Exploration of the Presence of Plastic Waste on the Diversity of Plants as Food Sources for Kelulut (Heterotrigona itama) in the Meratus Geopark, South Kalimantan

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the presence of plastic waste and forage plants for stingless bees in meliponiculture locations within the Meratus Geopark area. It focuses on the variations in types, shapes, densities, distribution patterns of plastic waste, and sources of forage for the bees. Four dominant types of plastic were identified: HDPE, LDPE, PET, and PP, with variations in size classified as mesoplastics (5–25 mm) and macroplastics (greater than 25 mm). The urban location, Budidaya Kelulut Kalimantan (BKK), exhibited the highest density of plastic waste at 17 mesoplastics per square meter. In contrast, the rural location, Budidaya Kelulut Rafasya (BKR), had the lowest density at 6 mesoplastics per square meter. The distribution of plastic waste tends to cluster in urban areas (with a Morisita Index greater than 1), while rural areas show a more uniform distribution pattern. Additionally, the analysis of forage plants revealed that Fabaceae is the primary source of forage for stingless bees (making up 16.2% of the findings), followed by Asteraceae (8.1%) and Araceae (6.8%). The sustainability of stingless bee colonies is influenced by the diversity of forage sources, as well as environmental pollution, which affects honey quality. The results of this study emphasize the need for plastic pollution mitigation and vegetation conservation to support sustainable honey production and protect the health of stingless bee colonies in both urban and rural areas. This data is intended to contribute to environmental management and promote environmentally friendly meliponiculture practices.