Wildlife Monitoring Methods and Population Control
Monitoring Wildlife populations provides information needed to set wildlife management practices, such as: determining hunting and fishing regulations, and protecting wildlife species. Monitoring Wildlife populations include the following.
•Includes:
–birth rates
–death rates
–condition of habitats
–food sources
-condition of animals
1885
•U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy was established (SLIDE #8)
–United States Department of Interior includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do the following task.
What is conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.
Vulnerable species are these 3 things.
What are species whose population has been reduced by 30 to 50 percent, occupies an extent of occurrence of less than 20,000 km2 (7,722 mi2) or area of occupancy of less than 2,000 km2 (772 mi2), and has less than 10,000 mature individuals.
Monitoring Wildlife method: fecal DNA surveying that requires collecting these to be able to test DNA, which can show population abundance, distribution of species and even track prey consumption
What is collecting fecal samples.
Non-lethal methods must include
What is
–behavior modification: methods of encouraging wildlife to leave an area through repellents, stimuli, fences or pyrotechnics
–fertility control: reducing reproduction of a population through treating nests, performing neutering/spaying procedures or administering vaccines called immuno-contraceptives
1933
•Aldo Leopold became the first professor of wildlife management at the University of Wisconsin
Leopold’s "Game Management" was the first textbook published on the topic.
–United States Department of Interior oversees the Bureau of Land Management. The Bureau of Land Management is able to do the following task.
What is to manage public land for human use while ensuring natural, cultural and historic resources are maintained.
Critically Endangered species are these three things.
What are species whose population has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent, occupies an extent of occurrence less than 100 km2 (39 mi2) or area of occupancy of less than 10 km2 (4 mi2), and has less than 250 mature adults.
Having a home range is essential for the following reasons
What is
–avoiding or escaping possible predators
–locating a mate
resting in safety and comfort
Monitoring Wildlife method: –GPS devices uses.
What are collars or implants attached to sedated animals.
1935
•first Cooperative Wildlife Research Centers were established
–United States Department of Interior works with the National Park Service that is in charge of.
What is preserving unimpaired natural and cultural resources.
Over abundant species are defined as.
What are defined as having a population exceeding carrying capacity or the ability for the environment to sustain a healthy population.
Food must be found within an animal’s home-range, providing the quality and quantity necessary for sustaining life. Is crucial for the following:
What is
–growth
–health
-successful reproduction
Monitoring Wildlife method: mark and recapture includes the following method.
What is a portion of population is captured and tagged then, after a set period of time, another portion of the population is captured and the number of marked individuals is counted to estimate total population size
1937
•Wildlife Society was founded
•Journal of Wildlife Management began publishing
United States Department of Agriculture oversees the U.S. Forest Service that is in charge of.
What is sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of forests and grasslands.
Having over abundant species will affect the following.
–population health: causes more competition for resources within species and if resources become scarce the population will decline.
–spread of diseases: closer contact and less resources cause diseases to pass more quickly through a population and may spread to livestock and humans
–instances of human conflict: higher populations result in more interactions with humans. For example, deer-vehicle collisions and destruction of property, agriculture or livestock.
Habitat Management techniques include the following.
Include:
–1. conservation
–2. habitat improvement
–3. controlling disturbance factors
–4. modifying habitats
Legal regulations and protections to Wildlife includes the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 that is in charge of.
What is to make the art of pursuing, hunting, capturing, killing or selling living or dead migratory birds without a permit illegal.
1940
•President, F.D. Roosevelt created the Bureau of Wildlife
–combined the Bureau of Biological Survey and the Bureau of Fisheries, which later became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. –conserves, protects and enhances fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.
Legal regulations and protections to Wildlife includes the Lacey Act of 1900 that prohibits the following practices.
What is prohibits importing, exporting, selling, acquiring or purchasing wildlife, fish or plants which have been obtained in violation of any United States, Native American or foreign law.
Ecological Principles of Wildlife Management include the following:
–protecting species which enables genetic diversity
–maintaining the habitat required for conserving species
–creating an interconnected ecosystem
Population control is the reduction of over-abundant population levels. Methods can include.
–hunting
–trapping
–translocating
–non-lethal methods
–lethal methods