In spite of the low agronomic performances of Ivorian cashew orchards, Côte d'Ivoire recently became the first worldwide producer and exporter of raw cashew nuts. To maintain this ringleader position, several factors should be understood including the ecological factors supporting this success. Pollination service due to bees was recognized to impact cashew production. Therefore, determining cashew trees that are more attractive to bees can contribute to promote pollination activities. To detect these cashew trees possessing the flowers preferred by bees, two types of investigations were undertaken: (1) a socioeconomic survey in 3167 cashew hectares belonging to 381 producers and (2) an experimental detection of the bees' floral preference. As results, 58 of the 381 interviewed producers had identified the bees' floral preference resulting in a detection of 681 cashew trees. The flowers of the preferred cashew trees were visited 5 times more and they attracted 3 times more bee foragers as compared to nonpreferred cashew trees. These findings may be included in research programs focus on: (i) improvement of agronomic performances and (ii) effective management of bees' community.
Bees are vital to both ecosystems and humans worldwide; supplying a range of key support facilities for the successful breeding of the majority of flowering plants. The aim of this study was to assess the bee species composition in a Sudano‐Guinean savanna zone and determining the impact of a set of environmental parameters influencing this species composition in four habitat types. Sampling was carried using yellow pan traps protocol. A total of 846 bees belonging to 3 families, 25 genera and 52 species were collected. The largest number of bee individuals was found in the Apidae family. The most abundant species was Hypotrigona sp. The highest bee species and number of individuals was recorded in the shrubby savanna. Bee species diversity and abundance were found closely correlated with the plant diversity. Gaining a better understanding of the factors influencing bee community dynamics in the given landscape can provide valuable information for conservation efforts, habitat management and help identifying species which ones could be domesticated.
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