The Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting takes place from 6 to 11 August 2023 in the vibrant city of Portland, in Oregon (USA). During the event, ESA takes the opportunity to unveil the recipients of its prestigious 2023 awards, honoring exceptional contributions to the field of ecology. These awards commend individuals for their groundbreaking discoveries, outstanding teaching, commitment to sustainability, dedication to fostering diversity, and lifelong dedication to advancing the profession of ecology.
We are pleased to share that Volker Grimm, Professor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research and BioDT partner, is going to be awarded during the ESA Annual Meeting and present during the "Yes Ecologists Can: Models and Field Studies for 21st Century Problems" Symposium session.
Grimm's speech discusses the significance and challenges of understanding the effects of pesticides on pollinators. It mentions the development and success of the honey bee model BEEHAVE, which considers both hive processes and foraging in a landscape. BEEHAVE has been utilised in numerous studies, including by EFSA for pesticide risk assessment. The model's success is attributed to its principles, incorporating environmental factors, and compatibility with various data sources. However, continuous updating and development pose challenges due to limited resources.
He concludes his speech by presenting the concept of 'digital twins', highlighting the importance of proper definition and implementation to avoid misinterpretations and misapplications and how the BioDT use case on Pollinators takes advantage of the BEEHAVE studies for its development.
