A Change in Foraging Preference of Honey Bees and Plant Diversity during the Last Decade: A Case Study from Lucknow City, India

Abstract

The expansion of cities around its rural suburbs in recent years is changing the landscape very fast due to human activities planned for their benefit in varied ways. The economically important plants and agri-pharmacoculture have been in focus during recent years. Two decades back the study area (Chinhat, Lucknow city extension, India) was an open, marshy land with a large perennial ox-bow lake (Kathauta tal) of the river Gomti which now flows through the middle of Lucknow city. During the last decade, this extensive agricultural land has changed to a posh urban set-up. The honey samples were collected from beehive in Amity Institute campus and in adjoining areas of Kathauta tal, Chinhat to unravel the foraging pattern of honey bees with the help of its pollen content illustrating the plant resources in the vicinity and for evaluating its forensic application. The pollen spectra of honey reveals more than 50 plant taxa accounting to 60% of trees and the honey produced here is multifloral type. An agri-pharmaco industry was explored in the area with high percentage of Cichorum intybus and Tinospora cordifolia pollen in honey samples. We discuss here the potentials of melissopalynology as a quick, low-cost and highly reliable technique in understanding the pattern of reforestation and reclamation in urban areas, honey quality and its applicability in monitoring the activities of urban human.