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Spatial Exposure Analysis for Threatened and Endangered Species from Changing Pesticide Use Pattern in Southern Georgia
Citation:
Holland, C., R. Van Meter, AND Tom Purucker. Spatial Exposure Analysis for Threatened and Endangered Species from Changing Pesticide Use Pattern in Southern Georgia. Presented at Association of Southeastern Biologists Conference, Athens, GA, April 04 - 06, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
Poster presented at the Association of Southeastern Biologists Conference in Athens, GA, from April 4 - 7, 2012.
Description:
In recent decades, pesticide use patterns and crop distributions have changed; however, because there has not been a significant increase in usage disclosures, it is difficult to estimate the changes in potential exposure zones, this analysis focuses on the intersection of agricultural pesticide usage patterns and listed endangered species distribution ranges in southern Georgia. Collectively, the thirty-eight counties in the study area are currently under significant cultivation and have relatively high pesticide usage rates. Since the available pesticide usage data is reported at the state level, and crop information is at a fine field-level resolution in openly available data sources, multiple data sets for different years were incorporated into a spatially-explicit regression relationship to scale pesticide application rates in southern Georgia. We present temporal changes in crop acreages and pesticide application rates to communicate the relative chemical quantities associated with each potential exposure category. Additionally, we present range maps for species of interest that combine both historical and current distributions. This combination provides the best estimates of potential locations for these species. Then we integrate these elements together with spatial analysis techniques. After conducting the analysis, we discuss the results of the geographical investigation, present prioritized areas of concern for specific pesticides and endangered species exposure in southern Georgia, and identify temporal changes in the ecological risks for the time period 1991 – 2010.
