Nutritional position of managed honey bees during pollination of native plants by the melissopalynology method

Pollination services are crucial for maintaining ecological stability and ensuring food security for humans. Managed honey bees, which are economically valuable and are experiencing population growth due to the increasing demand for their products, play a significant role in pollination. To produce high-quality honey, beekeepers often choose natural high meadows, characterized by high plant species richness, for their apiaries. This practice, in turn, may contribute to the pollination of native plants, as managed honey bees are likely to forage on diverse floral resources within these meadows In this study, we investigated the nutritional position of managed bees in the pollination of native plants in Iran using the melissopalynology method to determine the extent of their contribution to the pollination of native plants. Ninety-four honey samples were collected from beekeepers located in the natural pastures of two biodiversity hotspots in Iran (Zagros and Alborz). Then, plant pollens were extracted from the honey and photographed by scanning electron microscopy. In the next step, plant species were identified, and their abundance was calculated. The results showed that managed bees visited 54 plant genera, seven of which were non-native plants. Additionally, more plant species and the highest abundance of pollen were observed at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 3000 m. Therefore, beekeepers set up their hives in this altitude range to obtain high-quality honey. In general, in this study, the results of melissopalynological analysis, involving the identification of plant genera and pollen counts, revealed that managed honey bees likely contributed less than 3% to the pollination of native plant species in Iran.