Transcript ESC 250 Wildlife & Society

Wildlife in the Modern World
ESRM 150
Wildlife in the Modern World
ESRM 150
Purpose of this course:
 This course is intended to provide an introduction
to wildlife biology and conservation by
investigating the suite of pressures influencing
species’ survival.
Lectures
• Print slides from website for note taking
• Material from guest speakers is fair game for
exam questions
Grading
• Two Midterm Exams (100 pts each)
• Short Writing Assignments (40 pts)
• Final Exam (200 pts)
• Discussion Section (200 pts)
• Total: 640 pts
http://www.cfr.washington.edu/classes.esrm.150/
Screen shot
What are we going to be
talking about?
“Wildlife” = ?
What are we going to be
talking about?
“Wildlife” = Any animals living in a wild state
(non-domesticated) and by consensus include birds,
mammals, reptiles, and amphibians
Taxonomy: Birds
Class Aves (birds)
Order Anseriformes (ducks, geese, swans, and relatives)
Order Galliformes (chicken-like birds)
Order Caprimulgiformes (nightbirds)
Order Apodiformes (hummingbirds and swifts)
Order Balaenicipitiformes (shoebill or whale-headed stork)
Order Charadriiformes (shorebirds and relatives)
Order Ciconiiformes (storks and relatives)
Order Coliiformes (mousebirds)
Order Columbiformes (doves and pigeons)
Order Coraciiformes (kingfishers and relatives)
Order Cuculiformes (cuckoos and relatives)
Order Falconiformes (diurnal birds of prey)
Order Galbuliformes
Order Gaviiformes (loons)
Order Gruiformes (coots, cranes, and rails)
Order Mesitornithiformes (mesites)
Order Musophagiformes (turacos)
Order Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin)
Order Passeriformes (perching birds)
Order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, tropicbirds, cormorants, and relatives)
Order Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos)
Order Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives)
Order Podicipediformes (grebes)
Order Procellariiformes (tube-nosed seabirds)
Order Psittaciformes (parrots)
Order Sphenisciformes (penguins)
Order Strigiformes (owls)
Order Trogoniformes (trogons)
Order Turniciformes (buttonquail)
Order Struthioniformes (cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, and rheas)
Order Tinamiformes (tinamous)
Taxonomy: Mammals
Class Mammalia (mammals)
Order Monotremata (monotremes)
Order Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles)
Order Carnivora (carnivores)
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Order Cetacea (dolphins, porpoises, and whales)
Order Chiroptera (bats)
Order Cingulata (armadillos)
Order Dermoptera (flying lemurs)
Order Erinaceomorpha (gymnures and hedgehogs)
Order Hyracoidea (hyraxes)
Order Lagomorpha (hares, pikas, and rabbits)
Order Macroscelidea (elephant-shrews)
Order Perissodactyla (horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs)
Order Pholidota (pangolins)
Order Pilosa (edentates)
Order Primates (primates)
Order Proboscidea (elephants)
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Order Scandentia (tree shrews)
Order Sirenia (dugongs, manatees, and sea cows)
Order Soricomorpha (insectivores)
Order Tubulidentata (aardvark)
Order Dasyuromorphia (dasyuroid marsupials and marsupial carnivores)
Order Didelphimorphia (American marsupials)
Order Diprotodontia (kangaroos, possums, wallabies, and relatives)
Order Microbiotheria (monito del monte)
Order Notoryctemorphia (marsupial moles)
Order Paucituberculata (shrew opossums)
Order Peramelemorphia (bandicoots and bilbies)
Taxonomy: Reptiles
Class Reptilia (reptiles)
Order Testudines (tortoises and turtles)
Order Crocodilia (caimans, crocodiles,
and relatives)
Order Rhynchocephalia (tuataras)
Order Squamata (amphisbaenians,
lizards, and snakes)
Taxonomy: Amphibians
Class Amphibia (amphibians)
Order Caudata (salamanders)
Order Gymnophiona (caecilians)
Order Anura (frogs and toads)
Human Relationships with Wildlife

For as long as we have been “human”, we have
lived intimately with wildlife, dependent not
only upon them for food, clothing, and tools,
but also for nurturing our sense of wonder, our
sense of place, and our sense of humor.
Human Relationships with Wildlife
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Hunter-gatherers
Mobile
 Require large areas
 Small groups
 Dependent on
groups
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Hadza- Bushmen tribe from Northern Tanzania
Yagua- tribe from Western Amazon Basin
Human Relationships with Wildlife
Agricultural Revolution

Increase in:
Population (and perhaps
more importantly,
population densities)
 Disease
Anatolia (modern Turkey)
 Wealth
 Specialization
 Sedentary Lifestyle - exploit rel. small area of land
intensively

Human Relationships with Wildlife

Agriculture means
modifying environment
to exploit resources more
effectively
Changes plants and
animals and land itself
 Erosion
 Urbanization

Human population
Groom et al. 2006. Principles of Conservation Biology. 3rd
Era of Abundance: 1600-1849
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Market hunters
Industrial Revolution → recreational hunters
New York Sportsmen’s Club (1844)
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enforcement of taxes, game sales, hunting seasons
First closed hunting season on wildlife (deer)
Grizzly hides
Era of Overexploitation: 1850-1899

Coincided with increases in
human settlement of North America
 technological developments with Industrial
Revolution (weapons, plows, railroads)
 Market hunting
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Excess harvesting of bison, elk, prairie chickens,
eastern grizzly, wolves, deer, passenger pigeon
Protectionist sentiment was growing through
this period
Historic examples of Exploitation
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Pleistocene Overkill Hypothesis
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In areas where humans invaded, animals had not
evolved evasive mechanisms to avoid human
predators
Early humans killed relatively large numbers of
large mammals
Human Occupation of Earth
(Diamond 1998--Guns, Germs, and Steel)
Recent Extinctions are Most Common in
Areas Recently Occupied by Humans
Recent Occupancy
Many Recent
Extinctions
Colors indicate when significant extinction events occurred. Numbers indicate %
of fauna that has gone extinct in last 100,000 years (Burney 1993)
Recent Extinctions are Most Common in
Areas Recently Occupied by Humans
Recent Occupancy
Many Recent
Extinctions
Few Recent
Extinctions, Long
Occupancy by Humans
Colors indicate when significant extinction events occurred. Numbers indicate %
of fauna that has gone extinct in last 100,000 years (Burney 1993)
Examples of Overexploitation
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Predator control had a major impact on wildlife
populations from 1700s to the mid-20th century
Wolves are laid out in the
snow after the two-hour
hunt and the hunters tally
the day's bag, as well as
the bounty money of
$35 per animal.
© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS
Examples of Overexploitation

American bison once numbered over 60 million in
North America.

By 1890, there were only about 150 left
Pile of American bison skulls waiting to be ground
for fertilizer (mid-1870s).
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Examples of Overexploitation
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Various wildlife species
have become extinct in
the past 200 years in
North America
Examples: Plains Grizzly,
Carolina Parakeet, Heath
Hen, Eastern Elk
Carolina Parakeets ate crops after their grassland habitat was
destroyed and then were shot by farmers
Examples of Overexploitation
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There may have been as many as 2.2 billion
Passenger Pigeons in North America.
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After uncontrolled commercial hunting, the last
wild Passenger Pigeon was shot in 1900
Era of protection: 1900-1929
Drastic declines of wildlife and other
resources alarmed the public
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Primary tool: Legal protection
Established
State game and fish departments
 First bag limits
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Still a negative attitude toward predators
Era of protection: 1900-1929
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Supreme Court case “Geer vs. Connecticut”
established public ownership of wildlife (1896)
Yellowstone National Park
Original protection of
area, not resources within
 1st federal action in
conservation (1872)
 Became first area where
wildlife were protected
(1897)

Automobiles facilitated NP overcrowding and contributed to wildlife degradation by
breaking down traditional habits and feeding patters. A buck begs at car. (National Park
Service Historic Photograph Collection,1926)
Era of protection: 1900-1929
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Lacey Act (1900)
Federal protection of
migratory wildlife (1918)
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Scientific results are first
used to protect non-game
species
First national wildlife
refuge established (1903)
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Executive order from T.
Roosevelt: Pelican Island,
FL
Era of game management: 1930-1965
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Recognition that we needed more knowledge
about ecology and biology of animals
Wildlife conservation oriented toward game
animals (those favored by hunters)
Contributions of Aldo Leopold (Game
Management) led to training of wildlife biologists
Definition of Wildlife Management

Wildlife management is the application of
ecological knowledge to populations of
vertebrate animals and their plant and animal
associates in a manner that strikes a balance
between the needs of those populations and the
needs of people (Robinson and Bolen 1999).
Basic approaches of wildlife
management
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Preservation by allowing nature to take its
course without human intervention.
Direct manipulation of animal populations by
trapping, shooting, poisoning, and stocking.
Indirect manipulation of animal populations by
altering the vegetation or water that is present.
Era of game management: 1930-1965
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Increased public
funding of
conservation efforts
Ding Darling (former
chief of U.S.
Biological Survey)
creates editorial
cartoons to show
nation plight of
wildlife
Era of game management: 1930-1965
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Duck stamps authorized by Congress to raise
funds for wetland preservation
First North American Wildlife Conference Held
Federal government plays a major role in wildlife
conservation
Wilderness Act Passed (1964)
Era of game management: 1930-1965
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Journal of Wildlife Management established (1936)
Quote from first issue:
The policy of the Wildlife Society “embraces the
practical ecology of all vertebrates and their plant and
animal associates” and “while emphasis may often be
placed on species with special economic importance,
wildlife management along sound biological lines is also
a part of the greater movement for conservation of our
entire native fauna and flora”.
Era of Environmental Management:
1966-present
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Shift towards looking at environment from
more holistic approach
Science is used to direct environmental
management
Prominence of endangered species conservation
Many landmark laws passed
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)-1970
 Clean Water Act (CWA)-1972
 Endangered Species Act (ESA)-1973
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What is Wildlife Science?
Applied
Ecology
ECOLOGY
Population Growth
Community Organization
Ecosystem Organization
Processes & Interactions
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Threatened & Endangered species
Reserve Design
Restoration
Habitat
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Increase or Decrease Populations
Sustainable Harvest
Monitor Population Status
Information Needs for Wildlife
Conservation
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Habitat requirements
Assessment of past and current populations
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Major limiting factors
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Growth or decline?
Ability to survive, reproduce and disperse
How to manage the population(s)?
Habitat protection
 Captive breeding
 Legal protection
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Era of Environmental Management:
1966-present
Examples of Success in Wildlife Conservation
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American Bison
From the surviving 150
individuals, there are
now over 30,000 bison
in many different herds
Era of Environmental Management:
1966-present
Examples of Success in Wildlife
Conservation
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White-tailed (E. U.S.) and mule deer (W.
of Cascades to Dakotas)
Suffered from loss of habitat and
overharvesting
 Habitat restoration and
better protection resulted
in many recovered
populations and even overpopulation in places
Era of Environmental Management:
1966-present
Examples of Success in Wildlife Conservation
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Elk (wapiti)
Suffered from overharvesting and loss of
habitat
Habitat restoration &
better protection have
led to many recovered
populations
Era of Environmental Management:
1966-present
Examples of Success in Wildlife Conservation
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Gray wolf
Persecuted for centuries, ongoing
in some places
Change of attitudes has made
restoration efforts possible (e.g.
Yellowstone NP)
Still controversial species,
especially with respect to ranching