Proximity to a forest leads to higher honey yield: Another reason to conserve

Although tropical forest conservation is a top priority for human and environmental health, deforestation persists, mainly because of food and economic needs. No community will totally give up economic activities for the sake of ecological integrity, unless it is given alternative economic activities from which to draw its livelihood. Beekeeping in the forest buffer zone instead of traditional destructive honey-harvesting from forest trees is one such option at Arabuko Sokoke Forest (ASF) in Kenya. ASF is a dry coastal forest which is home to endangered and threatened fauna and is a hotspot considered a priority for conservation. In order to find out whether honey quantity and quality differed with distance from the forest, we studied honey yield per harvest (kg) and obtained samples from hives placed at varying distances from ASF in two successive years. Honey yield increased with proximity to the forest. Indeed the yield almost doubled in hives placed less than 1 km from the forest compared to those placed more than 3 km from the forest. All the honey samples met internationally required quality standards, although sugar levels were at the lower limit. This study demonstrates that the conservation of tropical forest ecosystems can have real local economic benefits. The documentation of the services provided by nearby natural areas should help make conservation of these areas a priority, even for the local communities.