Apifloristic diversity in the eastern Mediterranean region: Implications for biodiversity conservation and use

Abstract

The ecological role of honeybees in the world and their value for sustainable agriculture and food industry are more important than ever. For this reason, we study the apiflora in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkiye in the context of planning bee forests aimed at biodiversity conservation. The results show that honeybee forests are quite rich in both endemism and apifloristic diversity. A total of 511 plant taxa belonging to 264 genera and 59 families were identified, of which 335 (65%) taxa were evaluated as nectar (N) and/or pollen (P) bearing honey plants (45 N, 54 P, and 236 N&P). In terms of apiflora, the richest families are Fabaceae (n=76, 3 N, 73 N&P), Lamiaceae (n=57, 19 N, 38 N&P) and Asteraceae (n=44, 1 N, 10 P, 33 N&P). Nectariferous plants were more common at higher elevations, while polleniferous plants were more common at lower elevations. According to the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, the highest diversity values were found in honeybee forests at higher elevations and the lowest diversity values at lower elevations. Sorensen analysis also showed that floristic similarities among honeybee forests ranged from 1% to 42%. Cluster analysis supported these differences by dividing the forests into two separate groups.