College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China.
Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081, China.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2020 Oct 14;16(1):61. doi: 10.1186/s13002-020-00414-z.
The Dulong (Drung) people have used plant materials in traditional beekeeping for many decades. However, there are few studies on the plants used in traditional beekeeping. Furthermore, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) associated with beekeeping is still poorly understood. TEK and plants associated with beekeeping play an important role in the conservation of native bees and the development of beekeeping. It is therefore very urgent to investigate, record, and study the plants and TEK of Dulong beekeeping.
Fieldwork was conducted in the Dulong community of Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, China. Six Dulong villages were investigated. Ethnobotanical methods such as free listing, semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, and key informant interviews were used to collect data. A total of 42 Dulong respondents provided information about plants used in traditional beekeeping. TEK related to traditional beekeeping plants was documented. Citation frequency, abundance, and preference ranking of log beehive plant species were used to identify plant resources that are "easier to obtain" and "more preferred."
There are two general methods of traditional Dulong beekeeping: living tree beekeeping and log beehive beekeeping. The investigation revealed that 38 species (in 19 families), including 30 tree species, 5 bamboo species, 2 herbaceous species, and 1 liana species, are used in traditional Dulong beekeeping. Different plant parts are used for different purposes. Twenty-seven tree species are used to make log beehives. Species from the family Pinaceae and Fagaceae are the most frequently represented. Seven of the most commonly reported species used to build log beehives were scored by ten beekeepers. Based on this scoring, the beekeepers' most preferred species for making log beehives are Alnus nepalensis, Pinus yunnanensis, and Juglans regia.
The Dulong people have used various plants for traditional beekeeping and have accumulated rich TEK associated with apiculture. Future research will include a nutritive components analysis of honey from traditional Dulong beekeeping and an ethnobotanical investigation of melliferous species used in traditional Dulong apicultural systems. The application of plants and TEK associated with beekeeping is important for improving livelihoods in local communities, conserving biocultural diversity, and protecting the eco-environment of the Dulongjiang area.
独龙族（Dulong）人在传统养蜂中使用植物材料已有数十年历史。然而，关于传统养蜂中使用的植物的研究却很少。此外，与养蜂相关的传统生态知识（TEK）仍然知之甚少。与养蜂相关的 TEK 和植物在保护本地蜜蜂和发展养蜂业方面发挥着重要作用。因此，调查、记录和研究独龙族养蜂的植物和 TEK 非常紧迫。
在中国云南省贡山县独龙族社区进行了实地考察。调查了六个独龙族村庄。采用自由列表、半结构化访谈、参与式观察和关键 informant 访谈等民族植物学方法收集数据。共有 42 位独龙族受访者提供了有关传统养蜂中使用的植物的信息。记录了与传统养蜂植物相关的 TEK。使用日志蜂箱植物物种的出现频率、丰度和偏好排序来识别“更容易获得”和“更受欢迎”的植物资源。
传统独龙族养蜂有两种一般方法：活树养蜂和日志蜂箱养蜂。调查显示，传统独龙族养蜂中使用了 38 种（19 科）植物，包括 30 种树种、5 种竹种、2 种草本植物和 1 种藤本植物。不同的植物部位用于不同的用途。27 种树种用于制作日志蜂箱。松科和壳斗科的物种最为常见。十种养蜂人对用于制作日志蜂箱的最常报告的七种物种进行了评分。根据这一评分，养蜂人最喜爱的制作日志蜂箱的物种是玉山冷杉、云南松和胡桃。
独龙族人在传统养蜂中使用了各种植物，并积累了丰富的与养蜂相关的 TEK。未来的研究将包括对传统独龙族养蜂蜂蜜的营养成分分析以及对传统独龙族养蜂系统中使用的蜜源植物的民族植物学调查。养蜂相关的植物和 TEK 的应用对于改善当地社区的生计、保护生物文化多样性和保护独龙江地区的生态环境非常重要。
