WHICH POLLINATION TECHNIQUE IS BEST: ABIOTIC OR BIOTIC?

If a flower pollinates without the help of an organism, it’s an abiotic pollinator, but if it pollinates with their help it’s a biotic pollinator. Of all of Earth’s flowers, only 20 per cent are abiotic – 98 per cent of which use wind to achieve pollination. Statistically, it’s harder to reproduce in this way due to increased points of failure and dependence on weather, proximity and so on.

The other 80 per cent of plants are biotic pollinators, relying mainly on insects and birds to carry their pollen from one plant to another. This system is statistically more successful, with plants, birds and insects often co-evolving to unconsciously get the best for each other. The plants get pollinated while the organisms get energy from the nectar.