Get this scent.
Airborne chemicals found in common fossil fuels disrupt the pollination process, a new study shows — to the extent that they change the way flowers smell.
And while that may have little effect on people who make a habit of stopping to smell the roses, the effect on insects — which can no longer locate flowers to land on, especially at night — is worrisome, experts say.
“Pollution from human activity changes the chemical composition of critical scent signals, and alters them to such an extent that pollinators can no longer recognize and respond to them,” said researcher Jeff Riffell.
Riffell and other scientists at the University of Washington, who published their findings in the journal Science, have discovered that the nitrate radical known as NO3 is behind this odor masking phenomenon.
Insects cannot detect flowers by smell because of the chemicals that cover them. Jeremy Chan
It comes from gas, coal, power plants, as well as other energy and natural resources.
“When you smell a rose, you’re smelling a different bouquet of different chemicals,” Riffell added.
“The same goes for almost all flowers. Each one has its own scent made up of a specific chemical recipe.”
They experimented with butterflies, which Riffell says have super-sniffers like dogs, seeing if the winged things could detect certain flowers using their strong sense of smell.
One of the two butterfly breeds was 50% less accurate, while the other could not find the flower source at all when tested in an urban environment at night.
Experiments have found that butterflies are unable or have almost no ability to smell certain flowers covered in chemicals. Jeremy Chan
“NO3 really reduces a flower’s ‘reach’ – how far its scent can travel and attract pollinators before it breaks down and goes undetected,” Riffell said.
However, the daytime statistics are not as bad as the research team believes sunlight can weaken the power of NO3.
Regardless, there are now concerns that pollinators such as butterflies may not be able to fulfill their ecosystem duties.
New research shows that many flowers are covered with pollutants that mask their scent, confusing insects. Ron Wolf
Riffell notes that about 75% of the more than 240,000 documented flowering plants require insect intervention – and about 70 pollinator species are threatened or endangered.
“Our approach can serve as a road map for others to investigate how pollutants affect plant-pollinator interactions, and to really understand the underlying mechanisms,” said researcher Joel Thornton.
“You need a holistic approach like this, especially if you want to understand how widespread breakdowns in plant-pollinator interactions are — and what the consequences are.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
