Earth Day is April 22. Every year, people around the world observe the day by helping to care for the environment. They carry out all kinds of activities in an effort to better the planet’s heath.
One way to support this goal is to grow plants native to your area. This helps wildlife like birds and insects that evolved alongside native plants. For many of these animals, plant pollen (花粉) is their food. Native pollinators often cannot recognize non-native plants as food. This means they do not collect the pollen or spread plants’ seeds. Planting non-native species creates so-called “food deserts” for pollinators including bees, birds, bats, butterflies and more.
Doug Taamy is a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware. Entomology is the study of insects. He found that non-native plant species can harm the natural food chain, which can lead to a collapse of the environment. “Plant choice matters,” he said. “The plants we choose to landscape our properties should be determined by how much life can live there.”
Humans depend strongly on insects. Without them, we would have no flowering plants, which would harm the food web that supports important animals. Birds, for example, depend on plants for food and spread their seeds while keeping the populations of harmful insects down.
Insects support plants that provide oxygen, clean our water, capture carbon and add nutrients to the soil. That builds topsoil and prevents flooding. Without insects, the biosphere — the living parts of the Earth — would rot because of the loss of insect decomposers. Humans simply could not survive that, Tallamy said.
In addition to providing food and habitat for insects and other wildlife, native plants are able to grow easily and do not require much care. That means less watering and less fertilizing. The situation is a win-win for gardeners and pollinators.
34. Which section of a website is the text probably taken from?
A.Around the globe. | B.Technology report. |
C.The secret of nature. | D.Healthy Lifestyle. |
35. Why should we avoid planting non-native species?
A.They attract more insects. | B.They do harm to native plants. |
C.They turn soil into desert. | D.They break the balance of nature. |
36. In what aspect are native plants superior to non-native plants?
A.They produce more oxygen. | B.They prevent flooding more effectively. |
C.They need less care. | D.They add more nutrients to the soil. |
37. What does the author advise us to do?
A.Take effective measures to protect insects. |
B.Raise environmental awareness on Earth Day. |
C.Make great effort to better the planet's health. |
D.Plant native plants to support local environment. |