|Mormon Fritillary & Showy Fleabane - David Inouye 2009|
|hummingbird and alpine delphinium - D. Inouye|
|flies pollinate alpine flax - David Inouye 2009|
|Simon Potts et al. 2009|
These unexpected interactions aren't confined to the mountains.This chart from a research report by Simon Potts and colleagues shows how blooming time of blackcurrants in England (green circles) used to coincide with emergence dates of a key pollinator (red triangles) in the 1970's. Now the flowers bloom almost a month earlier than the bees emerge, reducing fruit set.
So, going back to Cape Farewell - climate change and pollinators turn out to have interesting and non-obvious overlaps. Explaining these to the public takes time, patience, and a gift for presentation that artists and media people have more than most scientists. That's why we as people interested in pollinators and their plants should be learning from Cape Farewell's example.
In another blog to be posted soon, I'll be asking you the readers about celebrities and pollinators.
- Clement Kent
p.s. find out more about Cape Farewell and the Horticultural Society Vegetable Garden tour in this post