Mensah Sylvanus, Veldtman Ruan, Seifert Thomas
Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa; Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 03 BP 2819, Bénin.
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, 7735 Claremont, South Africa; Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa.
J Environ Manage. 2017 Mar 15;189:160-167. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.033. Epub 2016 Dec 28.
Honey bees play a vital role in the pollination of flowers in many agricultural systems, while providing honey through well managed beekeeping activities. Managed honey bees rely on the provision of pollen and nectar for their survival and productivity. Using data from field plot inventories in natural mistbelt forests, we (1) assessed the diversity and relative importance of honey bee plants, (2) explored the temporal availability of honey bee forage (nectar and pollen resources), and (3) elucidated how plant diversity (bee plant richness and overall plant richness) influenced the amount of forage available (production). A forage value index was defined on the basis of species-specific nectar and pollen values, and expected flowering period. Up to 50% of the overall woody plant richness were found to be honey bee plant species, with varying flowering period. As expected, bee plant richness increased with overall plant richness. Interestingly, bee plants' flowering period was spread widely over a year, although the highest potential of forage supply was observed during the last quarter. We also found that only few honey bee plant species contributed 90 percent of the available forage. Surprisingly, overall plant richness did not significantly influence the bee forage value. Rather, bee plant species richness showed significant and greater effect. The results of this study suggest that mistbelt forests can contribute to increase the spatial and temporal availability of diverse floral resources for managed honey bees. Conservation efforts must be specifically oriented towards honey bee plant species in mistbelt forests to preserve and enhance their potential to help maintain honey bee colonies. The implications for forest management, beekeeping activities and pollination-based agriculture were discussed.
在许多农业系统中，蜜蜂在花卉授粉方面发挥着至关重要的作用，同时通过妥善管理的养蜂活动提供蜂蜜。养殖蜜蜂的生存和生产力依赖于花粉和花蜜的供应。利用天然雾带森林田间地块清查的数据，我们（1）评估了蜜蜂植物的多样性和相对重要性，（2）探索了蜜蜂饲料（花蜜和花粉资源）的时间可用性，以及（3）阐明了植物多样性（蜜蜂植物丰富度和总体植物丰富度）如何影响可用饲料量（产量）。根据特定物种的花蜜和花粉价值以及预期开花期定义了饲料价值指数。发现高达50%的总体木本植物丰富度属于蜜蜂植物物种，且开花期各不相同。正如预期的那样，蜜蜂植物丰富度随着总体植物丰富度的增加而增加。有趣的是，蜜蜂植物的开花期在一年中分布广泛，尽管在最后一个季度观察到饲料供应潜力最高。我们还发现，只有少数蜜蜂植物物种贡献了90%的可用饲料。令人惊讶的是，总体植物丰富度并未显著影响蜜蜂饲料价值。相反，蜜蜂植物物种丰富度显示出显著且更大的影响。本研究结果表明，雾带森林有助于增加养殖蜜蜂可获得的各种花卉资源的空间和时间可用性。保护工作必须特别针对雾带森林中的蜜蜂植物物种，以保护和增强它们帮助维持蜂群的潜力。讨论了对森林管理、养蜂活动和基于授粉的农业的影响。
