Bio-diversity

Bees make tremendous contribution to important function of biosphere, especially to a flower flora, thereby playing essential role in provision of stability within plant species. Conservation of a number and diversity of spine-off creatures is of a high priority which has a global ecological value. Protection and conservation of bees is key issue for population of hilly and mountain areas of Vakhsh range, where degradation of ecosystems progressively rising due to the man s impact. Destroyed vegetation surfaces used to hold mountain slopes contributed to further emerge of land degradation and erosion. One of the important components of biocenosis is wild bees. There are 800 various bee species known and recorded in the country. The main kernel among them is solitary bees having old pre-palaearctic and palaearctic origination. From the total number of existing species, above 150 types are considered endemic and sub-endemic. The mountain reliefs of target area mainly describe the strong eroded partitions, ravines and gullies, which creates suitable conditions for bee farming and development. However, as a result of excessive land ploughing, environment pollution, infrastructure construction and emerge of landmines destroyed the habitat and forced bee colonies fled. Reconstructed building structures and replaced old wooden construction materials (covered with reeds and beard grass) into brick walls, concrete, iron and asbestos badly hampered nesting of various bee colonies including wild and endemic species. Such situation is prevailed within Vakhksh range. Pasturelands are overgrazed, poorly land rotation and management of biodiversity decreased the number of bee colonies in the target area. The biodiversity is badly deteriorated due to lack of knowledge, low level of civic ecological education and excessive man s impact. Massive land cleaning from weeds and flowers by local community reduced bees of nutrition sources. Inadequate use of pesticides and chemicals contributed to the loss of bee colonies, which leads to the further degradation in the target areas. Gene-fund of various bee species is broken and their numbers are twice reduced. Through a practical way of promoting and increasing conservation measures of bees, the project has intention to erect artificial bee nests (bee houses) in wild natural zones as well as within agro-ecosystems, i.e. close to the agricultural crops which need for pollination. There are 20 types of bees known that dwell in artificial nests, in the stem of woods and grasses (caulis). Today, agriculture crops within target area are partially pollinated by honeybees keep in hands of local communities, however their number are insufficient even for minimum pollination which is far below the normal requirements. The wild bees play very crucial role in the process of seed foundation of various leguminous plants, such as Lucerne (alfa-alfa), which has a special value in the country where majority people in rural mountain areas are engaged with cattle farming and fodder production. Plantation and use of lucerne for crop rotation is very limited in rural areas due to unavailability of quality seeds and the high prices. Insufficient number of natural pollinators in the target area resulted in low fodder production. Rehabilitation of nesting environment and availability of pollinators wild bees in the target areas will greatly contribute in increase of agriculture crops, seeds and fodder productions for 10-20 times more.

Tajikistan