林下養蜂之粉源植物分子鑑定分析

Beekeeping plays an essential role in the forest-based economy, where pollen is both a product and an important resource for gaining insight into honeybee foraging. This study investigated the pollen resource of Apis mellifera in the Experimental Forest College of Bioresources and Agriculture at National Taiwan University. Pollen was collected and the DNA was extracted monthly from January 2021 through June 2022. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, a commonly used plant DNA barcode, was sequenced using next-generation sequencing technology to identify and then create a catalog of plant composition of the pollen. The study catalogued pollen from 58 species belonging to 28 plant families, including 34 introduced species and 24 native species. The proportion of pollen from introduced species exceeded 95% of the total each month. This high proportion of introduced species may be associated with human activities in the vicinity and the extended flowering periods of these non-native plants. Notably, we recorded high production of plum, bamboo, and tea pollen in specific months, suggesting potential opportunities for developing specialty products.