Peculiarities of distribution of nectaronous and pollinating plants in forest plantations of the North-Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

Artificial and natural forest plantations, in addition to important functions for the preservation of the environment, are essential as objects for obtaining certain types of raw materials from plants common in their composition. The participation of nectar-bearing and pollen-bearing plants in forest groups from the main list of tree and shrub species as sources of raw materials for apiculture was analyzed. For this purpose, forest management materials of the NorthEastern Forest-Steppe were used (the total area of forest plantations is 336110.3 ha). The main species are Tilia cordata, Robinia pseudoacacia, which are able to provide the main productive honey harvest, in addition to them in the plantations there is a significant group of other species (Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Betula pendula, Acer platanoides, Populus tremula, etc.), which can be sources of supporting honey harvest. Of the 38 forest types identified in the study area, fresh maple-linden oak wood predominates (183442.0 ha, 54.58%), slightly smaller areas are occupied by fresh oak-pine subir (47040.9 ha, 14.00%) and linden-oak-pine sugrud (33999.3 ha, 10.12%), as well as dry maple-linden oak wood (28697.7 ha, 8.54%), which together make up more than 85% of the forested area. These types of forests are the richest in raw plants for apiculture. Thus, of the species composition of forest-forming species, which includes 60 species of trees and shrubs, the main species are Quercus robur (190153.9 ha, 56.58%) and Fraxinus excelsior (20318.5 ha, 6.05%), which these are raw plants. In addition, it should be noted that other woody, shrubby and herbaceous plant species, which are a valuable source of nectar and pollen, also play a significant role in the above forest groups, which do not take into account the phytodiversity of field protective forest belts of this territory. Thus, the studied forest plantations of this area can be considered as promising lands for apiculture, which have a seasonal maintenance and local main raw material collection for bees.