Foraging strategies and some morphometric characteristics of the African Honeybee (Apis mellifera adansonii L) in the humid forest environment
| dc.contributor.author | Adjaloo, Michael Kodwo | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-05-08T12:06:09Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-19T18:51:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-05-08T12:06:09Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-19T18:51:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1991-05-08 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Biological Sciences, 1991 | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | The foraging strategies and some important morphometric characters of the African honeybee, Apis iuellifera adansonii were studied in detail in humid forest environment with the view to contributing to a full appreciation of the relative importance of this race in crop pollination and honey production. Twenty-four plant species were identified in three study sites as melliferous plant species. Most of them grow together and flower sequentially; their flowering seasons are sharply defined except for few of them which show some overlap. Some of the plant species provide nectar and pollen while others provide only pollen. The one hour production rates and sugar concentration of field populations were measured to determine diurnal pattern and concentration of nectar. All the plant species had similar diurnal patterns of nectar secretion but differed in nectar standing crop. The sugar concentration of nectar in more open corollas proved much more variable through the day than the concentration in the nectar of the partially or totally concealed nectaries. The foraging pattern of A. m. adansonii on the plant species was analysed, particularly in relation to weather. The results indicated that A.m. adansonii did not differ from other races of honeybee in its response to changes in weather conditions. Its numbers foraging were significantly affected by temperature, and relative humidity. Wet and cloudy conditions also reduced greatly its foraging activity. The relative abundance of A. m. adansonii on the melliferous plant species may partly be influenced by weather conditions. Sixteen morphometric characters of the bee were measured to determine whether any differences exist between populations found in the same ecological zone. The results indicated that the populations sampled were remarkably similar in all these characters. The proboscis which was relatively longer than that of the North African race, enhanced the feeding of A. m. adansonii on nectar in the melliferous flowering plants with exposed or concealed nectaries. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | KNUST | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/3710 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 1859; | |
| dc.title | Foraging strategies and some morphometric characteristics of the African Honeybee (Apis mellifera adansonii L) in the humid forest environment | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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