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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bee Sci.
Sec. Bee Physiology
Volume 2 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frbee.2024.1385640
This article is part of the Research Topic Biology of Giant Honeybees View all 5 articles

Socio-ecological surveys of Apis dorsata in the mountains of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India

Provisionally accepted
Shiny Mariam Rehel Shiny Mariam Rehel 1,2*Mahadesha Basavegowda Mahadesha Basavegowda 2Justinraj Thankiyan Justinraj Thankiyan 2Pratim Roy Pratim Roy 2
  • 1 Biodiversity Conservation, Other, Nilgiris, India
  • 2 Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This paper provides insights into the ecology and conservation of Apis dorsata (Giant Honey Bee) in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), emphasizing diverse methodologies employed for population assessment. Rather than directly comparing nest densities across regions and seasons, our study integrates scientific approaches with Indigenous knowledge to examine changes in nest locations, nesting behaviors, and seasonal patterns across three decades. It underscores the critical role of sacred sites and protected areas in conserving Apis dorsata populations. This research aims to inform future conservation strategies and policy frameworks, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding and preserving wild bee species.

    Keywords: Apis dorsata, wildbees, population estimates, Indigenous knoweldge, sacred cliffs, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR)

    Received: 13 Feb 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Rehel, Basavegowda, Thankiyan and Roy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shiny Mariam Rehel, Biodiversity Conservation, Other, Nilgiris, India

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