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ZSI Survey Finds Diverse Wild Bees in Tawang Highlands
Scientists surveyed high places in Tawang to learn which wild bees live there.
They found bees from four different families, including bumblebees.
The survey took place from September 15 to October 7.
The team looked at places between 2,000 and 4,700 metres above sea level.
Bumblebees visited flowers such as Cirsium, Rose Carpet Knotweed and Cicerbita alpina for food.
Tawang’s flowers bloom for only a short time, so bees need different plants to flower through the season.
Farms, kitchen gardens and flowers near homes also provide nectar and pollen.
The scientists warned that changes to habitats and flowering times could make food harder to find.
They said protecting the flowering places is important for the bees.
A Zoological Survey of India study recorded wild bees in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, including bumblebees.
The survey ran from September 15 to October 7 under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies.
Researchers explored elevations from 2,000 to 4,700 metres at sites including Sela Pass and Bumla Pass.
Bees from four families were recorded, and researchers identified several flowering plants frequently visited by bumblebees.
The scientists said habitat disturbance and climate-related shifts in flowering could reduce pollinator food, underscoring the need to protect alpine flowering habitats.
- Who
- Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India’s Desert Regional Centre conducted the survey.
- What
- The survey recorded wild bee diversity, including bumblebees, and noted flowering plants that provide them with food.
- Where
- High-altitude areas of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, between 2,000 and 4,700 metres above sea level.
- When
- September 15 to October 7; the report was datelined October 8.
- Why
- To document bee diversity and bee-plant relationships and provide baseline information for future research and conservation.
Key facts
- Survey period
- September 15 to October 7
- Elevation surveyed
- 2,000–4,700 metres above sea level
- Bee families recorded
- Apidae, Megachilidae, Andrenidae and Halictidae
- Key locations
- Sela Pass, Bumla Pass, Nagula, Sangetsar Tso, Chumi Gyatse Falls and Jang
- Flowering plants noted
- Cirsium species, Rose Carpet Knotweed (Bistorta vacciniifolia) and Cicerbita alpina
- Research programme
- National Mission on Himalayan Studies
- Potential risks identified
- Changes in alpine vegetation, habitat disturbance and climate-related shifts in flowering cycles
Sources
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