Phd student
Ecology of honey bees in natural conditions
E-mail: leon.koenig@ird.fr and leon.koenig@universite-paris-saclay.fr
Phone number: +33 1 69 15 68 31
Office: 1315
ResearchGate
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0797-8417
Subject of the PhD :
In Europe, honeybees (Apis mellifera) have a dual nature, as a managed and a wild species. Recent studies have shown that free-living colonies are present in European forests. However, too little attention is paid to monitoring these populations, resulting in the species not being classified on the IUCN Red List in Europe. This thesis therefore aims to study the ecology of free-living honeybee populations in European forests along a latitudinal gradient. Demographic characteristics such as colony density, survival and reproduction will be measured using standardised field monitoring and in situ sensors. These data will serve to determine whether these free-living colonies survive and reproduce sufficiently to maintain their population or whether their survival depends more on a regular supply of swarms from apiaries. Various environmental factors, particularly those associated with latitude, will be measured in order to assess their impact on colony dynamics. The results will contribute to fundamental knowledge about the ecology of wild honeybees and help determine the conservation status of the species on the IUCN Red List.