Conservation of kelulut (stingless bee) in East and North Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Southeast Asia is home for at least nine species of native honey bees one of them is Kelulut (stingless bee). The Kelulut is very valuable because it is a major pollinator for tropical plants. It provides significant income for some members of the local community, and it is an important component in the food network system. Besides, the Southeast Asian Dipterocarp forests, especially East and North Kalimantan, appear to be adapted to pollination by honeybees. Nowadays, global attention focuses on the threat of decreasing numbers of plants and pollination species, which have a direct impact on ecosystem function, especially to local and global bee biodiversity. Due to the current evidence of the decreasing number of bees accumulated in taxonomic and geographical scales, we decided to observe the role of Kelulut cultivation based on species and habitat approaches. Species biodiversity, population size, and growth rates are influenced by Spatio-temporal variations all of them have an important role in their vulnerability to extinction. Therefore, this will enhance our understanding of the factors and processes that are behind a decreasing number of bees and ensure the long-term survival of the bees and the important pollination services they provide.