New approach for determination of an optimum honeybee colony’s carrying capacity based on productivity and nectar secretion potential of bee forage species

Alghamdi, Ahmed; Adgaba, Nuru; Getachew, Awraris; Tadesse, Yewondwossen

doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2014.09.020

Cited by 46 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…At broader scales, overstocking of colonies may lead to resource limitation and consequently impaired immune function (Al‐Ghamdi, Adgaba, Getachew, & Tadesse, ; Pasquale et al, ). These effects are important for a broader understanding of honeybee epidemiology, but should be separated from the within‐apiary processes studied here.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial bees: The impact of apicultural intensification on local disease prevalence

Bartlett

Rozins

Brosi

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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It is generally thought that the intensification of farming will result in higher disease prevalences, although there is little specific modelling testing this idea. Focussing on honeybees, we build multi‐colony models to inform how “apicultural intensification” is predicted to impact honeybee pathogen epidemiology at the apiary scale.We used both agent‐based and analytical models to show that three linked aspects of apicultural intensification (increased population sizes, changes in population network structure and increased between‐colony transmission) are unlikely to greatly increase disease prevalence in apiaries. Principally this is because even low‐intensity apiculture exhibits high disease prevalence.The greatest impacts of apicultural intensification are found for diseases with relatively low R0 (basic reproduction number), however, such diseases cause little overall disease prevalence and, therefore, the impacts of intensification are minor. Furthermore, the smallest impacts of intensification are for diseases with high R0 values, which we argue are typical of important honeybee diseases. Policy Implications: Our findings contradict the idea that apicultural intensification by crowding honeybee colonies in large, dense apiaries leads to notably higher disease prevalences for established honeybee pathogens. More broadly, our work demonstrates the need for informative models of all agricultural systems and management practices in order to understand the implications of management changes on diseases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial bees: The impact of apicultural intensification on local disease prevalence

Bartlett

Rozins

Brosi

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…De modo que los apicultores están sujetos a un riesgo económico que deriva en que vulnera la rentabilidad de los apíarios (Al-Ghamdi et al, 2014) donde la aplicación de medicamentos, la alimentación artificial y la movilización de colmenas principalmente, como estrategias de adaptación para la producción, representan costos variables en continuo incremento y que deben ser recuperados por la venta de la miel en el mercado, restringiendo la capacidad de generar utilidades que mantengan la rentabilidad de la actividad apícola (Magaña and Leyva, 2011 …”

Section: Unan-leónunclassified

Impacto potencial del cambio climático en la apicultura

Castellanos-Potenciano

López

Sánchez

et al. 2016

(Rev. iberoam. bioecon. cambio clim.)

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El cambio climático representa el mayor reto para la humanidad en el siglo XXI, proyectando posibles cambios sociales, económicos y ecológicos a nivel global; lo que hace necesario plantear estrategias de adaptación y mitigación en las actividades del sector primario que permitan reducir el riesgo a esos cambios. Por lo que el objetivo de esta revisión fue analizar las investigaciones realizadas sobre los efectos del cambio climático en la apicultura a partir de dos de sus elementos básicos: las relaciones fisico-biologicos y los riesgos socioeconómicos. Los impactos potenciales se clasificaron en directos considerando la respuesta intra e inter-específica de la flora melífera y las abejas; e indirectos, enfocados a las afectaciones socioeconómicas. Se encontró que las afectaciones de orden directo conllevan a respuestas intra-específicas de las especies de plantas como la movilidad espacio temporal hacia latitudes más elevadas y a la dinámica poblacional de las colonias de abejas. Los cambios indirectos incluyen un sentido económico y social por el riesgo de la rentabilidad a consecuencia del incremento en las prácticas de adaptación, desembocando por consiguiente en un posible abandono de la actividad. Concluyendo en la evidente necesidad de trabajos regionales integrales e interdisciplinarios que contribuyan a prever la respuesta biológica de las especies involucradas en la actividad (desde el paradigma cuantitativo) y la comprensión del fenómeno (desde el paradigma cualitativo), resultado de la incertidumbre de los apicultores, quienes bajo su propio esquema de cogniciones deciden invertir o no, en prácticas de manejo que ayuden a mantener la producción.

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“…Overcrowding of bee colonies can lead to diminishing returns unless the floral resources are augmented to support the honey production (Al‐Ghamdi et al. ). In contrast, land‐based management decisions such as preserving or planting riparian zones for water quality improvement can enhance floral resources if good bee forage species are included (Williams and Kremen ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies have used models to understand pressure on floral resources, either through analysis of carrying capacity of hives (Al‐Ghamdi et al. ) or impact of spatial configuration (Henry et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent land-use changes are likely to be reducing the availability of nectar and pollen sources globally , Giannini et al 2012, Williams and Carreck 2014, Otto et al 2016. Overcrowding of bee colonies can lead to diminishing returns unless the floral resources are augmented to support the honey production (Al-Ghamdi et al 2014). In contrast, land-based management decisions such as preserving or planting riparian zones for water quality improvement can enhance floral resources if good bee forage species are included (Williams and Kremen 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping floral resources for honey bees in New Zealand at the catchment scale

Ausseil

Dymond

Newstrom³

2018

Ecological Applications

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Honey bees require nectar and pollen from flowers: nectar for energy and pollen for growth. The demand for nectar and pollen varies during the year, with more pollen needed in spring for colony population growth and more nectar needed in summer to sustain the maximum colony size and collect surplus nectar stores for winter. Sufficient bee forage is therefore necessary to ensure a healthy bee colony. Land-use changes can reduce the availability of floral resources suitable for bees, thereby increasing the susceptibility of bees to other stressors such as disease and pesticides. In contrast, land-based management decisions to protect or plant bee forage can enhance pollen and nectar supply to bees while meeting other goals such as riparian planting for water-quality improvement. Commercial demand for honey can also put pressure on floral resources through over-crowding of hives. To help understand and manage floral resources for bees, we developed a spatial model for mapping monthly nectar and pollen production from maps of land cover. Based on monthly estimated production data we mapped potential monthly supply of nectar and pollen to a given apiary location in the landscape. This is done by summing the total production within the foraging range of the apiary while subtracting the estimated nectar converted to energy for collection. Ratios of estimated supply over theoretical hive demand may then be used to infer a potential landscape carrying capacity to sustain hives. This model framework is quantitative and spatial, utilizing estimated flight energy costs for nectar foraging. It can contribute to management decisions such as where apiaries could be placed in the landscape depending on floral resources and where nectar limited areas may be located. It can contribute to planning areas for bee protection or planting such as in riparian vegetation. This would aid managed bee health, wild pollinator protection, and honey production. We demonstrate the methods in a case study in New Zealand where there is a growing demand for mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey production.

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New approach for determination of an optimum honeybee colony’s carrying capacity based on productivity and nectar secretion potential of bee forage species

Cited by 46 publications

References 15 publications

Industrial bees: The impact of apicultural intensification on local disease prevalence

Industrial bees: The impact of apicultural intensification on local disease prevalence

Impacto potencial del cambio climático en la apicultura

Mapping floral resources for honey bees in New Zealand at the catchment scale

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