Multi-dimensional modelling tools supporting decision-making for the beekeeping sector

Abstract

Honey bee colonies are fundamental for the provision of goods and ecosystem services. Honey bees are highly influenced by environmental conditions and quality, beekeepers' management practices, socio-economic conditions and policies adopted for cropping and land use. We propose a modelling framework aiming at assessing the bee health status and forecast colony outputs. Two modelling tools are here presented: (i) a Health Status Index (HSI) exploring the consequences of abiotic, biotic drivers and beekeeping actions on bee health; and (ii) predictive models for the estimation of honey production and the provision of pollination service considering abiotic, biotic drivers and HSI. The models proposed represent useful tools for science-based decision support for beekeepers, risk managers and policymakers.

Beekeeping and honey bee colony health: A review and conceptualization of beekeeping management practices implemented in Europe

“…Furthermore, data and estimations provided might be useful for the development of realistic scenarios related to European beekeeping and provide a valid support for the development of modelling tools (e.g. honey bee health indexes and/or models on honey bee population dynamics) able to capture the influence of the beekeeper to a honey bee colony (Gilioli et al, 2018(Gilioli et al, , 2019. The conceptual framework that we developed is independent from the selection of the BMPs.…”

Using Analytic Hierarchy Process to Assess Beekeeping Suitability in Portuguese Controlled Areas: A First Approach

“…Nowadays, beekeeping is widely recognized as an important environmental and socioeconomic activity linked to the sustainable development of rural areas. From an economic point of view, it offers an additional income to beekeepers through the provision of goods, such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, but economic benefits for the local community are also expected since the pollination services provided by honeybees play a key role in the increased yield of agricultural crops [1][2][3][4]. Bees pollinate approximately 90% of flowering plants worldwide.…”

“…Nevertheless, despite the innumerable advantages associated with beekeeping activity, its subsistence is being seriously threatened due to anthropic and biotic stresses. Climate change, the fragmentation of habitats resulting from land use changes, the occurrence of diseases and insect pests, bee health, and side effects of the use of pesticides are some negative aspects that can contribute to significant losses in pollinating insect colonies worldwide, thus compromising the beekeeping and agricultural production, which are the main income sources for many farmers who live and work in rural areas [2,3,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. To halt and reverse this trend, in 2018, the European Commission adopted the first-ever European Union (EU) framework on wild pollinators, called the EU Pollinators Initiative.…”

Control of Varroa destructor Mite Infestations at Experimental Apiaries Situated in Croatia

“…Moreover, honey bee colonies are highly influenced by beekeepers' management practices, socioeconomic conditions, and the level of implementation of policies supporting beekeeping activities [11] in the particular country. In view of the spread of varroosis across Europe and the problems which this disease has brought in the beekeeping sector, the European Union (EU) has been encouraged to set up national programs aimed at improving the general conditions for the sustainable beekeeping production and management in its ecological, economic, and social dimensions [12].…”