Bee biomonitoring: development of a biodiversity assessment method based on pollen analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.7186Keywords:
agroforestry, bee biomonitoring, microscopic pollen analysis, biodiversityAbstract
Our research aimed to assess the biodiversity within a 3-5 km radius of an agroforestry system in Harka. We did this by conducting a microscopic pollen analysis of honey and pollen loads from six bee colonies. Honey samples are excellent indicators of nectar sources, while pollen loads directly show pollen origin. By analyzing both, we gained comprehensive insights into the local flora and the foraging patterns of pollinators. Our findings reveal that the agroforestry environment provides a species-rich and stable food base, which is crucial for promoting pollinator health and ensuring sustainable honey production. We observed significant differences in the nectar and pollen source preferences among the six bee colonies, highlighting the diversity of local vegetation and the unique foraging behaviors of the bees. Looking at our three-month study period, pollen loads showed greater plant family diversity in April and July, while honey samples exhibited higher diversity in May. This could be linked to the overrepresentation of certain species like Brassica napus and Castanea sativa, and the underrepresentation of Robinia pseudoacacia in pollen counts. Interestingly, pollen from the Brassicaceae family was present in all honey samples, likely due to the prolonged flowering of rapeseed and greening practices in the area. The discrepancies between the honey and pollen sample compositions suggest that bees' preferences for nectar and pollen sources can differ. It also indicates that our study area offered a rich and varied food supply for the bee colonies. Analyzing these two hive products together is a valuable method for mapping apiaries and ecosystem structure, and for long-term monitoring. This approach can ultimately help in developing pollinator-friendly habitat management and plant-introduction
strategies.
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