Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping
Anthony C. Robinson, Jamie L. Peeler, Tim Prestby, Sarah C. Goslee, Kate Anton, Christina M. Grozinger
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics
Pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, are crucial for global food systems. However, declines in populations of both wild and managed pollinators have been reported across the world. In the United States, approximately 30% of managed honey bee colonies die each year. The factors underlying these losses are well understood and include reductions in the abundance and diversity of flowering plants that pollinators depend on for food, increased insecticide use, and reduced nesting habitat for wild bees. However, translating pollinator research findings into actionable knowledge for beekeepers presents a sizable spatial decision support challenge. In this work we evaluate the utility and usability of a prototype system called Beescape which intends to support environmental decision-making for beekeepers and other stakeholders. Beescape includes tools for exploring and visualizing maps that link to modeled environmental factors that impact managed bees, including honey bees, and wild bee health. Thirty beekeepers were recruited to take part in an online user study that included task analysis and survey components to elicit user input on areas of improvement for future Beescape development. The results of our evaluation of usability and utility metrics for Beescape highlighted the need for spatially-specific foraging information, better descriptions of modeled habitat quality measures, and actionable guidance to help them manage their hives. The results of our study highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with providing decision support systems that attempt to translate emerging environmental science for audiences that may be motivated by a common goal to improve honey bee survival, but who have a diverse range of technical backgrounds, applied practices, and reasons for their interest.
Ecological Informatics
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
Ecological Modeling
10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
Dive into the research topics of 'Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
apiculture Earth & Environmental Sciences 100%
Decision Support Mathematics 93%
Usability Mathematics 81%
bee Earth & Environmental Sciences 75%
pollinating insects Agriculture & Biology 63%
beekeepers Agriculture & Biology 60%
User Studies Mathematics 57%
Flowering Mathematics 53%
Robinson, A. C., Peeler, J. L., Prestby, T., Goslee, S. C., Anton, K., & Grozinger, C. M. (2021). Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping. Ecological Informatics, 64, [101366]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
Robinson, Anthony C. ; Peeler, Jamie L. ; Prestby, Tim et al. / Beescape : Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping. In: Ecological Informatics. 2021 ; Vol. 64.
@article{8df4c8af87734ff694b4bb1f9da27efa,
title = "Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping",
abstract = "Pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, are crucial for global food systems. However, declines in populations of both wild and managed pollinators have been reported across the world. In the United States, approximately 30% of managed honey bee colonies die each year. The factors underlying these losses are well understood and include reductions in the abundance and diversity of flowering plants that pollinators depend on for food, increased insecticide use, and reduced nesting habitat for wild bees. However, translating pollinator research findings into actionable knowledge for beekeepers presents a sizable spatial decision support challenge. In this work we evaluate the utility and usability of a prototype system called Beescape which intends to support environmental decision-making for beekeepers and other stakeholders. Beescape includes tools for exploring and visualizing maps that link to modeled environmental factors that impact managed bees, including honey bees, and wild bee health. Thirty beekeepers were recruited to take part in an online user study that included task analysis and survey components to elicit user input on areas of improvement for future Beescape development. The results of our evaluation of usability and utility metrics for Beescape highlighted the need for spatially-specific foraging information, better descriptions of modeled habitat quality measures, and actionable guidance to help them manage their hives. The results of our study highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with providing decision support systems that attempt to translate emerging environmental science for audiences that may be motivated by a common goal to improve honey bee survival, but who have a diverse range of technical backgrounds, applied practices, and reasons for their interest.",
author = "Robinson, {Anthony C.} and Peeler, {Jamie L.} and Tim Prestby and Goslee, {Sarah C.} and Kate Anton and Grozinger, {Christina M.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work is supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (#549032, to CMG). We would like to thank Dr. DJ McNeil for helpful discussions and the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association for helping us recruit individuals to engage in the survey. We also thank Azavea (Philadelphia, PA) who provided technical expertise to craft the Beescape prototype. Finally, we appreciate the work by Harland Patch and Holly Holt who designed and manage the Beescape website on which the prototype app is hosted. Funding Information: This work is supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (#549032, to CMG). We would like to thank Dr. DJ McNeil for helpful discussions and the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association for helping us recruit individuals to engage in the survey. We also thank Azavea (Philadelphia, PA) who provided technical expertise to craft the Beescape prototype. Finally, we appreciate the work by Harland Patch and Holly Holt who designed and manage the Beescape website on which the prototype app is hosted. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",
doi = "10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366",
journal = "Ecological Informatics",
Robinson, AC, Peeler, JL, Prestby, T, Goslee, SC, Anton, K & Grozinger, CM 2021, 'Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping', Ecological Informatics, vol. 64, 101366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
Beescape : Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping. / Robinson, Anthony C.; Peeler, Jamie L.; Prestby, Tim et al.
In: Ecological Informatics, Vol. 64, 101366, 09.2021.
T1 - Beescape
T2 - Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping
AU - Robinson, Anthony C.
AU - Peeler, Jamie L.
AU - Prestby, Tim
AU - Goslee, Sarah C.
AU - Anton, Kate
AU - Grozinger, Christina M.
N1 - Funding Information: This work is supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (#549032, to CMG). We would like to thank Dr. DJ McNeil for helpful discussions and the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association for helping us recruit individuals to engage in the survey. We also thank Azavea (Philadelphia, PA) who provided technical expertise to craft the Beescape prototype. Finally, we appreciate the work by Harland Patch and Holly Holt who designed and manage the Beescape website on which the prototype app is hosted. Funding Information: This work is supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (#549032, to CMG). We would like to thank Dr. DJ McNeil for helpful discussions and the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association for helping us recruit individuals to engage in the survey. We also thank Azavea (Philadelphia, PA) who provided technical expertise to craft the Beescape prototype. Finally, we appreciate the work by Harland Patch and Holly Holt who designed and manage the Beescape website on which the prototype app is hosted. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors
N2 - Pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, are crucial for global food systems. However, declines in populations of both wild and managed pollinators have been reported across the world. In the United States, approximately 30% of managed honey bee colonies die each year. The factors underlying these losses are well understood and include reductions in the abundance and diversity of flowering plants that pollinators depend on for food, increased insecticide use, and reduced nesting habitat for wild bees. However, translating pollinator research findings into actionable knowledge for beekeepers presents a sizable spatial decision support challenge. In this work we evaluate the utility and usability of a prototype system called Beescape which intends to support environmental decision-making for beekeepers and other stakeholders. Beescape includes tools for exploring and visualizing maps that link to modeled environmental factors that impact managed bees, including honey bees, and wild bee health. Thirty beekeepers were recruited to take part in an online user study that included task analysis and survey components to elicit user input on areas of improvement for future Beescape development. The results of our evaluation of usability and utility metrics for Beescape highlighted the need for spatially-specific foraging information, better descriptions of modeled habitat quality measures, and actionable guidance to help them manage their hives. The results of our study highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with providing decision support systems that attempt to translate emerging environmental science for audiences that may be motivated by a common goal to improve honey bee survival, but who have a diverse range of technical backgrounds, applied practices, and reasons for their interest.
AB - Pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, are crucial for global food systems. However, declines in populations of both wild and managed pollinators have been reported across the world. In the United States, approximately 30% of managed honey bee colonies die each year. The factors underlying these losses are well understood and include reductions in the abundance and diversity of flowering plants that pollinators depend on for food, increased insecticide use, and reduced nesting habitat for wild bees. However, translating pollinator research findings into actionable knowledge for beekeepers presents a sizable spatial decision support challenge. In this work we evaluate the utility and usability of a prototype system called Beescape which intends to support environmental decision-making for beekeepers and other stakeholders. Beescape includes tools for exploring and visualizing maps that link to modeled environmental factors that impact managed bees, including honey bees, and wild bee health. Thirty beekeepers were recruited to take part in an online user study that included task analysis and survey components to elicit user input on areas of improvement for future Beescape development. The results of our evaluation of usability and utility metrics for Beescape highlighted the need for spatially-specific foraging information, better descriptions of modeled habitat quality measures, and actionable guidance to help them manage their hives. The results of our study highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with providing decision support systems that attempt to translate emerging environmental science for audiences that may be motivated by a common goal to improve honey bee survival, but who have a diverse range of technical backgrounds, applied practices, and reasons for their interest.
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366
JO - Ecological Informatics
JF - Ecological Informatics
Robinson AC, Peeler JL, Prestby T, Goslee SC, Anton K, Grozinger CM. Beescape: Characterizing user needs for environmental decision support in beekeeping. Ecological Informatics. 2021 Sep;64:101366. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101366