Tūī are key pollinators of many native New Zealand plants.
A skills shortage in the pollinating workforce is the topic of the next Nature Talk in Whanganui.
Dr Alastair Robertson, Associate Professor of Ecology at Massey University's School of Agriculture and Environment, is an acknowledged expert on the subject of pollination. He will focus on mixed pollination systems, ones involving
birds and insects as pollinators, in a talk titled "Skills-shortage in the pollinating workforce: mixed pollination systems in plants and who really gets the job done".
Some plants rely on cross-pollination for successful fertilisation, but how dependent are they on specific pollinators? Do some rely solely on being pollinated by birds, while others depend on insect pollinators? Do some rely on both, and does the balance of insect and bird pollination matter to such species? What might a decline in pollinator numbers mean for these animal-plant pollination systems? And to what extent do non-native plants disrupt the functioning of these systems by diverting the attention of native pollinators?
Robertson has been working on such questions for more than 30 years. His talk will highlight some of his work on pollination systems, including New Zealand mistletoes, kōtukutuku (tree fuchsia), kowhai, African lilies and some as-yet unresolved questions.
• The talk will be at the Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum, at 7.30pm on Tuesday, March 19. Entry is free. Nature Talks is a series of monthly talks offered by the Whanganui Museum Botanical Group, the Whanganui branch of Forest & Bird, and Birds New Zealand (Whanganui Region), in conjunction with the Whanganui Regional Museum, on topics related to New Zealand's environment and natural history, and their conservation. For more information, contact Colin Ogle, phone (06) 347 8547 or email robcol.ogle@xtra.co.nz
