FLORAL PREFERENCE OF HONEYBEES IN IJUMU, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA: A MELISSOPALYNOLOGICAL AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

With the aim of ascertaining the preferred 'polleniferous' species, pH, geographical and ecological origin, a
melissopalynological study was conducted in Ijumu, a human impacted region of Kogi State, Nigeria. Pollen weight was
also measured in an attempt to differentiate pure from adulterated honey currently marketed. Routine pollen analysis
was conducted on four honey samples. Findings revealed that pollen weight was between 0.25 and 0.40gram
indicating that the honey samples were naturally produced. An inordinate morphological diversity of pollen in size,
shape, aperture and sculpturing pattern was observed. A total of 40,795 pollen grains (13,027, 11,254, 7346 and 9178
for Ayehgbede, Ayegunle, Iyamoye and Ogidi respectively) were counted from 129 pollen types belonging to 49 known
and one indeterminate plant families. The pollen types were identified to family (2), generic (29) and species (92) level
while five remained unidentified. The most abundant plant families were Fabaceae (19.79%), Sapotaceae (12.80%),
Arecaceae (10.64%), Euphorbiaceae (10.63%), Myristicaceae (5.18%), Anacardiaceae (5.01%), Combretaceae (4.93%),
Phyllantaceae and Rubiaceae (3.75% each). The predominant pollen types were Alchornea cordifolia, Alchorrnea
latifolia, Brachystegia eurycoma, Vitellaria paradoxa, Combretum sp., Elaeis guineensis, Irvingia gabonensis,
Morelia senegalensis, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Solanum melongena and Vitex grandifolia worthy of conservation.
The pollen representation revealed that Ijumu is currently a derived savanna/lowland rainforest mosaic impacted by
inhabitants.