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Abstract or Description

This Atlas of Maine map displays the location of natural bodies of water - vernal pools, lakes, and ponds, and shows the relative amount of pesticide and fertilizer use on the farms in each county. By combining these sets of data, I hope to illustrate where aquatic freshwater ecosystems could have a higher potential for negative impacts resulting from run-off of these pesticides and fertilizers. The water bodies are dark blue and the vernal pools are indicated by lighter blue dots. The level of pesticide use in each county is indicated by a graduated color ramp of 6 classes, where the darker the color the higher the usage of pesticides. The pink circles indicate the usage of fertilizers in the county with the larger the circle, the higher the usage. This map was created using a transverse Mercator projection method and the NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_19N datum and coordinate system. The data for county lines and vernal pools was downloaded from the Maine Office of GIS. The data on water bodies was downloaded from the U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrography map. The data for pesticide and fertilizer usage was obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture 2012 census and manually entered into the map.

About the Author

Rachel attended Colby College with a major in Environmental Policy and a Minor in Creative Writing.

Source Data Note

Maine Office of GIS

Rights

In Copyright

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