MELLIFEROUS FLORA AND APICULTURE IN THE PRE-RIF

To quantify the plant diversity values in the Pre-Rif of the province of Taza (North of Morocco), as an environmental economic approach, investigations and field surveys have highlighted values of the local melliferous flora for apiculture. Honey flora, whose population pulls profit, consists mainly of 28 species and interests also itinerant beekeepers. We estimated an average of 12.1±10.8 beekeepers by rural settlement or “douar”, of which 66.3% are itinerant and 33.7% are sedentary, and an average of 36.3±30.4 hives by apiarist. Moreover, several types of honeys are produced locally and consumed extensively as a health food. The hive yield in honey is depending on the foraged species: low for Origanum spp., Thymus spp. and Arbutus unedo , and high for Anthyllis cytisoides , Rosmarinus officinalis , Ceratonia siliqua and Ziziphus lotus . The direct benefits of honey flora are assessed to 14,859 MAD.beekeeper -1 .year -1 .


INTRODUCTION
Moroccan flora would include, at the current state of knowledge, some 8,000 species.Very little information is available for groups of great ecological and socio-economic interest, and many sites of Morocco have almost never been surveyed (FAO-Morocco, 2006).Plant diversity in Morocco is one of the highest rates of endemism into the Euro-Mediterranean region.Thus, over 4500 taxa of vascular plants, native or naturalized, 800 to 951 taxa are endemic (Benrahmoune Idrissi & Dubruille, 2003;Fougrach, Badri & Malki, 2007).
Otherwise, there is a cultural expression resulting from the use and exploitation mode of the environment, and therefore, a rich culture that is expressed in a mosaic of folklore, architecture, local products, crafts and customs (Benrahmoune Idrissi & Dubruille, 2003).
Beekeeping has an ecological role, i.e. the ecological heritage, and an economic interest, e.g.hive by-products and overall agricultural production (Melin, 2011).Apiculture is an ideal activity for rural areas (Dushimimana, 2007) and also contributes indirectly to the sustainability of plant resources through the pollination process (in Ennabili, Gharnit & Elhamdouni, 2000).Entomophilous crop pollination service is therefore a prominent economic, contributing about 117 billion U.S. dollars to the world agriculture (Vaissière, 2005;in Haubruge et al., 2006).
The practice of beekeeping requires a basic knowledge of honey plants (distribution, ecology, biology ...) and environmental factors influencing it (Melin, 2011).This paper aims to identify the main melliferous plant species, and assess the current status of beekeeping in the Pre-Rif of the province of Taza (North of Morocco).

STUDY AREA
The province of Taza covers a total area of 15,020 km 2 (Figure 1); its population is around 720,000 inhabitants (FAO-Morocco, 2006;Taza city, 2009).It is bounded to the North, East, South and West by the provinces of Al Hoceima and Nador, the province of Taourirte, the province of Boulmane and the provinces of Taounate and Sefrou respectively (Province of Taza, 2009).
The survey area is characterized by rugged relief, constituting a constraint for its development.The main mountains are Jbel Akechars (around 2,009 m), Jbel Kouine (1,883 m) and Jbel Aberchane (1,774 m).The substrates are soft and impervious (Loukili et al., 2006).The climate is of Mediterranean type, particularly semi-continental to Mediterranean influence, humid in winter and semi-arid in summer (SEE, 2002;Province of Taza, 2009).
With 468,000 ha, forests and alfa grass occupy 42.5% of the province of Taza; 401,339 ha of which correspond to forests.Holm oak, thuja, Aleppo pine, cork oak and cedar (especially from the national park of Tazekka) overrun respectively 130,704 ha, 50,151 ha, 30,028 ha, 11,737 ha and 9,907 ha.As for the grazing and uncultivated lands, they spread on 644,000 ha, i.e. 44.7% of the province surface (Programme Natura, 2008;SEF, 2008).In addition, Man encourages the soil erosion, due to overgrazing and clearing activities (Loukili et al., 2006).
The foothills of the Rif are among the early settlement regions, which together with the Moroccan mountains are considered as the Moroccan cradle of humanity (Binane, 1999), with an average of 10,559±5,818 inhabitants.commune - (N=27); the average number of douars by commune is of 18.3±8.26(N=13) (SEE, 2002;Province of Taza 2009).
Indeed, the Southern sides of eastern Rif have been long neglected and marginalized.These mountain areas are seriously subjected to natural, economic and spatial imbalance (Binane, 1999).Agriculture is a vital sector in the local economy, and occupies 80% of the rural population, in the form of cerealbased subsistence farming, livestock and arboriculture, mainly olive, almond and fig trees (SEE, 2002;FAO-Morocco 2006;Province of Taza, 2009).

METHODS
In order to document local knowledge in terms of honey plants (diversity, phenology …) and apiculture (production and marketing of honey, beekeepers …), we used pre-established survey forms, and plants collections for identification were carried out from April 2008 to April 2011 in 16 stations of the study area (Figure 1).
The flowering period lasts throughout the year and varies depending on the weather and species: from 2 to 11 months for Smilacaceae and Myrtaceae, and Lamiaceae in the same order (Table 1).Considering the classification of Akoegninou et al. (2009) and various features of honey plants (distribution, density, blooming abundance ...), three melliferous plants groups could be distinguished: Moreover, a melliferous resource map could be established depending on blooming, beekeepers and weather circumstances, and "species / blooming period / station" combinations or honeydew periods were spatially highlighted (Table 2).To increase honey production, itinerant apiarists opt for other stations not depending on the study area, including:
The apiary size is on average of 36.3±30.4hives per beekeeper (N=50), against just 7 hives.beekeeper - in the South side of the High Atlas, Morocco (CBTHA, 2004).However, hives number per apiary vary depending on beekeeper categories: 2-22 hives for the traditional beekeepers, 4-150 hives for the sedentary modern ones, and 100-300 for the itinerant apiarists visiting the survey area.Modern apiaries represent 78.6%, vs. 21.4% for the traditional ones, an opposite pattern when compared to the South side of the Moroccan High Atlas: 62, 24 and 14% of traditional, modern and mixed apiaries in the same order (CBTHA, 2004).
Modern beekeepers buy the populated hives from other regions (Larache, Sidi Slimane ...), while traditional beekeepers raise bees, named locally "baldi", and capture wilds warms.In Morocco, Apis mellifera is exclusively raised, with three native breeds: A. mellifera intermissa, A. mellifera sahariensis and A. mellifera major.The Gharb region (around Kenitra) is the main bee Center of Morocco, based on the A. mellifera intermissa variety, feeding mostly on Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. gomphocephala (Dahssi et al., 2004).
Populated hives are generally placed in apiaries away from homes, considering plants abundance, water proximity, sunlight and wind.Apiaries are regularly managed with every processing operation (76.3%).However beekeepers are still complaining more problems such apiarist training and bees treatment lack, weather conditions (dry and strong wind or "chergui", sharp decline of temperature or "jriha"), aphids competition, bee pests like rats and frogs … Sensitization of young professionals in this regard (use of modern hives, good practices ...) would contribute to improving of local production of honey, since many beekeepers join associations and cooperatives.
Honey is widely consumed at the local and is considered as a health food.Some beekeepers separate pollen of some plants for traditional medicine use (against allergy and liver diseases respectively for Dittrichia viscosa and Globularia alypum), and wax, sold or used for cosmetic purposes.However, other apiculture products such propolis, larva of bees, venom and royal frost could be exploited by using selected colonies of bees (Ennabili, Gharnit & Elhamdouni, 2000;Imdorf, Ruoff & Fluri, 2010;CRA, 2011).
Luna Azul ISSN 1909ISSN -2474 No. 36, enero -junio 2013 ©Universidad de Caldas The unit price of honey is very high when compared to living standard of the local population, reaching 400 MAD.L -1 , and fluctuates from 145±33.9 to 269±77.1 MAD.L -1 in terms of honey types.The cost production of honey varies also from 30±24.5 to 80±28 MAD.L -1 (Table 3).The honey collected from traditional hives is produced mainly from several plants (two collections a year) and highly demanded.
Honey production is marketed locally "hand to hand".However, some beekeepers opt for nationwide destinations (Fez, Meknes, Al Hoceima, Oujda, Agadir, Nador, Rabat and Tangier) or overseas ones.Honey produced is usually sold right after harvest, given the limited income available for the local people.
Based on years, drought and vegetation decline, including overexploitation of medicinal plants (Origanum spp.…), can cause a deficit of honey production.
Through a production of 3.25±1.50to 13.5±2.12L.hive -1 , modern beekeeping generates income from 4,216±3,225 to 28,000 MAD.beekeeper -1 .year - , and an average benefit of 14,860±10,150 MAD.beekeeper -1 .year - (N=6) (Table 4).The contribution of apiculture to the local economy is estimated to 6-10%.According to the available data of "Centres des Travaux Agricoles de Tainaste & Taza", the annual production of honey is about 73,434 L.year -1 , with a total value estimated at 13,658,724 MAD.year -1 for the Province of Taza, representing a notable component of subsistence farming in mountainous areas (cereals, arboriculture ...), and a part of the indirect values of the native flora, besides other incomes (medicinal plants …).
Even though the region offers a great potential for beekeeping, allowing the transhumance practices, the sector suffers numerous problems and constraints.An accompanying policy of beekeeping is necessary to allow an optimum utilization of natural resources and a revitalization of this sector in order to improve living standards of the local people.The creation of professional associations would be of great importance beekeeping development and local products promotion.
Moreover, beekeeping helps to maintain the local ecosystems balance, and presents an aspect of indirect uses of natural resources (Sbai, 1998;Programme Natura 2008;Arnaud, Clermont-Ferrand & Reims, 2009).