HUMAN IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON THE SICILIAN AGROECOSYSTEMS THROUGH THE EVALUATION OF MELLIFEROUS AREAS

Human activity has influenced and profoundly changed the territory of Sicily. The increase of urban and suburban areas, transport infrastructure and the changes in land cover use, have led to a fragmentation of the landscape and consequently, of areas of nectariferous importance. Honey is one of the products most tied to and influenced by the land composition since it derives its main features from the environment, vegetation and flora of the areas in which the bees move. The goal of this work is to built a map of the melliferous areas present in Sicily and then to chart and assess the state of fragmentation and disturbance of areas of apiarian interest, caused by the presence of urban infrastructure and road networks, so as to better define future planning guidelines for the protection and management of the environment for the preservation of honeybees and of beekeeping activities.