We will use the WebBeePop simulation model to study how honey bee
population dynamics depends on the weather.
In this simulation exercise, we will use data from five cities having
diverse weather conditions.
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Buffalo, New York
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Portland, Oregon
- Tucson, Arizona
An extensive interactive web site for weather data is the
National Climate Data Center and their
Interactive
Visualization of Climate Data.
Once you have selected a city and initial population,
WebBeePop will simulate the changes in the population from
January 1st to December 31st. By using daily weather information,
WebBeePop makes
updates of the population size.
The weather information we use to run this simulation
is
- daylength
The queen lays more eggs on long days.
- mean daily temperature
The queen lays more eggs on warm days and foragers fly only if the temperature is sufficiently high.
- rain and wind speed
Foragers do not fly if it is windy or rainy.
For more information on building a model of honey bee population
dynamics, read Life in the Hive.
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To run a WebBeePop simulation:
1. Enter the initial settings.
- What is the colony size on January 1st?
- What city do you choose?
2. Run WebBeePop.
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