Correlating the pollens gathered by APIS Mellifera with the landscape features in Western France

Abstract

Honey bee health depends on various factors, including the availability of food resources and chronic exposure to toxins in the foraging area. These parameters can be evaluated using indicators based on either pollen gathered to the hive or landscape features of the foraging area, including the structure, land use, or density of such specific landscape elements as hedgerows.This study examines the correlation between the diversity of pollens gathered and the landscape features in a 3-km radius using Geographic Information System technology. Palynological analyses were performed on pollen pellets collected from sixteen apiaries in western France during one year. Richness, diversity and similarity indices were calculated for land-cover features and palynological data and then compared. The land-cover analyses permitted the identification of three different landscape contexts (hedgerow, cultivated, and urban landscapes). Although the palynological profiles were highly diverse, some taxa were conserved between hives. The flower richness was greater in the apiaries from urban landscapes than in apiaries from rural landscapes, regardless of the dominant land-cover. The statistical analysis did not associate a specific flora with a specific landscape. However, it was possible to distinguish the pollen gathered by bees in urban landscapes and from pollen collected in rural areas. © 2014, ALÖKI Kft., Budapest, Hungary.