VEGETATIONAL IMPACT OVER BEE FORAGE IN RELATION TO SEASONAL VARIATION: AN OBSERVATION IN SOME HONEY SAMPLES OF WEST BENGAL AND ORISSA

摘要

In the present study, eight honey samples were collected from Orissa and West Bengal during the year 2009-2011 with an object to evaluate the vegetational impact over the bee forage in these two states of India depending upon the seasonal variation through the respective pollen spectra of honey samples. Out of the five honey samples of West Bengal, four samples were of unifloral in nature and the remainder is multifloral and two out of the three honey samples of Orissa were found to be unifloral. A total of 25 pollen types were identified from the eight honey samples originated from both wild and cultivated types of plants. Among the cultivated types, Brassica sp., Coriandrum sp. and Helianthus sp. were found to be dominant, while Syzygium sp., Eucalyptus sp., Cassia sp. and Terminalia sp, were the wild representatives. The present study enables us to figure out some important wild and cultivated bee foraging plants in these two regions by exploring the floral diversity and may assist positive impact over apicultural industry.