Beekeepers site selection in Costa Rica is influenced by land use, floral resources and road quality

Abstract

Humans obtain multiple services from ecosystems, valued at trillions of dollars annually. Despite the importance of these services worldwide, land-use and land cover changes occurring have the potential to negatively impact ecosystems services. The objective of this study was to examine how site characteristics affect site selection for beekeeping. We developed a questionnaire with closed-ended questions and used an Ordered Logit Model to evaluate the effects that changes in specific factors can have on beekeepers‘ decision-making process in the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. Results demonstrate that increasing the quantity of forest, pasture and coffee lands increase the probability of selecting a site scenario as the best option for hive placement, with the forest as the preferred land use due to the diversity of floral resources. Results also show that sites with better roads have higher probabilities of being selected as the best option for hive placement.