Diversidade de abelhas (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em uma área de cerrado no município de Frutal/MG e estudoe xperimental de Euglossa cordata em área de Mata Atlântica

Abstract

Bee pollination is an essential ecosystem service for the maintenance of plant biodiversity, ensuring plant reproduction, genetic variability, and ecosystem resilience. In the Cerrado, a biome recognized for its high biological diversity and vulnerability to anthropogenic pressures, bees play a crucial role as pollinators and bioindicators of environmental quality. Habitat fragmentation, urban expansion, and the intensive use of agrochemicals negatively impact the diversity and abundance of these insects, thereby compromising the provision of essential ecosystem services. This study analyzed the bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) in Cerrado areas, aiming to understand how factors such as forest fragmentation and the loss of natural habitats affect the composition and structure of bee communities. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of bees as sensitive bioindicators of environmental changes, which enables their use in monitoring anthropogenic impacts and assessing environmental quality. Species diversity and distribution are directly influenced by local conditions, such as the availability of floral resources and nesting sites, being higher in preserved and restored natural areas. The expected results will contribute to understanding the relationship between land-use changes and bee community dynamics, providing support for the development of public policies aimed at the conservation of the Cerrado and the promotion of sustainable practices. The preservation of bee fauna is fundamental not only for maintaining the biome's biodiversity but also for ensuring the continuity of ecosystem services that sustain agricultural production and environmental health. In parallel, a study was conducted with the species Euglossa cordata, aiming to develop a protocol for the management and artificial multiplication of its nests, in order to enable the rational rearing of this species and to promote its use as a pollination agent in agricultural crops such as Vanilla spp.