Geographic Trends

DATA CONTEXT: Our dataset provided the number of bee colonies in each state by year and each quarter within those years. This resulted in a total of 32 quarters of data, as each year (2015-2022) held four quarters worth of data. We cleaned that data and condensed it into the average number of colonies per year during that year span. We then further condensed the data and graphed the overall average number of colonies per state for that entire year span. This data was best displayed in a bar chart, as seen below.

VISUAL INSIGHTS: This graph displays the average number of colonies per state from 2015 to 2022. California notably has the highest number, at about 900,000 colonies on average during this time frame. North Dakota, Florida, and Texas follow, all with numbers in the 200,000s. California has over 3 times as many colonies, on average, as the second place state (Florida).

DATA CONTEXT: The dataset provided the number of colonies lost per state by quarter for every year represented. As previously stated for the above visualization, this resulted in data for 32 different quarters in the 2015-2022 year span. We took this number of colonies lost per quarter and summarized it to apply to each state per year. After this data cleaning, we applied our condensed data to a choropleth visualization to create the graph below and animated it to demonstrate the number of colonies lost over time across the United States.

VISUAL INSIGHTS: This map displays how many colonies each state lost, every year from 2015 to 2022 (animation can be paused at any point). California leads once again, consistently losing the highest amount of colonies each year. This is likely due to the fact that they simply have the most colonies overall, on average. In 2021 and 2022, states like Florida, Texas, and North Dakota lost relatively more colonies than they had in previous years when compared to California (as indicated by the darkening colors in these states during those years). California's number of lost colonies reached a minimum in 2022, while Florida's number of lost colonies reached a maximum this same year.

DATA CONTEXT: The dataset provided information regarding the number of colonies lost for all states in the US. Since California was a standout amongst the total number of colonies, we decided to filter specifically for this state to observe the annual trends from 2015-2022. We created a mask and applied it to our created DataFrame - which detailed the number of colonies lost per state each year - to look into California’s colony loss data individually. By ensuring that State = ‘California’, we created a new DataFrame with just California’s data before visualizing its average loss in each year.

VISUAL INSIGHTS: This area chart gives insight into California's number of colonies lost each year from 2015 to 2022. The state lost its highest number of colonies in 2016, when it lost 595,000 in one year. As mentioned, the state reached a minimum number of colonies lost in 2022, with 353,000 lost. Though inconsistent, the number of lost colonies over time in California seems to be on a downward trend from 2015 to 2022 - which is good news for the state. If this pattern continues, the number of colonies lost each year will continue to decrease in the future.

DATA CONTEXT: The dataset also provided the percent of colonies lost per state by quarter for every year represented. Once again, this resulted in data for 32 different quarters in the 2015-2022 year span. Each year has a distinct value for each state regarding the percent loss from the previous year. Given that the data starts in 2015, we do not have numbers from 2014 to compare it to, but we do have this indication of the decline from 2014 to 2015. The process of creating this visual was very similar to creating the previous one.

VISUAL INSIGHTS: This state provides insight into the percent of colonies lost per state (rather than simply the number) from 2015 to 2022. California no longer stands out, as many other states have a higher percent loss each year despite having less colonies overall. This visual provides a more accurate measure of loss across the US. The greatest percent loss in this time frame was recorded by New Mexico in 2017 - when it lost 28.75% of its colonies. States like Kansas and Arizona have consistently high percent lost rates.