Wildlife and Conservation Management

1
Wildlife and Conservation Management

• Mr. Johnsen
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education
Curriculum Office
July, 2002
2
I. Wildlife and Conservation Management
background

• Habitat an area with the combination of
  resources (food, cover, and water) that allows
  for a species to survive.
• Habitat requirements vary by species
• Generalist species
• Specialist species
• Migratory species

3
Generalist Species (defined)
Generalist species are common and widely
distributed they can usually tolerate a range of
climates, have broad dietary and nesting/breeding
needs, and can adapt fairly well to humans.
4
Generalist Species Examples
White-tailed deer
Coyote
5
Specialist Species (defined)
Specialist species are usually limited by a
narrow habitat, either by preference, tolerance
of habitat destruction characteristics include
tolerating a limited climate range, need for
specific diets and/or breeding/nesting sites an
an inability to adapt to humans.
6
Specialist Species Examples
Grizzly Bear
Wolf
7
Migratory Species (defined)
Migratory species are animals that periodically
or regularly move from one area to another for
the purposes of breeding, food forage, and/or to
avoid extreme climatic conditions migratory
patterns can range from thousands of miles to
less than 30, depending on the species.
8
Migratory Species Examples
Canadian Geese
Wood Duck
9
Migratory Examples (cont.)
Salmon
American Buffalo
10
Wildlife and Conservation Management background
(cont.)

• Ecosystem management recognizes that an entire
  systems approach must be taken in order to
  assure we look past specific species and view the
  ecosystem as a whole.

11
Wildlife and Conservation Management background
(cont.)
1. All elements, including species
composition, predation, physical conditions
are interrelated. 2. Ecosystems range in size
from very small (pond or backyard) to very
large (forest or ocean)
12
Wildlife and Conservation Management background
(cont.)

• Biodiversity the variety and variability of
  living organisms and their environments
• Habitat Corridors habitat tracts in which
  wildlife can travel safely between sites.

13
Wildlife and Conservation Management background
(cont.)

• Major Wildlife Habitat Types
• 1. Forests
• 2. Rangelands
• 3. Riparian
• 4. Wetlands

14
II. Management of Wildlife

• Management by State and Federal Agencies
• 1. 1937 Federal Aid to Wildlife Act incurs a
  tax on the sale of guns and ammo. The money
  is then divided to states.
• 2. 1966 Endangered Species Preservation Act
  provides protection against extinction for all
  plants and animals.

15
Management of Wildlife (cont.)
a. A group must contact the Secretary of the
Interior to list a species. USFWS
and NMFS judges submission b. The process is
long and requires large amounts of
public comment, hearings, and
environmental impact reports. c.
Species that are listed are protected
from hunting, as well as granted
protection for their critical habitat.
16
Management of Wildlife (cont.)
3. 1976 National Forest Management Act
requires a forest management plan must be
created for all timber areas plans must
provide for both plant and animal well-being.
4. 1976 Federal Land Policy Management Act
requires the BLM take all resources into
account in the planning process. Half the
revenue of grazing livestock on public land is
spent to improve the land.
17
Management of Private Lands

• Management of Private Lands
• 1. The majority of lands in the U.S. are
  privately owned.
• 2. Majority of States offer technical and
  financial assistance to land owners to encourage
  habitat improvement.

18
Management in Urban Areas

• Management in Urban Areas
• 1. US is becoming more urban so human
  wildlife interaction is more frequent.
• 2. As Urbanization continues, diversity
  drops. (Generalist species increase though.)
• 3. Highly adaptable species, like crows, rats
  and squirrels reach such high populations they
  are considered pests. Control is
  difficult, since hunting and trapping is
  illegal in urban areas.

19
Easily Adaptable Species
American Crow
20
III. Threats to Wildlife

• Habitat Fragmentation and Loss
• 1. Fragmentation is the severe subdivision of
  once continuous habitat areas.
• 2. Land development causes habitat
  fragmentations
• 3. Fragmentation can result in an out-right
  loss of habitat as well as blocking migration
  routes.

21
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)
4. Fragmentation results in contiguous
habitat zones surrounded by unsuitable habitat
that places populations on islands, limiting
the genetic pool. 5. In a few instances,
well planned habitat corridors can link
previously fragmented lands.
22
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)

• Conflict over habitat management
• 1. Rights of private land owners regularly
  conflict with the concept of conservation and
  ecosystem management.
• a. One exception to this rule is in an
  endangered species case, the land owner is
  obligated by law to conserve the species.

23
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)

• Human Disturbance of wildlife
• 1. Many species dependent on wilderness are
  unable to handle human interaction.
• 2. Some wilderness-dependent species become
  aggressive when they come into human contact.
• 3. Some species elect to move when they come
  into contact with humans. Sometimes this is
  not possible.

24
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)

• Recreational disturbances
• Campers, hikers, fisherman, boaters, atvs all
  impact the environment.
• Recreational users need to respect the land.
• Some activities (atvs, hunting, fishing) are
  prohibited in sensitive areas.

25
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)
5. Poaching is the illegal killing of
wildlife a. Poaching-killing protected
species, killing out of season, hunting in
protected areas, killing animals protected by
sex or size, killing animals by illegal
methods, or illegal collection of specimens.
26
Threats to Wildlife (cont.)
b. State and federal agencies are
focusing more on arresting poachers,
setting up of decoys, wildlife
stings and anonymous hot-lines. c. Some
poachers target specific parts of animals
such as bear gallbladders and antlers of
deer or elk.