Transcript Habitat management and improvement

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
 Determining the
needs of wildlife
 Creating strategies to
meet these needs
WHY COUNT POPULATION SIZE
ACCURATELY?
Census vs. Random
sampling.
Tag and Recapture
is a type of random
sampling.
CAMERA TRAPS
wwf camera trap
more pics
HABITAT STRATEGIES
Habitat management and improvement
 Setting aside reserves, coordinating with private landowners
STRATEGIES TO MEET WILDLIFE NEEDS
Removal of invasive
species, replanting
native species,
using prescribed
burns – hey, that’s
YOU!!! 
HABITAT STRATEGIES
Habitat management and improvement
 Connecting reserves through wildlife corridors
HABITAT STRATEGIES
Habitat management and improvement
 Creating artificial nesting sites (Red cockaded woodpecker in Eastern Texas)
HABITAT STRATEGIES
Debt for nature swaps
 Pioneered by World Wildlife Fund
 US forgives part of developing nation’s debt in
exchange for commitment to set aside habitat.
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM
Federal program
Pays land owners to put marginal lands back into native
vegetation to provide wildlife habitat
31.4 million acres currently
STRATEGIES TO MEET WILDLIFE NEEDS
Removal of invasive
species, replanting
native species,
using prescribed
burns – hey, that’s
YOU!!! 
TRANSLOCATION/TRANSPLANT
PROGRAMS
Individuals are
captured in wellpopulated areas
and moved to lesspopulaed areas
Increases genetic
biodiversity
1996 wolves
reintroduced in
Yellowstone
CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMS
Usually with egglayers –
birds/amphibians
Young are raised
until they can
survive on their own
in the wild and then
released
ZOOS – SPECIES PROTECTION PLAN
Genetic index of
CITES species
Cross breeding of
distantly-related
individuals
frozen zoo
WHAT IF THERE ARE TOO MANY OF A SPECIES?
HUNTING AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Replacing the niche of the predator – controlling
herbivore populations
Fees for licenses provide millions of dollars for
the states
Funds used for wildlife management and habitat
improvement
In Texas, 2.7 million hunters and anglers
contribute twice the money raised by cotton,
our biggest agricultural product.
TROPHY HUNTING – HOW DOES THIS AFFECT
THE GENE POOL DIFFERENTLY THAN
PREDATION?
LEGAL PROTECTION The Endangered Species Act is powerful legislation.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
1973
Creates a list of threatened and endangered species
Organisms on the list cannot be harmed and their habitat cannot be
disrupted
All species on the list must have a recovery plan
Government development plans must take endangered species into
consideration and may not disrupt critical habitat.
ESA administered by US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Marine
National Fisheries Service
HOW MANY SPECIES ARE ON THE
LIST
TODAY?
Check out the “boxscore” by the Fish and Wildlife Service
USFWS box score
HOW DOES A SPECIES .. .
Get ON the list?
Get OFF the list?
 Nomination by anyone
 Priority Review by Fish and
Wildlife Service (they study
organism to see if it is
declining and what it’s
threats are)
 Public Comment (other
people can bring forward
evidence about the species)
 Final listing by Fish and
Wildlife Director
Wildlife managers work to
increase populations through
the recovery plans
Proposed delisting
Three independent specialists
assess population size and
threats
Species removed
Species monitored for five
years
the list?
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION
CITES – Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species
Species on the Red List cannot be transported
across international borders to reduce
poaching.
Meets every 3 yrs to create global policies
affecting wildlife
LACEY ACT 1900
First US law protecting
wildlife
Cannot take parts of
animals or plants
across state lines
Inspired by
overharvesting of birds
for ladies’ hats
DELISTED SPECIES – SUCCESS!
TEXAS SUCCESS STORIES!
BIG HORN SHEEP
BIG HORN REINTRODUCTION IN BIG BEND NATIONAL
PARK
 Translocation project
 Now 7 herds, about the same size population as the late
1800’s
KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE
CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM
BROWN PELICAN
DDT biomagnified
through the
population
DDT use banned
in 1970’s
Taken off the
Endangered
Species list a few
years ago! 
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
What is wildlife
management?
Name three ways
wildlife managers
might improve habitat.
Name two other
strategies managers
might use to increase
population size
How are the ESA and
CITES different?
How are CITES and the
Lacey act similar?