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B-MAIL
A monthly newsletter on issues and events in the bee world, provided
by IBRA, the world information service for bee science and beekeeping.
**December 1994**
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BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL BEES
Bee scientists everywhere have been pleased by the increased interest in
and discussion about biodiversity, as many bee species are important for
maintaining biodiversity in a wide range of natural systems.
An interesting partnership between maintaining biodiversity, supporting
indigenous culture and promoting economic development is proposed for
south-east Asia. Writing in the latest edition of Bee World ('Development
and honey gathering ecotourism'; 74(4): 157-159), Makhdzir Mardan of the
Universiti Pertanian Malaysia discusses the promotion of tourist interest in
honey hunting from Apis dorsata as one way of conserving tropical forests
and promoting economic development at the same time.
'Outside' interest in Apis dorsata has been high since the yellow rain
controversy of a decade ago, and the public imagination has been
captured by reports of honey hunting in the Himalayas: the TV
programme, National Geographic article and stunning book (Honey
hunters of Nepal) by Valli and Summers.
Dr Mardan suggests that honey hunting has an economic importance that
should be given more consideration when planners make decisions about
the utilization of forests; for instance the timber from one large bee tree
might yield a one-time $US 2,000, but if left as a nesting place for Apis
dorsata can produce more than that in honey each year.
The income of honey hunters can be supplemented with a share of the
'income pie' from ecotourism, divided among tour operators, honey
gatherers, and research and enforcement institutions. The dangers of
tourism activities overstepping the capacity of an area's resources are
pointed out in the article, as is the need to share the income in an
equitable way.
For those interested further, IBRA's library contains a number of
references on honey hunting of Apis dorsata, mostly relating to India but a
number to south-east Asia.
TROPICAL BEES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
People will be able to see honey gathering for themselves at a conference
with a difference, being held in March 1995 in Malaysia. 'Tropical bees
and the environment' will be held at Pedu Lake in north Malaysia, right in
the forest which is home to many colonies of Apis dorsata. Before the
conference there is an expedition to look at traditional honey gathering
(after dark), and the impressive drone flight and 'yellow rain' mass
defecation just after sunset.
Tropical bees and the environment, 13-15 March 1995. Pre-conference
expedition 11 March 1995. Contact Beenet Asia Secretariat, Plant
Protection Department, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, 43400 UPM
Serdang, Selangor DE, Malaysia. Fax (+60) 3-948-3745 or 948-2507.
Further information from Dr Mardan at this address, or
makhdzir%upmvmesa.ccrisc.upm.my. Reduced registration fees apply
until 31 January 1995.
FORAGING STRATEGIES
'Comparative foraging strategies in solitary and social bees' is the title of a
one-day meeting of the Royal Entomological Society of London. The
programme will include papers, posters and discussions, and both senior
researchers in this field and some of the younger workers will be
contributing.
The meeting will be at Exeter University in south-west England on
Saturday 4 February 1995, and is open to anyone interested. For full
details and a booking form contact Dr Robin Wootton, University of Exeter,
Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS. Phone
(+44) 1392-263753, fax 1392-263700, e.mail
[log in to unmask]
CONFERENCE CALDENDAR
3rd Apidological Symposium, Jena, Germany, 22-26 August 1995.
The approach of this symposium is to consider the honey bee colony as a
superorganism. Topics will include genetics and developmental
physiology, caste formation and sexuality, neuro- and sensory physiology,
wild bees: biology and use as bio-indicators, and beekeeping practice.
Contributions are invited and the deadline for submissions is 28 February
1995.
Contact: Dr Ursula Horn, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Biologisch-
Pharmazeutische Fakultat, Institut fur Ernahrung und Vmwelt, Apidologie
und Angewandte Zoologie, Am Steiger 3, D-07743 Jena/Thuringen,
Germany. Fax: (+49) 641-635 382.
7th International Symposium on Pollination (ICPBR), Lethbridge, Canada,
24-28 June 1996.
Contact: Dr Ken Richards, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge
Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1. Fax: (+1) 403
382 3156, E.mail: [log in to unmask]
FLORA FOR FAUNA
A nationwide campaign to encourage gardeners to grow trees, shrubs and
flowers which are food sources for Britain's wildlife was launched recently
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
This move in nature conservation commenced with thousands of 'Flora for
fauna' labels, placards, posters and booklets being distributed to selected
garden centres throughout Britain. Plans are already under way for this
British project to be extended to France and Germany, as after 1 January
it will run parallel with European Conservation Year - ENCY 95. It is being
supported by some of the most prestigious conservation and scientific
organizations in Britain, as well as the Horticultural Trades Association.
The first stage of 'Flora for fauna' is providing information about what
plants are hospitable for wildlife. Already 25,000 plant labels covering 25
species have been attached to plants from the north of Scotland to south
Cornwall as part of a six-month pilot scheme. The information has been
extracted from the introductory 'Flora for fauna' database which highlights
the preferred plants for wildlife in British gardens. It details what birds,
butterflies, frogs, bats and other forms of wildlife eat; what eats them; what
is needed for nests and homes; what special plants relate to different
forms of wildlife; and which cultivars of a species still have a good nectar
and pollen yields.
The next stage is further development of the database, which will be
launched in a comprehensive version in December 1995. Bees have a
good mention in the introductory publicity, and key plants that are useful
nectar and pollen sources will be highlighted in the database.
Details of the 'Flora for fauna' database disk and accompanying booklet
are available from: The Duchess of Hamilton, c/o The Linnean Society of
London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0LQ, UK. Orders:
phone (+44) 171-351-4266, fax 171-352-5655, e.mail
[log in to unmask]
CONSERVING WHICH BEES?
We had a query about the forthcoming meeting 'Conserving Europe's
bees' suggesting that the title is a bit narrow - wouldn't 'Conserving bees'
or 'Conserving temperate bees' be better? Well, maybe, but we chose the
'Europe' title (1) to help attract funding (1995 is the European year of
nature conservation) and (2) because we thought that a two-day meeting
wouldn't be long enough to attract many people from outside Europe.
However, it was always intended that this meeting would cover the
mediterranean, and the new world where Apis mellifera is an introduced
species. Interest in the meeting is high, and with 6 of the 19 invited
speakers coming from the Americas and 2 from Israel there will be a lot of
input from outside Europe. Everybody is welcome.
Conserving Europe's bees, London, UK, 6-7 April 1995. Organized by the
International Bee Research Association and the Linnean Society of
London. Information from [log in to unmask] or from
[log in to unmask]
POLLEN LOAD COLOURS
Widespread interest has been generated by the most popular publication
from IBRA this year, 'A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee' by
William D J Kirk. Modern colour reproduction processes permit much
more accurate presentation of colour squares than were available when
the previous standard work, 'The pollen loads of the honeybee' by Dorothy
Hodges, was first published in 1952.
The whole question of how to record colour most accurately has been
discussed in more detail by Dr Kirk in his recent article 'Recording the
colours of pollen loads' (Bee World 75(4) 169-180 (1994)). Beginning with
a look at colour science, the article discusses variation in colour and the
best ways of collecting pollen loads and matching colours. There is also a
good account of the different systems available for recording and
classifying colours, and the selection of the system used in the production
of the book.
PHILATELISTS DELIGHT
Calling all apiphilatelists, or should I say philatophilic apiarists? Whatever,
there's good news for stamp collectors interested in the theme of bees and
beekeeping.
It's been 21 years since the last catalogue of stamps on a bee theme was
published, in Bee World 54(2): 53-56. Now there's an updated list,
including all stamps showing: honey bees, beekeeping or any allusion to
beekeeping; non-Apis bees; stamps omitted from the 1973 article.
'Bee and bee interest postage stamps of the world: supplement 1' by
Dorothy E Shaw and J Stuart Ching. Bee World 75(4): 181-193 (1994),
with four full-colour plates. Also available as reprint M128 from IBRA.
Return address:
E.mail: [log in to unmask]
Fax: (+44) 1222-665522
Telephone: (+44) 1222-372409
Snailmail: 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK
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