Modeling waterfowl habitat selection in the Central Valley of California to better understand the spatial relationship between commercial poultry and waterfowl

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Abstract

Wildlife researchers frequently study resource and habitat selection of wildlife to understand their potential habitat requirements and to conserve their populations. Understanding wildlife spatial-temporal distributions related to habitat have other applications such as to model interfaces between wildlife and domestic food animals in order to mitigate disease transmission to food animals. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus represents a significant risk to the poultry industry. The Central Valley of California offers a unique geographical confluence of commercial poultry and wild waterfowl, which are thought to be a key reservoir of avian influenza (AI). Therefore, understanding spatio-temporal distributions of waterfowl could improve our understanding of potential risk of HPAI exposure from a commercial poultry perspective. Using existing radio-telemetry data on waterfowl (U.S. Geological Survey) in combination with habitat and vegetation data based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we are developing GIS-based statistical models that predict the probability of waterfowl presence (Habitat Suitability Mapping). Near-real-time application can be developed using recent habitat data derived from Landsat imagery (acquired by satellites and publicly available through the U.S. Geological Survey) to predict temporally- and spatially-varying distributions of waterfowl in the Central Valley. These results could be used to provide decision support for the poultry industry in addressing potential risk of HPAI exposure related to waterfowl proximity.

Publication type Conference Paper
Publication Subtype Conference Paper
Title Modeling waterfowl habitat selection in the Central Valley of California to better understand the spatial relationship between commercial poultry and waterfowl
Year Published 2017
Language English
Publisher Western Poutlry Disease Conference
Contributing office(s) Western Ecological Research Center
Description 3 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Conference publication
Larger Work Title Proceedings of the Sixty-Sixth Western Poultry Disease Conference
First page 118
Last page 120
Conference Title Sixty-Sixth Western Poultry Disease Conference
Conference Location Sacramento, California
Conference Date March 20-22, 2017
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial Central Valley
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