Definizione e costruzione di un sistema integrato per la valutazione del rischio derivante dall'utilizzo di prodotti fitosanitari in agricoltura su base territoriale

The present project develops a GIS based methodology to asses an ecotoxicological site-specific risk’s index for aquatic, epigean and hypogean terrestrial ecosystems due to pesticide use in agriculture. The work’s aim is to provide a GIS based tool for landscape management in a sustainable agriculture perspective. The methodology gathers several disciplinary approach and results (such as agronomy, ecotoxicology, landscape ecology, environmental modelling) to support decision-makers in risk assessment procedures. The methodology is based on an integration of database, algorithm for pesticide exposure evaluation, risks index, faunistic models, landscape’s patch analysis using Geographical Information System for managing models input data and results in a distributed way on the territory. Molecular properties, as chemical-physical and toxicological data of active ingredients, and environmental characteristics, as land use, crop distribution, landscape elements are managed for elaborating and developing a realistic scenarios of application. The methodology allows to calculate the exposition and the ecotoxicological risk index for the main organisms that compose aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Using GIS permits to take in account the spatial variability of parameters and result underlining the synergies between chemicals and territory. The results are useful to make a comparison between the active ingredients to draft a classification based on environmental sustainability of their use and to defence ecosystems and to evaluate vulnerability of landscape elements. The presented cases history are referred to different resolution of the methodology application (from a regional scale to a field scale) in order to underline the flexibility of the site-specific approach.