Speaker: Dr. Brad Peter
Assistant Professor
Department of Geosciences
University of Arkansas
Thursday, March 9, 2023
3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8)
Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom
University of Florida
Abstract: Measuring agricultural productivity is a multi-scale problem that requires multi-scale solutions. Understanding the when and where of crop productivity is vital to addressing changes to yields and food security, yet descriptive summarizations will vary depending on the spatial or temporal scale of analysis. This research explores rice trends across Vietnam over a 19-year period, as well as examples from maize in Malawi, giving specific attention to modifiable spatiotemporal unit problems by evaluating productivity across multiple time periods and administrative levels. A generalizable method is presented for visualizing multi-scale time-series remote sensing data in matrix and map form not only to elucidate the effects of modifiable spatiotemporal unit problems, but also to demonstrate how these problems serve as a useful research framework. For questions such as, “What portion of Vietnam exhibits a negative linear trend in rice production?”, the answer depends on how space and time are organized. Ultimately, this research demonstrates an ontological problem in how agricultural productivity is measured and conveyed. To better confront how agriculture is assessed, adopting a multiscale framework may provide a more holistic view than the conventional single spatial or temporal selection.
Biography: Dr. Brad Peter is an environmental remote sensing geographer who researches the intersection of ecological niche and agricultural system decisions. His research transforms empirical data into actionable knowledge through spatial analytics and digital cartography. Areas of focus include global agricultural land suitability, geographic scaling of climate-smart crop varieties and sustainable/nutritional farm systems, and satellite/sUAS for multi-scale precision agriculture. Dr. Peter holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Michigan State University and a BA in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin, served as a postdoctoral researcher for the Department of Geography at the University of Alabama, and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas.
All are welcome to attend.
For more information, email Dr. Sadie Ryan at sjryan@ufl.edu