P. Vit – Pot-Honey (2013)

Автор: P. Vit
Название книги: Pot-Honey
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Биологические науки
Страницы: 655
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

The chapters of this book summarize much of the current knowledge of stingless bees and also provide new fi ndings. The diversity of species, behaviors, and the wide geographic range is explored in the Part I. The close relationships between humans and stingless bees through history is the topic of the chapters of Part II. The importance of stingless bees in agricultural and natural ecosystems derives from their fl ower visitation behavior and resulting pollination; this is the focus of the third part. The fi nal two parts provide reviews and original research on the use and properties of the products of the hives of stingless bees, in particular the honey.
Stingless bees are an ancient source of sweetness and medicine for many indigenous people in the tropics, from the nomadic hunters and gatherers of northern Australia to the mighty Mayan empire of Central America. But modern commercial exploitation of this product has been hampered partially by a lack of information on its properties and composition. A strength of this book is the focus on pot-honey, honey derived from the pots of stingless bees, as opposed to the comb of honeybees. Perhaps now stingless bee honey will move from locally available and start to be seen in the global marketplace. Indigenous peoples may not have knowingly used stingless bees as pollinators of their crops, but certainly these industrious insects would have played an important role. Stingless bees also have an important role to play in education. These harmless and fascinating animals can be used in schools and universities, public gardens, and zoos, as case studies in ecological interactions. These bees may even have economical value as pets. Housing a colony of these bees in a city apartment provides an opportunity for urban dwellers to have some contact with nature.
This book is one of the few specifically devoted to stingless bees. Let us hope that it stimulates a generation of further research so that the enormous potential of this group can be realized.