Abstract
Migratory apiculture is considered a sustainable activity, but there are no data regarding the influence of migratory apiculture upon the reproductive success of native plant species. Moreover, it may be extremely difficult to validate sustainability out of the honey bee home range and in otherwise poorly studied environment. We evaluated the influence of the migratory apiculture upon the pre-emergent reproductive success (PERS) of four Brazilian native plant species in the Caatinga, a xerophylous physiognomy exclusive to Brazil. Data on flower and fruit production and pre-emergent reproductive success were compared between areas with and without apiaries, on selected plant species with a generalist pollination system, chosen according to beekeeper's interest on them. The selected plant species respond differently to the migratory apiculture; some species exhibited increased PERS, while others were not influenced. Therefore, our study sustains the hypothesis of migratory apiculture to be sustainable, since it was either beneficial or not-influential on native plant species, for what concerns PERS value. Future studies may highlight if the presence of A. mellifera is affecting other variables in the pollination networks of the native species in the area.
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