Trying to conserve the bee of Euskal Herria

2000/10/01 Arregi, Joseba | Estonba, Andone | Leunda, Joxe | Miguel, Irati | Sarasola, Mikel | Urrutia, Koldo Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia
• Ekologia

In recent years, the black bee distribution area is being reduced and fragmented significantly. The main reason for this is the new cultivation techniques and, above all, the importation of strange non-black bees. About 10 years ago, numerous black bees affected by barroasis (Varroa jacobsoni) died and, subsequently, numerous bees of lineage C, bees of eastern Europe, imported to the west of Europe. In addition, in recent years, the trend towards the importation of queens and transhumance has increased. All this has meant an increase in hybrid colonies. These hybrid colonies intersect with local colonies and, consequently, black bee is suffering an alarming genetic erosion in Europe.

Basque Country: ideal land to protect black bee

However, there are regions that have suffered a low erosion and that can resort to these "deposits" of genetic variability to protect the black bee, as is the case of the Basque Country.

Although imports are made in Euskal Herria, it is still the autochthonous bee that is most exploited. The difficulty of accessing some regions, the conservation carried out by many beekeepers and the simple technical development of many farms have contributed to the conservation of bees adapted to the ecosystem.

Moreover, in Euskal Herria the two main European biogeographic regions are superimposed: the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Consequently, the ecological conditions of our territory would allow the emergence of internal diversity.

Finally, the beekeepers of Euskal Herria are very well organized and are taking charge of the conservation of the black bee.

These conditions are not easy to find, but are essential for the recovery, conservation and improvement of black bee.

Therefore, in Euskal Herria we have a unique opportunity to conserve and revitalize the genetic heritage of black bee.

Reasons to protect black bee

Today, the Earth is drastically losing its biodiversity. Likewise, in recent years a special interest has been generated in the recovery and recovery of the native races of domestic animals and the species Apis mellifera is no exception. In fact, many experts have highlighted the need to protect their populations.

On the other hand, the protection of the native bee not only manages to maintain the diversity of this species. The conservation of Apis mellifera, the main pollinating agent of the ecosystem, has positive effects on the conservation and development of the entire ecosystem. In fact, the bee has synchronized its biological cycle with the annual climate cycle of a given zone and with the phenology of plants2. Therefore, the bee is key and its disappearance would have terrible consequences for nature, and therefore for the human being.

The third reason to protect your bee is economic. Most of the Euskal Herria beekeepers are supporters of non-intensive beekeeping and the bee they love is the one that develops naturally and requires little attention. Your bee meets these characteristics: it produces honey on a regular basis and requires little dedication and attention.

The protection of the native bee aims to maintain the genetic heritage of the bee, allowing the possibility of bees adapted to special areas. In this context, it is essential to analyze the genetic variability of the species.

Analysis of genetic variability

For a long time, morphometry or biometria3 has been the only tool available to describe the genetic variability of the bee. The recent development of molecular markers has allowed to deepen the analysis of bee diversity. In particular, mitochondrial DNA (DNA mit) and microsatellite sequences are currently used to analyze bee diversity.

The model of the evolutionary history of Apis mellifera, represented through these three types of data, is similar. The 24 sub-species of the bee that have been characterized by their morphology can be grouped in turn into three evolutionary lineages: the African lineage (A), the North Mediterranean lineage (C) and the Western one of Europe (M) (see figure 1). The common name of the bee of the last lineage is the "black bee". Therefore, the bee of Euskal Herria is of lineage M. In terms of genetic variability, the populations of lineage M have less variability than those of lineages A and C. It seems that during the last glaciation the populations of western Europe suffered the phenomenon of the so-called bottle load: the black bee was "protected" from the cold in the south of France and in the Iberian peninsula, considerably reducing the number of individuals of the population (and therefore genetic diversity). Subsequently, with climate warming, the black bee recolonized the current distribution area.

Following the M lineage, two subspecies can be distinguished based on the work carried out by Garnery et al. in 1998 using DNA and microsatellites (see figure 2): Apis mellifera mellifera and Apis mellifera ibérica (the second is only found in the Iberian peninsula). In these works the data of a sample taken in Donostia are collected. From mitochondrial DNA, the sample of San Sebastián is grouped in population A. m. mellifera.

On the contrary, according to microsatellite studies, the sample of San Sebastián is among the subspecies A. m. mellifera and A. m. iberica. The divergence of both results makes it necessary to deepen the analysis of the genetic heritage of the bee in Euskal Herria. That is, the genetic analysis of more markers and the study of more populations are fundamental to establish the definitive phylogenetic relationship of the bee in the Basque Country4.

Project of beekeepers of the Basque Country: implementation of conservation areas

If the conservation of the bee is important, it is more important to preserve the lineage that is suffering the least diversity and the greatest hybridization, that is, the lineage M or the black bee. Furthermore, in the conservation of lineage M it will be key to maintain its internal variability, for which it is essential to protect bee populations with genetic peculiarities in certain zones.

This is the objective of the project promoted by the Gipuzkoa Beekeepers Association (AEE): Recovery and conservation of the black bee of the Basque Country. First, the Association approved in 1997 the bee recovery plan and completed the organizational structure of the participating beekeepers.

That same year, the members of the association began to look for the local black bee that, supposedly, could have genetic peculiarities. They began to search for wild black bees that are geographically isolated and have therefore suffered a minimal externality. For example, in the vicinity of the mountains of Goizueta were located and acquired abandoned hives. On the same line, in 1998, two abandoned dressers were bought in O–ati. In it live a total of 16 colonies without any treatment against the barroasis.

In early 1999 a few bees of Goizueta and O–ati were sent to the laboratory "Populations GŽnŽtique et Evolution" of the CNRS of Paris. Face-to-face L. Dr. Garnery works, in charge of the genetic-molecular study of the populations of Apis mellifera and responsible for the conservation spaces of the black bee that are being developed in Belgium and France. According to the analysis, the degree of hybridization (externality) in the selected areas is very low, which is an indispensable condition for use in the recovery process.

Currently, based on this material, it is intended to increase the number of hives and extend them in the regions of Goizueta-Artikutza and O–ati-Arantzazu, which want to become future conservation centers (see ).

It is about locating the conservation areas of Goizueta-Artikutza and O–ati-Arantzazu in the surrounding natural parks. On the one hand, the specific rules necessary for the conservation of the bee will be met more easily if they are incorporated into the general regulations of natural parks and, on the other hand, by the pollinating capacity of the bee, the presence of the bee in it benefits the entire ecosystem and, therefore, the natural park. In addition, the orography of the two conservation spaces chosen seems adequate for the isolated growth of the native bee, since the surrounding mountains protect from external action and appear to have a sufficiently large size for the correct development of the bee populations.

Genetic analysis of two bees populations

The selection of bees in conservation areas has begun. For this purpose, first of all, we wanted to know the genetic heritage of all the hives present in the conservation area. With this objective, all colonies located in both zones have been analyzed. The Department of Animal Biology and Genetics of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has conducted a mitochondrial DNA analysis of 420 colonies. As for outdoor work, the next step will be to remove all detected hybrid colonies from the conservation area. With these molecular analyses, the following results have been obtained:

- Most beehives, 95%, have the haplotype of lineage M. Only 2% of hives have haplotype of lineage C. Therefore, we can say that we have Goizueta and O–atin black bee, and that their degree of hybridization is very low.

- In the haplotypes of lineage M have been found three new forms, a very rare one. This result can be considered as an indicator of the characteristics of the native bee. Ecotipos6?

- Both populations, O–ati and Goizueta, appear separated in the analysis of genetic distances. O–ati clearly groups Apis mellifera mellifera (A.m.m.) Population of subspecies. On the contrary, Goizueta does not group in the population of s. A. not in that of A. m. iberica. Intermediate characteristics.

- According to them, O–ati A. m. would be classified as subspecies. Goizueta is not currently classified.

- On the other hand, this result is very interesting since it could reflect the internal diversity.

Our intention is to continue working on the execution of these two conservation spaces. From now on, analysis of microsatellites and biometrics and studies of ethology will be carried out, in order to deepen the knowledge of the genetic heritage of the apicultural populations of the conservation areas. The future is full of uncertainties, among other things, because we do not know which path the market and operating systems will follow. No one can ensure that native races meet future demands, but we are clear that their differentiated traits can become a real resource.