Journal
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
Volume 11, Issue 4, Pages 391-397Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10841-006-9054-5
Keywords
Apis; colony; abundance; drones; microsatellite DNA
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The density of wild honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera) in the African dry highland savannahs was estimated in three Nature Reserves in Gauteng, South Africa (Ezemvelo, Leeuwfontein, Suikerbosrand) based on the genotypes of drones which were caught at drone congregation areas. Densities were estimated to range between 12.4 and 17.6 colonies per square kilometer. In addition colony densities were estimated in two German National parks (Muritz and Hochharz) and a commercial mating apiary. The density of colonies was significantly lower at the German sampling sites with estimates of 2.4-3.2 colonies per square kilometer, which closely matches the nation-wide density of colonies kept by beekeepers. This shows that the densities of colonies observed in wild populations under the harsh conditions of the African dry savannahs exceeds that of Germany by far, in spite of intensive beekeeping. The intensity of apiculture in Europe is therefore unlikely to compensate for the loss of habitats suitable for wild honeybees due to agriculture, forestry and other cultivation of land.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available