Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #20

Hello everyone On this occasion I want to participate in the contest held by @hive-118902 regarding the Steem-agro Contest: "Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #20" following my previous entry I want to invite my friends @sabbirakib @anjinoor
@chiagoziee to participate in this contest

Function and role of birds in agriculture

Birds have a very important role in agricultural ecosystems mainly as pest controls, pollinators and seed dispersers. Natural parasites help to keep the pest population under check, things like owls and eagles that eat pests like mice or insects that destroy crops —the natural way.

Moreover, insectivorous birds like swifts and sparrows help in balancing the whole system as they go reduce threats to the plants from any noisome exploiters --be it pests or humans.

Birds also help to pollinate, particularly for those species of plants where the flowers are visited by nectar drinking birds like hummingbirds and honey birds. That is very important in the production of quality fruits and seeds. Besides, bird are seed-dispersers aiding plant regeneration over a broad territory by dispersing seeds through their feces.

Plants that are dependent on birds

There are some plants that are extremely dependent on birds for pollination and seed dispersal, Coffee for one and cocoa and some kinds of fruit trees like cherries or figs are others. Coffee, cocoa and some fruit trees (e. g. cherries, figs) count on nectar- and fruit-feeding birds for crop pollinations and /or seed dispersal; so birds are enhancing biodiversity by distributing seeds to bigger areas, forest regeneration and agriculture ecosystems balance.

Birds and food security

Birds have a critical role in global food security because they help reduce pesticide use and increase yields without synthetic fertilizers. Birds also prevent farmers from having to lose the crops increased by natural pest control. Birds contribute too with pollinating crops and dispersing seeds, an important conservation measure for agricultural sustainability and food diversity.

The financial worth of birds in agricultural activities

Birds could provide billions of dollars in economic value per year to U.S. agriculture, research indicated. The research indicates that the consumption of pests by birds results in a decrease of the crop damage up to 30%, expense reduction on pesticides and an increase on crop yields. In addition, its contribution to ecotourism experience in rural areas, especially in regions with high bird diversity is another economic benefit. So, keeping the bird population alive is actually a key stake in agricultural sustainability and global food security.