain reaction.

the world - bees = less plants

less plants = less herbivore animals

less herbivore animals = less carnivore animals

in the end all of these things would = less people

i believe that a world without bees is a world that we don't want to see.

Answer 2

This is a legendary statement attributed to Einstein; but there is no evidence that he ever said it.  

No, the rest of the world would not die.  The death of ALL bees (not just honeybees) would certainly throw the ecological balance out of whack; but it would re-stabilize in a different pattern.  Some other species might go extinct also; but certainly not all.

There is no reason to suppose humans wouldn't survive, though we would have to develop some different eating habits.

Answer 3

That's Hollywood.  When people speak of bee die-offs, they refer to the european honey-bee, whcih was brought to the New World because of its domesticity and honey producing characteristics.  There are plenty of other pollinators, they just don't produce honey.

Answer 4

I really hope not.......

and I really want to see that movie despite hearing that it was horrible!!!

Peace.

Answer 5

Things will get tough but it won't be the end

Researchers found that of the 115 crops studied, 87 depend to some degree upon animal pollination -- of which 13 are "entirely reliant" upon animal pollinators, 30 are "greatly dependent" and 27 are "moderately dependent".

The researchers say that the loss of key pollinators could dramatically increase the cost of production of some crops. They cite the example of passion fruits in Brazil.

"Passion fruits in Brazil are hand-pollinated through expensive day-laborers as the natural pollinators, carpenter bees, are hardly available because of high insecticide use in the agricultural fields and the destruction of the natural habitats," said lead author Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein, who is an agroecologist from the University of Goettingen in Germany.

In North America declining populations of honey bees due to habitat loss and a variety of non-sustainable farming practices are of particular concern according to Kremen.

"We've replaced pollination services formerly provided by diverse groups of wild bees with domesticated honey bees," said Kremen. "The problem is, if we don't protect the wild pollinators, we don't have a backup plan."

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1025-polli...