BEESWAX EXPORTS AND RAINFALL IN THE SAVANNA WOODLANDS OF EAST CENTRAL-AFRICA

Time series and regression analyses of rainfall and beeswax exports fr om the woodland savanna of east central Africa establish that these tw o variables are most significantly and highly correlated when phase-la gged by one bee year, running from July to June of the following year. Rainfall and honey production are also highly significantly correlate d when lagged by one bee year. However, honey and wax production are h ighly correlated on a same bee year basis. Thus beeswax harvest of any one year depends on the rainfall of the previous bee year. This is co nsistent with general effects of climate on vegetation and, specifical ly with the fact that the bee-trees of the miombo flower in the dry se ason.