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The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613761004634112 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Heerden, Janca |
| author2 | Wossler, Theresa |
| author_browse | Van Heerden, Janca Wossler, Theresa |
| author_facet | Wossler, Theresa Van Heerden, Janca |
| author_sort | Van Heerden, Janca |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128351 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:16.700Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128351 The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa Van Heerden, Janca Wossler, Theresa Ellis, Allan G. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany & Zoology. Honeybee (Apis mellifera) -- Ecology -- South Africa Cape honeybee -- Management Insect-plant relationships Bee culture -- Conservation Fynbos ecology -- South Africa Competition (Biology) UCTD Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are easy to manage and are effective pollinators of monocultures because of their floral constancy during foraging. In recent years, however, the detrimental effect of managed honey bees on native pollination systems has become a point of debate. Their generalist nature and social system give honey bees a competitive advantage over native pollinators, which they have been shown to displace in areas where they are non-native, and they may also be less efficient at pollinating plants in these systems. The potential negative impacts of managed honey bees may also manifest in systems where they are native, and consequently managed colonies are prohibited from conservation areas in South Africa. Beekeeping practices are likely increasing honey bee densities above natural levels in their native range, which is assumed to have a negative impact on non-Apis pollinators. However, these effects have been poorly studied. It is also unclear whether the niches that wild honey bees and non-honey bee pollinators occupy are disrupted by the introduction of managed colonies. Here I describe the potential effects of intraspecific- and interspecific competition between managed Cape honey bees and non-honey bee floral visitors within fynbos conservation areas. In the first chapter I explore the effects of permanent managed colonies on the pollinator community on an endemic Erica species and while honey bees and non-honey bees are not noticeably competing for these floral resources, non-Apis pollinator numbers are lower at sites close to apiaries. The second chapter of this project focussed on the effects of a short-term introduction of managed honey bee colonies on flower visitation patterns in a Fynbos community. I found no evidence of honey bees outcompeting non-honey bees for abundant floral resources in this system, and the results did not indicate that introducing managed colonies increased competitive pressure on non-honey bees. Honey bees and other flower visiting insects were shown to exploit different floral niches that were present in the community. As such, although there may be some negative effects on non-Apis pollinators when managed colonies are introduced, niche partitioning may be a feature of systems where honey bees are native, potentially decreasing the impact of honey bee introduction. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die heuningby (Apis mellifera) word as ‘n effektiewe bestuiwer van monokultuur-gewasse geag, aangesien hulle maklik is om te beheer, asook weens hul blombestendigheid. Die negatiewe gevolge van heuningbye op inheemse bestuiwers is wel ‘n hedendaagse debatteerpunt. Heuningbye se sosiale sisteem en hul bereidwilligheid om ‘n wye verskeidenheid van blomme te besoek is baie keer tot hul voordeel, wat somtyds lei tot die verplasing van inheemse bestuiwers in gebiede waar hulle uitheems is. Heuningbye word verder geag as minder suksesvolle bestuiwers van die plante in ekosisteme waar hulle nie inheems voorkom nie. Die potensiële negatiewe effekte van kommersiële heuningbye mag ook van toepassing wees in sisteme waar hulle wel inheems is en daarvolgens word hulle dikwels uit die beskermde gebiede van Suid-Afrika verban. Daar word vermoed dat die gebruike van kommersiële byeboere die heuningby-digthede buitengewoon verhoog in ‘n natuurlike omgewing, wat gevolglik die nie-heuningby bestuiwers negatief beïnvloed. Die bogenoemde invloede is tot dusver nie volledig nagevors nie. Dit is ook nie duidelik of die nisse wat deur heuningbye en ander insekte beset word, beïnvloed word wanneer kommersiële heuningbye in natuurlike omgewings geplaas word nie. Hierin beskryf ek die potensiële gevolge van interspesifieke- en intraspesifieke kompetisie tussen kommersiële Kaapse heuningbye en ander insekte in bestuiwergemeenskappe. In die eerste hoofstuk van hierdie studie het ek bevind dat, in ‘n landskap waar kommersiële heuningbye permanent aangehou word, daar nie direkte kompetisie tussen heuningbye en ander insekte opgemerk kan word nie, maar wel dat die nie-henuningby bestuiwergetalle laer is op hulpbronne naby aan kommersiële korwe. Die tweede hoofstuk van hierdie projek het gefokus op die korttermyn invloed van kommersiële heuningbykolonies op blombesoekpatrone in ‘n Fynbos gemeenskap. Daar was geen bewyse dat heuningbye die nie-heuningby insekte onderdruk en die plaas van heuningbykorwe het nie die druk op nie-heuningbye verhoog nie. Die bevinding was verder dat heuningbye en nie-heuningbye verskillende nisse in hierdie gemeenskap beset. Dus, alhoewel daar sommige negatiewe gevolge mag wees vir nie-heuningby bestuiwers wanneer kommersiële bye in natuurlike omgewings geplaas word, kan nis-besetting beskou word as ‘n manier waarop die inpak van die kompeterende vermoë van heuningbye verminder word in sisteme waar hulle inheems voorkom. Masters 2023-03-05T15:09:26Z 2023-08-30T13:11:28Z 2023-03-05 2023-03-05T15:09:26Z 2023-08-31T09:18:27Z 2023-03-05T15:09:26Z 2023-08-31T09:18:27Z 2023-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128351 en Stellenbosch University application/pdf 9 unnumbers pages, 97 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Honeybee (Apis mellifera) -- Ecology -- South Africa Cape honeybee -- Management Insect-plant relationships Bee culture -- Conservation Fynbos ecology -- South Africa Competition (Biology) UCTD Van Heerden, Janca The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title | The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title_full | The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title_short | The effects of introducing managed Cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in South Africa |
| title_sort | effects of introducing managed cape honey bee colonies into fynbos systems in south africa |
| topic | Honeybee (Apis mellifera) -- Ecology -- South Africa Cape honeybee -- Management Insect-plant relationships Bee culture -- Conservation Fynbos ecology -- South Africa Competition (Biology) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128351 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vanheerdenjanca theeffectsofintroducingmanagedcapehoneybeecoloniesintofynbossystemsinsouthafrica AT vanheerdenjanca effectsofintroducingmanagedcapehoneybeecoloniesintofynbossystemsinsouthafrica |