Transcript The management of wildlife

THE MANAGEMENT
OF WILDLIFE
Obj- Describe habitat
requirements and game
management practices of wildlife.
What is a habitat?
•Food
•Cover
•Water
•Territory
•Home range
Food
• Wildlife are classified as to the
type and amount of food they
consume
1. Herbivores- plant eaters
2. Carnivores- meat eaters
3. Insectivores- insect eaters
4. Frugivores- fruit eaters
5. Omnivores- eat many food types
6. Spermivores- seed eaters
• Classification by food quantity
1. Euryphagous- consumes great
varieties of food
2. Stenophagous- eats a
specialized diet
Cover
• A place for protection from
weather
• A place for protection from
predators
Water
• One of the important
requirements of wildlife
• Most animals bodies are 60-80%
water
• Importance- blood composition,
temperature regulation, and
nutrient transport
Home Range & Territory
• Home range- the area over which
game travels
• Territory- the area an animal will
defend, often to death
General Classes of Habitat
1.
2.
3.
Aquatic
Amphibious
Terrestrial
Get into 3 groups to learn more
about the Aquatic, Amphibious,
and Terrestrial habitat
CLASSES OF HABITAT
Habitat Jigsaw
In your group answer the following questions about your habitat:
1. What kind of animal lives there?
2. Give 2 examples of specific species that live in this habitat
3. What are distinct characteristics of this habitat?
GAME MANAGEMENT
PROCEDURES
Game Management Procedures
1.
Game refuges are lands set
aside for the protection of
wildlife species
2. Habitat development and
improvement occurs when
the habitat is developed and
managed for maximum
benefit to wildlife
• Fencerow plantings
• Woodland management: Not using
woodland for grazing will increase
game population
Game Management Procedures
3. Coordination with other
resources
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Managing the wildlife in
coordination or harmony with
other resources
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Example) A farmer managing the
soil properly to grow crops, leaving
some for the wildlife to eat
4. Hunting Regulations
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Hunting must be managed to
control wildlife population
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Some procedures are bag limits,
hunting seasons & closed seasons
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Overpopulation can cause too
much competition for habitat
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Too much harvesting can cause
under-population
Game Management Procedures
5. Predator Control
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Controlling the predators of the game,
rather than the game itself
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Predators can keep the game healthier
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Predators also maintain an improved
game population by removing weak or
handicapped animals
6. Artificial Stocking
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Involves bringing animals into an area
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Can involve bringing animals natural to
the area or introducing a new species to
an area (aka “introduction of exotics”)
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Need to consider…
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Population density- # of game animals in a
defined area
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Carrying capacity- amount of game for which
a given area will provide the essentials for
Game Management Procedures
7. Legislation & Game Management
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Game management is done by the states
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Major legislation governing wildlife:
a) Lacey Act of 1990: First major law affecting wildlife; made it a federal
offense to transport illegally taken wildlife across state boundaries
b) Migratory Bird Act of 1929: provided refuges for migratory birds
c) Endangered Species Act of 1966: gave the authority of protecting rare and
endangered species to the Fish and Wildlife Service
Extinction & Endangerment
• What has led to wildlife population problems?
• Taking animals faster than they can reproduce
• Killing animals because they appeared hostile
• Killing animals because they threatened domestic animals
Extinct, Rare, Threatened & Endangered
• Extinct: a species that no longer exists outside of museums or
photos
• Endangered: a species that is no longer common and is in danger of
becoming extinct
• Threatened: a species that faces serious dangers and is likely to
become endangered
• Rare: a species that exists in small numbers
Why Species are Lost
• Natural Extinction: the gradual changes in a species or its environment
that lead to extinction
• Speciation: the natural change of an organism into another species
• Natural selection: occurs when some species or members of a species
survive and others do not
• Human caused endangerment
• Direct wildlife endangerment: any action against wildlife that endangers it
• Predator controlled: Ex) Killing wolves that attack livestock
• Wildlife over exploitation: taking of excessive amounts of wildlife for food, sport, etc.
Ex) over hunting or over fishing
• Indirect endangerment: unintentional destruction of wildlife habitat or
environmental hazards
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Urbanization
Manufacturing
Mining and cutting
Crops and livestock-land use
Recreation
Related Legislation
• Endangered Species Conservation Act
• Passed in 1966, amended in 1969 to protect fish and wildlife worldwide
• Act called for the protection and conservation of species of native fish
known to be threatened with extinction
• Amendment dealt with the importation of endangerment species in the
U.S. from anywhere in the world
• Threatened and Endangered Species System
• Provided by US Fisheries and Wildlife Service
• Summary of the status of all threatened and endangered species
worldwide
Government Initiatives
• State Wildlife Grants
• NC received $1,845,774 from state wildlife grants in 2002 to improve wildlife in NC
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Reptile & Amphibian Research and Conservation (salamanders, turtles)
Western Region Bird and Mammal monitoring program
NC partners in flight trains citizens to appreciate, identify, and monitor birds
Beach Nesting Bird Reproductive Success
• Agencies & Organizations
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National Audubon Society
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
NC Division of Parks and Recreation
NC Wildlife Resource Commission
• Federal Laws & Policies Protecting Wildlife
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918)-migratory birds are protected by federal
government
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (1934)-research to study needs of wildlife
• Endangered Species Act (1973)-classification of endangered and threatened wildlife
• Conservation Research Program (1985)-provided for areas of wildlife habitat on
farms near cropland
Where do these Wildlife live?
Create a brochure to educate people on common wildlife habitats.
• Look up the following species
• Describe the habitat of each species
• Describe how each species affects agriculture
• Provide a picture of each species