Wildlife Management. Wildlife Management. Geography 657

Transcription

1 Wildlife Management Geography 657 Wildlife Management The planned use, protection and control of wildlife by the application of ecological principles. Wildlife: all animals on earth that have not been domesticated by humans. Mostly restricted to vertebrates: birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Includes game and non-game animals. 1

2 Extreme viewpoints Use vs. esthetics Poaching to look at Hunting to be with Recreation value beyond use Wildlife Management in the US Abundance Overexploitation Protection Game Management Ecosystem management/ Conservation Biology History of Wildlife Management Europe: Wildlife property of landowner US: wildlife property of state and public : 80% of big game resource was reduced due to no control on hunting»1900: Lacey Act 2

3 1903: Pelican Island is first wildlife refuge 1904: 51 more refuges established 2006: 547 National Wildlife refuges in the US Additional acts/treaties signed to encourage sound management Theodore Roosevelt credited with being the first president to look at problem of no wildlife management policy 1956 Fish and Wildlife Act 3

4 Traditional Approach (A. Leopold) Make land produce a sustainable annual crop of wild game for recreational use. Aldo Leopold Considered the father of modern wildlife ecology Wildlife Management with an ecosystem approach considers all native species, not just those with economic value, and not just those endangered. More concern placed on habitat too. 4

5 True goal is to understand animals and their relationships with their habitats so that decisions made to manage wildlife are informed decisions that will achieve the desired goals of humans in a proper way Active vs. inactive management Goals of Wildlife Management Make population increase or decrease Harvest for continuing yield Monitor population Type of management will depend on what the goals are. Wildlife classified Farm species Forest and range Wilderness Species Migratory Species Furbearers Predators Rare and Endangered species Urban wildlife Park Wildlife 5

6 What wildlife need Water cover food 6

7 Special needs TERMS Edge: length of perimeter between communities Edge Effect: more edge, more species Corridors: strip of land differs than surrounding land Home Range: area over which animal travels when engaged in usual activities Territory: Area that is defended. Carrying Capacity: number of species (individuals) the land can support/sustained To determine carrying capacity need to know: Natural history of species Alpha diversity, Beta diversity, Gamma diversity 7

8 Keystone Species Indicator Species Population Dynamics Population: a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area over a specific time period Birth rate/death rate Immigration, emigration Sex ratio Age structure Fecundity by age Distribution of ages Density 8

9 Population and Regulation Population: Group of individuals of the same species occupying the same geographic area Population Change depends on: Additions: Natality: production of new individuals Immigration: migration of individuals into the population Subtractions: Mortality: deaths Emigration: movement out of the population 9

10 Stable Irregular Number of individuals Cyclic Irruptive Time Factors Affecting Population Size Growth factors (biotic potential) Abiotic Favorable light Favorable temperature Favorable chemical environment (optimal level of critical nutrients) Biotic High reproductive rate Generalized niche Adequate food supply Suitable habitat Ability to compete for resources Ability to hide from or defend against predators Ability to resist diseases and parasites Ability to migrate and live in other habitats Ability to adapt to environmental change POPULATION SIZE Decrease factors (environmental resistance) Abiotic Too much or too little light Temperature too high or too low Unfavorable chemical environment (too much or too little of critical nutrients) Biotic Low reproductive rate Specialized niche Inadequate food supply Unsuitable or destroyed habitat Too many competitors Insufficient ability to hide from or defend against predators Inability to resist diseases and parasites Inability to migrate and live in other habitats Inability to adapt to environmental change Carrying Capacity: The population size that total resources of habitat can support on a sustained basis. 10

11 r vs. K selected species K Population size (N) Population size (N) Time (t) Exponential Growth Logistic Growth Time (t) Fig. 9.4, p. 201 Exponential and Logistic Growth Population size (N) K Population size (N) Time (t) Exponential Growth Time (t) Logistic Growth Number of reindeer 2,000 1,500 1, Number of sheep (millions) Year Year K selected larger adults fewer young parental care slower maturity slow rate of increase long gestation adapted to limited fluctuation in environment greater survivability thermoregulation immune system longer lifespan stable populations Examples: 11

12 r- strategy small adults many young little - no parental care early maturity little to no immune system short gestation short lifespan vulnerable to environmental change population unstable Boom and Bust cycle examples: Animal movement Dispersal of young Mass emigration Migration Censusing Wildlife 12

13 Methods Complete counts Drives, Aerial Surveys, Aerial Photography Remote sensing Motion detecting cameras Smoke plates Trapping/netting Capture/Recapture Counts (Calls, pellets, tracks) Others Complete Counts Observation (All individuals observed) Drives Aerial Surveys Aerial Photography Remote Sensing with thermal scanners Aerial strip transects for Manatee in FL 13

14 Aerial Surveys in South Africa Remote Cameras Mircea Gabriel Hidalgo Mihart / Lisette Cantú Salazar Instituto de Ecología A. C. Apdo. Postal Xalapa, Veracruz, México. 14

15 Motion detecting cameras At Point Reyes Long tailed weasels Mountain beaver Mountain lion Scent stations and track plates Trapping/netting Capture/Recapture 15

16 Counts (Calls, pellets, tracks) Bird calls Wolf tracks Cougar scat Nature reserves Size considerations Shape considerations Connectedness Island biogeography ideas SLOSS Gap analysis 16

17 Human interactions Agriculture Herbicides/pesticides Marsh drainage Change in land use Commercial value Fig. 2 Land use change in Ami Village, southern Ibaraki Prefecture Human Impacts on Ecosystems Habitat degradation and fragmentation Ecosystem simplification Predator elimination Introduction of non-native species Over-harvesting renewable resources Interference with ecological systems 17

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