Communications of the ACM
Student ses Artificial Intelligence to nderstand Bee Behavior
Credit: iStockPhoto.com
A computer model of the foraging behavior of bumblebees could be used to determine future policies on genetically modified (GM) crops in the United Kingdom and Europe, says University of Exeter Ph.D. candidate Daniel Chalk. Chalk used artificial intelligence to study the movement of bees between fields. Although there is a concern about cross-pollination between GM and non-GM crops, the simulation suggests that bees are unlikely to affect crops through cross-pollination.
"By creating a kind of 'virtual bee' I have been able to show for the first time how bees move over large areas, across and between fields," Chalk says. "My research has shown that bumblebees are very efficient foragers and will only travel long distances if they really need to."
The model also could be used for bee conservation, as it could help identify landscapes that support bee activity.
From University of Exeter
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2010 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA 
No entries found