Wildlife Management

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Wildlife Management

• by
• Larry Stine
• Estherville Lincoln Central High School

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Competencies

• define wildlife terms
• identify characteristics of wildlife
• describe relationships between wildlife and
  humans
• understand relationships with humans
• describe classifications of wildlife
• identify approved practices
• discuss future of wildlife in the U.S.

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Terms to Know

• Wildlife
• Habitat
• Vertebrate
• Predators
• Prey
• Parasitism

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Terms to Know

• Warm-blooded animals
• Mutualism
• Predation
• Commensalism
• Competition
• Wetlands

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In the early years....

• Wildlife provided the bulk of food available
• Supplies seemed exhaustible
• Humans destroyed wildlife habitat

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Characteristics of Wildlife

• All vertebrate animals are wildlife
• Vertebrates-animals with backbones
• Have many of the same characteristics as humans
• growth processes
• laws of heredity
• general cell structure

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Environment without control

• Must adapt or perish
• Possess senses for protection from predators
• Avoid overpopulation

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Wildlife Relationships

• Parasitism
• Mutualism
• Predation
• Commensalism
• Competition

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Parasitism

• Relationship between two organisms, either plants
  or animals, in which one feeds on the other
  without killing it.
• Parasites can be internal or external

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Mutualism

• Two types of animals that live together for
  mutual benefit
• There are many examples of mutualism in the
  wildlife community

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Predation

• When one animal eats another animal
• Is important in controlling populations of
  wildlife

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Commensalism

• A Plant or animal that lives in, on, or with
  another, sharing its food, but not helping or
  harming it
• One species is helped, but the other is neither
  helped or harmed

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Competition

• When different species of wildlife compete for
  the same
• food supply
• nesting sites
• breeding sites
• One species may increase in numbers while the
  other declines

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Relationships Between Wildlife and Humans

• Biological
• Ecological
• Economic
• food
• clothing
• shelter

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Six Positive Values

• Commercial
• Recreational
• Biological
• Aesthetic
• Scientific
• Social

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Commercial

• Sale of wildlife or wildlife products
• Raising of animals for
• hunting
• fishing

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Recreational

• Hunting and Fishing
• Watching
• Photographing

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Biological

• Value of the biological relationship between
  humans and wildlife is difficult to measure
• Examples
• Pollination of crops
• Soil Improvement
• Water conservation
• Control of parasites

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Aesthetic

• Refers to beauty
• Is not measurable in economic terms
• Can contribute to the mental well-being of the
  human race

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Scientific

• Often benefits humans
• Has existed since the beginning of time
• Early humans watched wild animals to determine
  which plants and berries were safe to eat

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Social

• Difficult to measure
• Wildlife has the ability to enhance the value of
  their surroundings just by their presence
• Provide humans the opportunity for variety in
  outdoor recreation, hobbies, and adventure

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Classifications of Wildlife Management

• Farm
• Forest
• Wetlands
• Stream
• Lakes and Ponds

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Farm Wildlife

• Probably the most visible wildlife management
  classification
• Includes
• development of fence rows
• minimum tillage
• improvement of woodlots
• controlled hunting

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Forest Wildlife

• More difficult to manage
• Planned so that timber and wildlife can exist at
  desired populations and possibly be harvested
• Includes population controls to prevent habitat
  destruction

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Wetlands Wildlife

• Most productive wildlife management area
• Includes all areas between dry upland and open
  water
• Includes
• marshes
• swamps
• bogs

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Stream Wildlife

• Often a difficult task
• Water pollution and the need for clean water for
  a growing human population continue to increase
  at a rapid pace

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Lake and Pond Wildlife

• Normally easier than in streams
• Concerns include
• population levels
• oxygen levels
• pollutants
• availability of food resources

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Approved Practices - Farm Wildlife

• Usually a by-product of farming
• Little attention usually given by the farmer
  except when cause crop damage or financial loss
• Management involves providing habitat
• Timing of operations is important
• Planting crops attractive to wildlife
• Providing water during dry periods

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Approved Practices - Forest Wildlife

• Types and numbers of wildlife differs with
• type and age of the trees
• natural forest openings
• types of vegetation on the forest floor
• presence of natural predators
• Management is geared towards increases numbers of
  desired species of wildlife
• If desired populations are present the goal is to
  maintain those populations

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Approved Practices - Wetland Wildlife

• No area of American land is more important
• Are constantly changing
• Provide food, nesting sites, and cover
• Ducks and geese are the most economically
  important types of wildlife that need wetlands
• Other types include woodcock, pheasants, deer,
  bears, milk, muskrats, and raccoons

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Approved Practices - Stream Wildlife

• Two general categories
• warm water
• cold water
• Based on water temperature at which the wildlife,
  primarily fish, can best grow and thrive
• Little difference in managing the two types
• In general, fish are the type of stream wildlife
  that is managed

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Approved Practices - Stream Wildlife

• Maintenance of population levels is important
• Removal of unwanted species by
• netting
• poisoning
• electric shocking
• Artificial rearing and stocking
• Regulations of sport fishing

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Approved Practices - Lake and Pond Wildlife

• Very similar to managing stream wildlife
• Pollution must be controlled
• Populations must be monitored and harvesting
  controlled
• Differences include
• oxygen levels are critical in the summer
• water temperatures are more variable
• may have to drain to remove unwanted species

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Future of Wildlife in the U.S.

• A bright future is not ensured for all species
• Human population continues to compete
• Outlook is not bleak, however
• Humans have recognized the ability to coexist
• Humans are working to clean-up the environment
• Parks and wildlife refuges are increasing in
  numbers