Abstract
ABSTRACT Pollination services performed by bees are essential for the reproduction of a great part of flowering plants. The pollen collected by Apis mellifera while performing pollination (bee pollen), has been incorporated into the human diet for its favorable nutritional components. Around 1,500 tons of bee pollen are produced annually worldwide, especially in Spain, China, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil. Despite the importance of bee pollen within apiculture, little is known about the effects of climate variations on bee pollen collection and production. We monitored the pollen collection performance of 24 different honey bee colonies in different climate conditions within a period of one year. We then analyzed the statistical interaction among the number of worker bees returning with pollen loads and 12 climatic variables, to produce a predictive mixed linear model. The results obtained showed that 7 climatic variables were statistically correlated to the pollen collection observed: Maximum temperature of the day, minimum temperature of the day, dew point temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, rainfall, and the date of the sample. This research brings information for the development of a more effective pollen productive system.
Highlights
Today more than 83 million beehives are kept worldwide (FAOSTAT, 2014)
This study aimed to analyze the effects of climate on pollen foraging for the better understanding of what kind of climatic variables are influent on bee pollen production
The data obtained were submitted to statistical analysis regarding the interactions among the pollen collection and climate variables, within each season (Table 2)
Summary
Today more than 83 million beehives are kept worldwide (FAOSTAT, 2014). Honey is, for sure, the most consecrated bee product, but it is not the only one, and it is not the most important (Cvitkovi et al, 2009). Pollination services performed by wild and kept bees are essential for the reproduction of a great part of flowering plants, once pollination promotes a more effective transference of genes among populations of wild and cultivated plant species (Kearns et al, 1998). Climatic conditions seem to strongly affect insects, once the variations are capable of impacting behavior, physiology and reproductive success of those animals (Brown and Paxton, 2009). The climate is able to produce significant effects on plant's phenology, including pollen and nectar (Tooke and Battey, 2010). Studies able to obtain information about such effects are an important tool for the development of a more effective bee pollen productive system
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