Research Information System
5th International Muğla Beekeeping and Pine Honey Congress, Muğla, Turkey, 1 - 05 November 2016
A Survey of Niche Overlap
and Adaptive Trait Responses of Turkish Honeybee Subspecies to Climate
Mert Kükrer1, Ayşe Turak2, Can Bilgin1
1Department of
Biology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey (mertkukrer@gmail.com).
2Nature
Conservation Center, Ankara, Turkey.
Introduction: Over 24 subspecies or “geographic races” of honeybees
in the world appear to have diversified following isolation during the
Pleistocene glaciations. Research on their differences in morphology,
biogeography, behavior and genetics suggest that Turkish races belong mostly to
the same lineage, but evolved in extremely different habitats. Foraging
strategies, honey storage, production of young, overwintering success, swarming
behavior or aggression show differences between races. Such traits might be
influenced during the adaptation process by habitat-specific features like
daily temperature, abundance and phenology of nectar flow, length and severity
of winter, or predator pressure.
Method: This study includes a survey of potentially adaptive
traits that belong to different genetic components identified by STRUCTURE
analysis which was based on a microsatellite marker assay. Relationship between
climatic conditions and potentially adaptive traits were also explored. To overcome
restrictions of limited sampling, we used ecological niche modeling to estimate
distributional ranges and identify possible climatic drivers of adaptation for
four subspecies and one ecotype.
Results and Conclusion: Although the sample sizes were low, niche models
produced ranges for each of the subspecies and ecotypes that roughly correspond
to particular ecoregions in Turkey. Precipitation in the warmest or coldest
quarter, precipitation and temperature seasonality, mean temperature of the
wettest quarter and annual mean temperature explained ranges produced by models
more than other variables. Due to our survey, a number of life history traits,
morphologies and behavior could be related to certain climatic features. We
discuss adaptive values of the traits belonging to different honeybee
subspecies and ecotypes and suggest hypotheses to test these associations
within the context of queen and colony trades.
Keywords: Apis mellifera,
subspecies, ecotypes, adaptive traits, ecological niche modeling, climate,
distributional range