Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya
ABSTRACT Seasonality and land‐use change are key factors influencing forage availability for managed honey bee colonies, yet knowledge of forage identity and how these factors influence forage availability remains limited in Africa. To address these gaps, we used DNA metabarcoding to identify nectar...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71613 |
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| author | Mary Chege Mbatha B. Wambua Wambua J. Kilonzo Sevgan Subramanian Beatrice T. Nganso |
| author_facet | Mary Chege Mbatha B. Wambua Wambua J. Kilonzo Sevgan Subramanian Beatrice T. Nganso |
| author_sort | Mary Chege |
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| description | ABSTRACT Seasonality and land‐use change are key factors influencing forage availability for managed honey bee colonies, yet knowledge of forage identity and how these factors influence forage availability remains limited in Africa. To address these gaps, we used DNA metabarcoding to identify nectar and pollen plant species supporting the nutrition of the African savannah honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata, across different land‐use/land cover types and seasons in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. We identified 224 forage plant species from 65 families, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Myrtaceae being the top contributors. Forage availability was significantly influenced by landscape and season, with honey bees in agricultural lowland areas foraging on fewer and less diverse resources, particularly pollen, than those in forested highland and midland areas during the short dry season. Nectar plants (the primary source of carbohydrates that support energetic needs) were generally more diverse than pollen plants (the main source of proteins and lipids that support development and health). Exotic species dominated the nutrition of A. m. scutellata (67%) compared to native species (33%), raising concerns about the long‐term sustainability of local pollination networks, pollinator health, and productivity. Overall, these findings provide a foundation for future research on the comparative nutritional composition of both native and exotic plants across seasons, their impacts on honey bee health and productivity, and how the occurrence of exotic plants may affect local plant‐pollinator networks, to guide the development of nutrient‐rich forage landscapes for honey bees in this county. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d1581c776da642bfbcb3fdd9352f9e40 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-d1581c776da642bfbcb3fdd9352f9e402025-08-20T03:35:01ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-07-01157n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71613Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, KenyaMary Chege0Mbatha B. Wambua1Wambua J. Kilonzo2Sevgan Subramanian3Beatrice T. Nganso4International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) Nairobi KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) Nairobi KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) Nairobi KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) Nairobi KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) Nairobi KenyaABSTRACT Seasonality and land‐use change are key factors influencing forage availability for managed honey bee colonies, yet knowledge of forage identity and how these factors influence forage availability remains limited in Africa. To address these gaps, we used DNA metabarcoding to identify nectar and pollen plant species supporting the nutrition of the African savannah honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata, across different land‐use/land cover types and seasons in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. We identified 224 forage plant species from 65 families, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Myrtaceae being the top contributors. Forage availability was significantly influenced by landscape and season, with honey bees in agricultural lowland areas foraging on fewer and less diverse resources, particularly pollen, than those in forested highland and midland areas during the short dry season. Nectar plants (the primary source of carbohydrates that support energetic needs) were generally more diverse than pollen plants (the main source of proteins and lipids that support development and health). Exotic species dominated the nutrition of A. m. scutellata (67%) compared to native species (33%), raising concerns about the long‐term sustainability of local pollination networks, pollinator health, and productivity. Overall, these findings provide a foundation for future research on the comparative nutritional composition of both native and exotic plants across seasons, their impacts on honey bee health and productivity, and how the occurrence of exotic plants may affect local plant‐pollinator networks, to guide the development of nutrient‐rich forage landscapes for honey bees in this county.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71613DNA metabarcodingexotic and native plantshoney bee nutritionlandscape compositionseasonality |
| spellingShingle | Mary Chege Mbatha B. Wambua Wambua J. Kilonzo Sevgan Subramanian Beatrice T. Nganso Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya Ecology and Evolution DNA metabarcoding exotic and native plants honey bee nutrition landscape composition seasonality |
| title | Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya |
| title_full | Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya |
| title_short | Seasonal and Landscape‐Driven Variations in Forage Resources of Apis mellifera scutellata: Implications for Pollination Sustainability and Colony Health in Taita Taveta County, Kenya |
| title_sort | seasonal and landscape driven variations in forage resources of apis mellifera scutellata implications for pollination sustainability and colony health in taita taveta county kenya |
| topic | DNA metabarcoding exotic and native plants honey bee nutrition landscape composition seasonality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71613 |
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