Assessment fof Bees in Agroforestry in Kangsabati South Forest Division, Purulia, West Bengal

Abstract

Plant pollinator interactions have evolved through diffuse co-evolution, representations of relation between plants and animal species, where bees play a crucial role in preserving native plants' diversity and their reproduction success. This research intended to investigate the bee community composition in the agroforestry ecosystem, focusing on the impact of anthropogenic activities on pollinator diversity and ecosystem services of wild bees. This study made an effort to compile a list of bee species in both agriculture and forest ecosystems and their interaction with plant functional groups in the study site. The study was conducted in Kangsabati South Forest Division (KSFD) in Purulia, West Bengal. Extensive field research was conducted from February 2020 to April 2023. In the study, 25 species were successfully documented from three habitats: mixed forest, Sal forest, and agricultural landscape. The study found that the majority of residents in the study area were below the poverty level and an Indigenous community, relying on forest for firewood and non-timber forest product (NTFP). Agriculture practices were prevalent, with migrant labor being a significant trend. The agricultural practice was not considered eco-friendly, and excessive pesticides were used. The study also found that less than 50% of the respondents were familiar with bees. Subsistent and unskilled agriculture was practiced by less literate farmers, leading to land degradation and wasteland. The study highlights the need for eco-friendly agriculture practices and the degradation of natural habitats due to human activities. The relationship between bee species diversity and the stability of ecosystem service (E.S.) was investigated in this study. The study categorized bee communities into social and wild bees, and interpolated (IDW) diversity maps were generated for each survey site. The decline in population and diversity of bees' is observed gradually due to the influence of several anthropogenic activities, as demonstrated by several past studies. A low to slightly intermediate anthropogenic impact, mainly for agricultural landscapes, was noticed through the Human Footprint Index (HFI) map of KSFD.