Percorrer por autor "Fernandez, Paulo"
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- Integrating Multicriteria Decision Analysis for Beekeeping Suitability: Insights from a Portuguese Honey PDO LandscapePublication . Silveira, Carlos; Roque, Natália; Leitão, Bruno; Fernandez, Paulo; Anjos, Ofélia; Vilas-Boas, MiguelBeekeeping plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation and local economy development, as bees are key pollinators of numerous wild plant species and agricultural crops. Accordingly, understanding the suitability of rural territories is essential to provide an overview on bee activity and support the development of more sustainable beekeeping practices. This study presents an enhanced multicriteria approach for mapping beekeeping suitability, applied to a Portuguese region renowned for its honey with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The methodology integrates topographic, environmental and climatic criteria closely linked to bee ecology, whose relevance was prioritised in each category following expert perceptions and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). For these criteria, high-quality spatial data were compiled and processed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to evaluate landscape favourable conditions and limiting factors for beekeeping. Results indicate a comparable and significant influence of environmental and climatic criteria (43% each) relative to topographic ones (14%). Within each category, hillside exposure (63%), flora (53%) and rainfall (50%) contributions are particularly remarkable in defining the beekeeping suitability. When crossing the final suitability map with the apiary influence range, most apiaries were found in areas classified as very high suitability. This information provides valuable insights for beekeepers and policymakers, helping to optimize the beekeeping management and enhance the honey quality, particularly in PDO areas. Moreover, the proposed approach offers a scalable and adaptable framework that can be applied to other regions with beekeeping potential.Graphical AbstractThis diagram provides a concise overview of the study's core components and methodologies focused on evaluating land suitability for beekeeping. It presents a multicriteria framework developed using analytical and geoprocessing tools (AHP and GIS) and expert perceptions orientated towards mapping beekeeping suitability in a Portuguese region with PDO-certified honey production. To that end, high-quality spatial datasets covering landscape characteristics (i.e., topographic, environmental and climatic criteria) were selected, compiled and analysed for their relative importance in each category. When assigning weightings to each spatially normalised criterion (common scale with values between 0 and 1), the weighted sum result expresses the relative beekeeping suitability within and across the criteria categories. The final suitability map, which represents the weighted sum of the categories, shows a territory of excellence for the development of beekeeping activity, as it almost entirely falls into the high and very high classes. For this output, environmental and climatic categories had a significant and comparable contribution (43% each), whereas hillside exposure (63%), flora (53%) and rainfall (50%) were individually the most influential criteria. By spatially overlaying the final beekeeping suitability with the apiary influence range, it was found that most apiaries are located in areas classified as very high suitability. This integrated approach is therefore a scalable and adaptable decision-support tool to enhance apiary planning and landscape management, helping stakeholders to align ecological potential with sustainable beekeeping practices.
- Using Analytic Hierarchy Process to Assess Beekeeping Suitability in Portuguese Controlled Areas: A First ApproachPublication . Roque, Natália; Fernandez, Paulo; Silveira, Carlos; Vilas-Boas, Miguel; Anjos, OféliaSimple Summary Beekeeping is an activity that supports agriculture and wildlife on earth, so it is very important to provide accurate information that is able to help in increasing the profitability of beekeeping and valorize pollination services. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed to assess beekeeping potential using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The proposed tool will support decision making by selecting the best apiary locations to maximize honey production and, consequently, the risks of losing bee colonies will be reduced. The Suitability map (apiary aptitude map) allows for validating the best locations for apiaries (considering the spatial and floristic resources use), and the aptitude for installing new apiaries or moving existing ones. In this sense, the application of Multi-criteria GIS Analysis, in the context of beekeeping planning, is a useful tool for the Beekeepers Association to manage honeybee resources within the territory in order to maximize their profit, and for government agencies to implement promotional measures and policies to maximize food support needs and mitigate spared diseases.Abstract Beekeeping management is greatly influenced by spatial factors (e.g., land use/land cover, roads, or electrical energy networks), so GIS are a powerful tool to overlap and relate a variety of spatial data levels and, consequently, a very useful tool for beekeeping activity planning. This study was developed within the intervention area of three controlled zones managed by Portuguese Beekeepers Associations. The methodology, based on multi-criteria decision analysis, integrates several criteria, such as hydrographic networks, road networks, soil occupation, solar radiation, and electromagnetic radiation sources. These criteria were proposed and evaluated through online questionnaires carried out with beekeepers. Concerning the selected criteria and the respective geographical data, the most relevant were land use/land cover and water availability, with a significance of 44% and 24%, respectively. The beekeeping suitability map enabled us to evaluate the degree of compliance for the actual location of apiaries, with 60% of the apiaries being installed in high potential areas. In the context of beekeeping planning, the potential of the techniques applied seems to be an important tool for optimizing the location of apiaries and the profitability of beekeeping.