Initiatives for beekeeping intensification across the tropics can foster production and income, but the changes triggered by the introduction of modern beehives might permeate traditional knowledge and practices in multiple ways, and as such should be investigated and understood. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in the Eastern part of the Mau Forest among Ogiek beekeepers who customarily practice forest beekeeping and who are involved in a project aimed at the modernization of their beekeeping activities. We aimed to document the beekeeping-associated ethnobotanical knowledge, exploring the relationships and complementarity between modern and traditional knowledge and practices. Field research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 30 Ogiek beekeepers and 10 additional stakeholders. We collected ethnobotanical data about plants used for beekeeping purposes, and ethnographic information on traditional and modern beekeeping systems. We report 66 plant species, distributed across 36 botanical families representing 58 genera, important as melliferous, for the construction and placing of hives, attracting bees, and harvesting and storing honey. Dombeya torrida (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps, Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl., and Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. are the species with the most mentions and the highest number of uses. Our study reveals that the Ogiek possess a detailed knowledge of the forest’s flora, its importance and uses and that this knowledge underpins beekeeping practices. Under the influence of external actors, the Ogiek have progressively adopted modern versus traditional log hives and moved beekeeping out of the forest into open areas of pastures and crop fields. Beekeepers are also experimenting with combinations of practices borrowed from modern and traditional beekeeping systems, particularly in the field of hive construction and in the criteria to set up apiaries. The study indicates a complementarity and an incipient hybridization of traditional and modern beekeeping, in a way that suggests that modern beehives are instrumental in expanding the reach of beekeeping into deforested and cultivated areas. The study also points to the existence of a rift in the effects of beekeeping intensification on the livelihoods of the Ogiek and on their relationship with the forest. We argue that this intensification might be improving the former but weakening the latter, carrying the associated risk of erosion of traditional forest-based ethnobotanical knowledge.

中文翻译：

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扩大影响范围：肯尼亚毛乌森林Ogiek中养蜂业的民族植物学知识和技术强化

热带地区养蜂业的集约化举措可以促进生产和收入，但是现代蜂箱的引入引发的变化可能以多种方式渗透到传统知识和实践中，因此应进行调查和理解。我们在奥格（Ogiek）养蜂人中的毛乌森林东部进行了植物学研究，这些养蜂人习惯于从事森林养蜂业，并且参与了旨在实现其养蜂活动现代化的项目。我们旨在记录与养蜂有关的民族植物学知识，探索现代与传统知识与实践之间的关系和互补性。通过对30位Ogiek养蜂人和10位其他利益相关者的半结构化访谈进行了实地研究。我们收集了有关养蜂用途植物的民族植物学数据，以及有关传统和现代养蜂系统的人种学信息。我们报告了66种植物物种，分布在代表58个属的36个植物学科中，它们很重要，是有叶的，对于蜂巢的构造和放置，吸引蜜蜂以及收获和储存蜂蜜。Dombeya torrida（JFGmel。）Bamps，Juniperus procera Hochst。例如End End。和Podocarpus latifolius（Thunb。）前Mirb。是提及最多，用途最多的物种。我们的研究表明，Ogiek拥有有关森林植物区系，重要性和用途的详细知识，并且该知识是养蜂实践的基础。在外部演员的影响下，奥吉克（Ogiek）逐渐采用了现代与传统的原木蜂箱，并将养蜂业从森林转移到牧场和农田的开阔地带。养蜂人也在尝试从现代和传统养蜂系统中借鉴的实践组合，特别是在蜂巢建设领域和建立养蜂场的标准方面。这项研究表明了传统养蜂与现代养蜂的互补性和早期杂交，这表明现代蜂箱有助于将养蜂的范围扩大到森林砍伐和耕种的地区。该研究还指出，养蜂集约化对Ogiek生计及其与森林的关系存在影响。