A meliponicultura como fator de ecodesenvolvimento na área de Prote o Ambiental da ilha de Santa Rita, Alagoas

The Reserve Area of Santa Rita’s Island posseses many ecological and touristic interests, like Lake Manguaba and a freshwater channel interlinking Lake Manguaba with Lake Mundaú, along side of the Atlantic Forest, or grasslands, with the remains of the forests and the growth of mangroves forests. This environment holds non predatorial activities, like the meliponiculture (the creation of bees without stinger). The objective of this survey is the knowledge about Uru u bee (Melipona scutellaris) in Santa Rita’s Island Reserve Area, in Alagoas. Forty beekeepers were interviewed, these beekeepers answered questions pertaining to the subjects of, handling of the bees, commercialization and production in the local environs of the Santa Rita’s Island Reserve Area. It was verified that handling of the bees was a little technical with negative economic returns in the future. A right creation of the Melipona scutellaris with the high economic value of its produts (honey and pollen) and the cross pollination of native and exotic plants, like Anacardium ocidentale, Eugenia uniflora, Coccus nucifera, Citrus sp. among others, would be very considered a good strategy to maintain development in the aforesaid area because this production could generate employment and income opportunities in the local area compatible with measures of environmental protection forecasted for that Santa Rita’s Island Reserve Area.