Why are pollinators considered critical to ecosystems?

Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems primarily because they facilitate the reproduction of flowering plants. Many plants rely on animals—such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats—to transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling the fertilization process that leads to seed and fruit production. This process is vital for the survival of many plant species, which in turn form the foundation of food webs and contribute to the overall biodiversity of an ecosystem.

The successful reproduction of flowering plants not only supports the plant populations themselves but also has a cascading effect on the entire ecosystem. Since flowering plants provide habitat and food resources for a variety of organisms, effective pollination supports the broader biodiversity necessary for resilient ecosystems. Without pollinators, many plant species would struggle to reproduce, leading to a decline in plant diversity and the subsequent impacts on animals that depend on those plants for food and habitat.