Beekeeping Feasibility estimates the maximum number of hives that can be placed at a site without introducing competition with wild pollinators present in the control area (Context Area). The indicator balances the productive potential of the territory with the need to preserve the wild pollinator community, ensuring that honey bees (Apis mellifera) do not deplete trophic resources crucial to other pollinators.
A high value indicates that the site has a rich nectariferous potential capable of supporting many hives without negative impacts on local fauna; a low value signals that the territory can support only a few hives without compromising wild pollinators, which play an irreplaceable ecological role as pollination agents for spontaneous flora and crops.
The calculation is based on the Nectar Potential (NP) of the Context Area, derived from the InVEST Pollinator model. The process follows three steps:
Step 1 — Total Nectar Potential of the Context Area:
Step 2 — Share reserved for honey bees (conservative 10%):
The 10% threshold is a conservative value that avoids competition with wild pollinators, leaving the remaining 90% of nectar available for bumblebees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other pollinators.
Step 3 — Maximum number of installable hives:
where 500 kg/year represents the average annual nectar consumption of a single Apis mellifera hive (including honey production, wax, brood feeding, and forager nutrition).
Data are sourced from the InVEST Pollinator Model (Natural Capital Project, Stanford University) applied to Corine Land Cover (CLC) class-level data.
Gauge. A semicircular arc gauge showing the estimated maximum number of hives the site can support without harming wild pollinators.
Purpose: To answer the question "How many beehives could this site sustainably host?" and evaluate the nectariferous richness of the territory.
Description: The card displays a single ROI arc (no Control Area comparison arc — this KPI shows site value only). The arc is colored according to the quality scale (A to E). The center of the arc shows the numeric ROI value and the unit "Hives". A delta badge compares the ROI to a benchmark reference when available. The card header includes a V1/V2 toggle button (shared with the Honey Production card) that switches between the two computation methods when V2 data is available. If the site polygon is too small for V2 computation, the card shows a "not calculable" message instead of the gauge.
35HivesBeekeeping Feasibility
How it's calculated: The gauge arc is colored by mapping the ROI hive count to the quality scale thresholds. V1 uses simple area weighting of the Context Area nectar potential. V2 applies exponential decay weighting from the site centroid (full weight within 1 km, decaying to zero at 3 km).
Note: This indicator is not inverted — higher values indicate better beekeeping carrying capacity and richer nectariferous quality.
Legend:
| Level | Range (hives) | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | > 40 | ■ #00A67A | Very high nectariferous potential — many hives sustainable |
| B | 30 -- 40 | ■ #00DF80 | Good nectariferous potential — significant hive count supported |
| C | 20 -- 30 | ■ #FFD21E | Moderate potential — sustainable beekeeping with careful management |
| D | 10 -- 20 | ■ #FF8B16 | Limited potential — few hives without competition risk |
| E | < 10 | ■ #FF367F | Very low potential — adding hives inadvisable to protect wild pollinators |
Interpretation example:
If this gauge shows 35 hives (Grade B), it means the site can sustainably support approximately 35 beehives without outcompeting wild pollinators — a good nectariferous territory where beekeeping and biodiversity can coexist.
Highlights Table Row. A column in the multi-site Sites Progress Summary Table showing the Beekeeping Feasibility ROI value for each site.
Purpose: To allow side-by-side comparison of beekeeping carrying capacity across multiple monitored sites.
Description: Column header label "Beekeeping feasibility (SITE)" — the "(SITE)" suffix indicates that this column shows the ROI (site-only) value, with no Control Area comparison. Each row shows the numeric hive count for that site.
How it's calculated: Same as the gauge — V1 or V2 formula applied to each site's NP and CA area. The column always shows the site ROI value only.
Interpretation example:
If a site shows 12 in this column, it means that site can host approximately 12 hives without ecological competition — a limited potential (Grade D) compared to richer nectariferous sites in the table.
Highlights Card. An abbreviated label in the Map Pin Card that appears when hovering over a site on the overview map.
Purpose: To give a quick-glance view of the beekeeping carrying capacity for a site directly on the map.
Description: The pin card label shows the abbreviated text "Beekeeping" (space constraints prevent the full label). The numeric value is displayed next to the label, in hives.
How it's calculated: Same ROI value as shown in the gauge card.
Interpretation example:
If the pin card shows "Beekeeping: 21", the site can host approximately 21 hives sustainably — a Grade C territory with moderate nectariferous resources.
Sites Progress Column. A selectable option in the Multi-Year Trends chart dropdown that plots the evolution of the Beekeeping Feasibility indicator over time across selected years.
Purpose: To track whether the nectariferous carrying capacity of a site is improving, degrading, or stable over multiple assessment years.
Description: The Multi-Year Trends chart selector lists "Beekeeping Suitability" as a trend type option. When selected, it plots the BF ROI value (hives) across the available assessment years for the site. The chart type (line or bar) and data availability depend on how many LC versions have been generated for the site.
How it's calculated: BF value from each assessment year's computation, plotted chronologically.
Interpretation example:
If the trend shows values rising from 18 to 28 hives over three years, it means habitat restoration or land cover changes have improved the nectariferous potential — moving from Grade D toward Grade C.
| Source | Provider | Coverage | Resolution | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InVEST Pollinator Model | Natural Capital Project, Stanford University | Global | CLC class-level (variable) | Continuous |
The calculation depends on Nectar Potential (NP) being computed first from Corine Land Cover (CLC) data via the InVEST Pollinator model (Element-e).
V1 computation: Simple area weighting using the NP of the Context Area. The total nectar potential (kg/year) is calculated as the per-hectare NP multiplied by the CA area. A conservative 10% share is reserved for honey bees, and the result is divided by 500 kg/year (average annual consumption per hive) to obtain the maximum number of installable hives.
V2 computation: Exponential decay weighting from the site centroid. Nectar resources receive full weight within 1 km of the centroid, decaying to zero at 3 km. This better reflects the actual foraging range of Apis mellifera colonies. When V2 data is available, both Beekeeping Feasibility and Honey Production switch together via a shared V1/V2 toggle. If the site polygon is too small for reliable V2 computation, the platform shows a "not calculable" empty state.
The 10% conservative threshold for honey bee share is supported by literature; some studies suggest 5--15% depending on local wild pollinator density and habitat quality. The 500 kg/year per hive consumption figure is an average; in favorable climates with rich floristic diversity, actual annual nectar demand per hive may range from 200 to 800 kg/year.