In this thesis we examined the honey flow of indigenous and non-autochthonous tree
species that grow in Slovenian forests in order to gather and transparently regulate
data on the honeybeing of woody plants in Slovenia. We studied the prevalence of
individual honey tree species and their impact on the amount of forest honey obtained
in individual years. Due to the importance of forest honey for beekeeping, we studied
the annual reports of the Slovenian Forest Service, Slovenian Beekeepers’
Association and other literature, and compiled a list of tree species relevant to
beekeeping. Then we focused on the most important ones, which we also described in
detail. Additionaly we described 21 insects who produce forest honeydew. After
analyzing the obtained data, we found that the distribution of honey tree species in
Slovenia varies according to individual regions and depends on climatic and
pedological conditions for the growth of individual species, which greatly affect also
their health. The quantity and quality of the gathered forest honey are also decisively
effected by the weather conditions in the season of blooming and honeying of plants,
which results in the success rate of each harvest. Therefore, we noticed a large
difference in the quantity of honey gathered in individual years and in the ratio
between the quantity of forest and flower honey in a given year.
|
