The Role of Pallen and Nectar Bearing Plants in Planning How to Use Rangeland in Bee Keeping Point of View

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Abstract

The presence of nectar-and pollen- bearing plants as vegetative cover in rangelands can provide the ground for job opportunities in the context of beekeeping as an aspect of rangelands' multipurpose uses. Beekeeping, as an approach, based upon indigenous knowledge, is suggested to create jobs, and to somehow compensate for the animal husbandry's diminishing income (the fall of income due to the necessity of lowering the number of aniamls to ease the exerted pressure upon rangelands). Realizing the close relationship between bees and the flowering plants a study of the flowering plants (time of flowering in particular) appealing to honeybee, as well as an identification of the places where these plants grow more, are among the important tools of management towards a determination of a region's appropriateness as regards beekeeping. The end results are expected to be a prevention of rangeland degradation due to overgrazing, accompanied by the development of beekeeping job opportunities. A lack of knowledge in the field would, on the other hand, be a severe hindrance to proper exploitation of rangelands' beekeeping potential. In the course of the present study, the potentiality of the region concerning an identification and use of the region's plants in beekeeping enterprises has been put into consideration. Randomized sampling of plant types, cavere percentage, and plant combination percent was performed through a number of three 200 m2 transects along which a number of thirty plots (each of 1 m2 area) were assigned. In the study are a (Middle Taleghan), the most conspicuous plant families visited by bees were respectively Labiatae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, and Crucifera. Seventy nine out of 175 plant species are visited and utilized by bees most. These species which form the dominant plant cover in poorer rangelands are lowly valued as viewed by animal keeper. A further knowledge of these plants along with particularly a close identification of their flowering days would lead to the preparation of a beekeeping calendar and an estimation of the rangelands' potential that can be dedicated to the enterprise.

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