Final answer:
The significance of bees lies in their role as pollinators, particularly honey bees, and the mutualistic symbiotic relationship they have with flowering plants. Bees are inextricably tied to other species that also play important roles in pollination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significance of bees lies in their role as pollinators, particularly honey bees. Bees help to pollinate an estimated 130 different varieties of fruit, flowers, nuts, and vegetables in the United States alone. They have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with flowering plants, where bees benefit by obtaining food from flowers, and the plants benefit from pollination by bees. Bees are inextricably tied to other species such as bumblebees, wasps, ants, butterflies, moths, flies, and beetles which are also important agents of pollination. These insects accidentally transfer pollens and grains to other agricultural crops while they move about, either by walking or flying. Loss of bee populations would make growing crops requiring pollination impossible, which would increase dependence on other crops.