Assessment of potential and prioritization of vegetation types of Tabriz County in terms of richness for beekeeping purposes

Determining rangeland suitability for different uses is one of the goals for natural resource management and it is guarantor of sustainable development, as well. The purpose of this study was to study the suitability of different plant types in the rangelands of Tabriz area for beekeeping. Using the vegetation type maps of the area as well as studies related to the attractiveness of plants, the number of attractive species for the plant types was determined and the final map of the potential classification of types was prepared from the point of view of beekeepers. The results showed that there are 250 attractive species for honey bee in the region. The most species is pollen and mosquito species blongs to the type of Bromus tomentollus-Astragalus chrysostachys-Acantholimon bracteatum with 68 species. The plant types of Aeluropus littoralis and Halocnemum strabilaceum have no attractive species for honey bee. Soil salinity in the fields and salt lands around Lake Urmia has reduced the potential of the types in these areas. The total area of rangeland area was 715573 ha and about 550873 hectares (77%) have high and medium capacity for breeding bee honey. Therefore, most of the study area has a medium class (S2) for beekeeping potential and attractive honey bee plants. According to the results, more than half of the rangelands of the region have a moderate to high potential for beekeeping which by following the principles of beekeeping, income earning can be achieved by reducing livestock pressure on rangeland regeneration, which ultimately leads to the systematic and proper management of regional rangeland, soil and water conservation, and enhancement of vegetation.