Determination of Suitable Beekeeping Places in Sinop Province (Türkiye) By Weighted Overlay Analysis

Bees and beekeeping activities are very important for the sustainability of natural life. Beekeeping has become one of the main sources of income of our country due to products such as pollen, royal jelly, honey and wax obtained from beekeeping activities. In addition, our country's rich geography, climate and topography are very suitable for beekeeping activities. Interest in beekeeping activities has increased because it does not require large areas and costs, requires less maintenance than other agricultural activities, and has high income. With the increasing interest, conscious beekeeping, increasing the efficiency obtained from beekeeping activities and therefore determining suitable beekeeping places have gained importance. For this purpose, a study was carried out to determine suitable places for beekeeping in Sinop province, which is suitable for beekeeping activities due to its flora, climate and location. ArcGIS 10.7.1 program was used to determine suitable areas and weighted overlay analysis was performed using criteria such as slope, aspect, elevation, precipitation, vegetation, and distance to roads, streams and settlements. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that 96.38% of Sinop province was suitable for beekeeping. Additionally, it was checked whether the existing beekeeping sites were in suitable locations, and as a result, it was observed that approximately half of the beekeepers were in the correct locations.