FOREST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

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FOREST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT CHAPTER 14
All photos by J. Hast Unless otherwise noted
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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Wildlife Values

• Wildlife is often viewed as a bonus
• Usually not primary reason for management
• There is an increasing interest in biodiversity
• Sum of all species in an ecosystem as well as the
  sum of their function in the ecosystem
• Wildlife represents two types of inherent value
• Consumptive value
• Appreciative value

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Wildlife Values

• Consumptive Value
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Fur Trapping
• These types of recreation are critical to
  wildlife management!
• Why?

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Wildlife Values

• Consumptive Value
• What do you get from consuming/ harvesting
  wildlife?
• Food
• Recreation
• Life lessons
• Income
• Management
• outcomes

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Wildlife Values

• Appreciative Value
• Non-consumptive
• Nature viewing
• Bird watching
• Nature hikes
• Outdoor recreation

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Wildlife Values

• Consumptive vs. Appreciative
• Hunting and fishing license sales drive wildlife
  management in the U.S.
• Not just for game species!
• Ex. Waterfowl permits help to protect all species
  of waterfowl, not just hunted species
• Pittman-Robertson Act provides a continuous flow
  of funds for wildlife management and research.
• Funded by tax on hunting supplies, fishing
  supplies, and gas at marinas

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Wildlife Values

• Biodiversity Value
• Level at which ecosystem is intact
• All species are important
• Biomedical value and possible medications
• How do you place a value on less charismatic
  species in the ecosystem?
• Determine their value in terms of ecosystem
  services
• Ex. Beavers as ecosystem engineers
• How do you put a monetary value on this service?
• They act as keystone species that produce habitat
  for a variety of lesser organisms

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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Ecological Interactions

• What does wildlife do for forest ecosystems?
• Seed dispersal
• Aids in succession
• Predation
• Insect and disease management
• Management of forest carrying capacity
• Herbivory
• Acts as a disturbance and aids in regeneration
• Soil cycling
• Earthworms and burrowing rodents

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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems

• Early successional species
• Groups of plants and animals are specifically
  associated with each successional stage
• These species are adapted to a specific
  successional stage
• Ex. White tailed deer browsing on
• new growth following a low impact fire

http//mrsmaine.wikispaces.com/file/view/white_tai
led_deer_buck2.jpg
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Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems

• Mixed-age forest species
• Some species require a mixed age forest to suit
  their habitat and food needs
• Allows for various food and habitat types at
  different times of the year
• Ex. Rocky Mountain elk migrating
• to lower elevations to escape the
• winter food shortage in their summer
• range

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Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems

• Old growth forest species
• These forest species require a unique habitat
  only provided by old growth forests
• Usually, these species only have a very small
  niche
• Ex. Northern spotted owl
• responsible for redirecting the forest
• management of the Pacific Northwest

Photo US Fish and Wildlife Service
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Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems

• Edge Habitat Species
• Species that utilize edge habitat have the
  advantage of a food source and cover habitat in
  close proximity
• Edge habitat often leads to a congregation of
  predators
• Ex. Bob-white quail use fields for a
• food source and the edge for
• nesting protection

http//www.birdsofoklahoma.net/images/BWQuail7933-
1.jpg
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Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems

• Riparian zone species
• Def Riparian Zones are areas of vegetation that
  immediately surrounds a body of water
• These areas are usually highly productive due to
  unlimited water and nutrients
• Ex. Waterfowl use riparian
• zones for nesting

http//www.mnmaya.com/blogger/uploaded_images/IMG_
0017-710770.JPG
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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Forest Management and Wildlife

• Fire suppression and prescribed burning
• Fires role in forest management is controversial
• Remember, fire is a natural disturbance that may
  be necessary for some species
• Fire could be bad or good for a species depending
  on its needs
• Ex Old growth species would not respond well to
  fire while early successional species would have
  a positive response

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Forest Management and Wildlife

• Timber Harvest
• Timber harvest can benefit early successional
  species
• Timber harvest can replace fire as a disturbance
• Forest Fragmentation
• Usually lowers species diversity / biodiversity
• Detrimental to species that require contiguous
  old growth forests
• Ex Northern spotted owl / black bear

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Forest Management and Wildlife

• Use of pesticides and herbicides
• Harmful to many wildlife species
• Bioaccumulation increases up the food chain
• Ex led shot used for waterfowl hunting
  bioaccumulated in bald eagles, leading to their
  death
• Ban of DDT has lead to a resurgence in the raptor
  populations
• Killing of insects leads to a lack of food for
  predators

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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY

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Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management

• Managing for biodiversity
• Threatened and endangered species
• Regulating habitat loss
• Maintaining existing habitat
• Some species require very intricate management
  ideas that involve multiple trophic levels
• Value of downed woody debris
• Coarse woody debris increases species diversity
• This is characteristic of an old growth forest
• Creating woody debris can help to increase
  biodiversity

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Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management

• Ecosystem structure and function
• Streamside protection
• Buffer (riparian) zones are created to insure the
  quality of the watershed
• Protection of stream crossings from logging
  practices (usually skidders) help to keep
  sediment out of the watershed
• Habitat manipulation
• Prescribed burns help to regenerate understory
• Food plots help to increase game species

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Chapter 14 Topics

• Wildlife Values
• Ecological Interactions
• Wildlife as Components of Forest Ecosystems
• Effects of Forest Management on Wildlife
• Wildlife Considerations in Ecosystem Management
• Examples of Wildlife Management in KY