Development of a Mode! for Estimating Pesticide 

 Efficacy and Nontarget Impacts — Chemistry 

 Project staff developed a probabilistic model 

 consisting of exposure and effects modules to 

 improve the ability to estimate the effects of 

 pesticides on both target and nontarget species. 

 The exposure module is based on the energy 

 requirements of animals potentially exposed to 

 pesticides via consumption of pesticide baits or 

 other species containing pesticide residues. The 

 effects module utilizes the slope and LD^^ (median 

 lethal dose) of the dose i/. response curve. 



In collaboration with other government agencies, 

 NWRC scientists have applied this model to a 

 variety of scenarios pertinent to WS and APHIS, 

 including: 



• Estimation of target species "take" associated 

 with DRC-1339 (an avicide) baiting, 



• Estimation of nontarget mortality associated with 

 DRC-1339 baiting, 



• Prediction of the improved DRC-1339 

 formulation procedures to optimize the ratio of 

 target: nontarget mortality, 



• Estimation of acute and subacute effects to 

 nontarget avian species potentially exposed 

 to rodenticides in conjunction with control of 

 invasive rodent species, and 



• Estimation of the percentage of human 

 population that would exceed EPA- 

 recommended mercury exposure limits via the 

 consumption of freshwater and saltwater fish. 



Research on the reproductive management 

 of various avian and mammalian species that 

 cause damage or threaten public health and 

 safety is a high priority for WS. The severity of 

 human-wildlife conflicts often is directly related 

 to wildlife population density, and many problems 

 are exacerbated as wildlife populations become 

 larger. In many urban and suburban settings, for 

 example, overabundant deer create safety hazards 

 for motorists, consume ornamental shrubs, harbor 

 and transmit diseases and parasites, and degrade 

 habitat quality in public parks and other locations. 

 Rodents also carry a variety of diseases and 

 damage rangelands and crops, causing the loss of 

 millions of dollars' worth of agriculture production. 

 Overabundant feral hogs, horses, cats, and dogs 

 also cause damage and create ecological and 

 political problems. 



* / 



Overabundant white-tailed deer herds in urban and suburban 

 environments are causing numerous problems for their human 

 neighbors. (NWRC photo by Jim Gionfriddo.) 



TITLE: Development of Reproductive Control 

 Methods for Overabundant Birds and 

 Mammals 



GOAL: Obtain FDA approval for use of porcine zona 

 pellucida (PZP) and gonadotropin-releasing 

 hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive 

 vaccines for white-tailed deer and develop 

 new oral contraceptive agents for use in 

 controlling reproduction in overabundant 

 avian species (e.g., monk parakeets and 

 crows) and in mammalian species (e.g., 

 California ground squirrels and prairie dogs). 



Immunocontraception To Control Deer Populations 

 and Reduce Human-Deer Conflicts — In several 

 regions of the United States, white-tailed deer herds 

 that inhabit urban and suburban environments have 

 become overabundant and are creating conflicts 

 with their human neighbors. Typical problems 

 include damage to vegetation and increases in 

 deer-motor vehicle collisions. Wildlife contraception 

 may be one tool that can help manage 

 overabundant deer herds in urban and residential 

 areas where other management methods, such as 

 hunting, are not an option. 



Developing Methods 37 



