Creating healthier metropolitan ecosystems: honey bee habitat as a guideline for change

Hurst, Trisha R

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/95392 Copy

Description

Title

Creating healthier metropolitan ecosystems: honey bee habitat as a guideline for change

Author(s)

Hurst, Trisha R

Issue Date

2016-12-05

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Kovacic, David A.

Committee Member(s)

• Sears, Stephen
• Berenbaum, May

Department of Study

Landscape Architecture

Discipline

Landscape Architecture

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.L.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Honey bee
• Planting design
• Ecological design

Abstract

This thesis explores the history, needs and habitat of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), producing a set of guidelines that integrates bee habitat with human habitat to ultimately create more sustainable, healthier, urban environments. Habitats, both natural and metropolitan, across the globe have been altered by human development and are no longer able to function in healthy and sustainable ways. The interconnectedness of ecological systems creates opportunities for the system to adjust itself, but also means that if one aspect of the system is harmed, destroyed or altered the effect will ripple outward in unexpected ways. Honey bee numbers have been declining for many years but since 2006 the patterns have changed; whole hive systems have collapsed. This ripple in the ecological system is of particular interest to agriculture and to 1/3 of the world’s food supply. Economic concerns resulting from honey bee decline, are many, environmental concerns are yet to be determined. This work presents one possible model to improve ecological systems within metropolitan areas. Its purpose is to create connections and links between traditional urban planting design and natural systems that will support sustainable honey bee populations while also supporting sustainable, healthier, multifunctional neighborhoods for humans. It is my hope that by creating an efficient method to relay this ecological information to the urban population more quality habitat areas may be integrated into the fabric of our cities.

Graduation Semester

2016-12

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/95392

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Trisha Hurst

Owning Collections