Importance of Wildlife

Wildlife—all plants, animals and other living things that have not been domesticated.

Domestication—the process of bringing living things under the control of humans

Wildlife Management

• The process of keeping certain wildlife populations, including endangered animals, at desirable levels determined by wildlife managers.

Uses of Wildlife

Consumptive—taking or harvesting wildlife

Non-consumptive—watching or using wildlife so it is not destroyed or taken

Commercial –the money realized from wildlife, including fish

Game—the value placed on wildlife that is used as game

Values of Wildlife

Aesthetic—value people place on wildlife for its beauty or appeal

Scientific—value of wildlife for research or study

Ecological—the value realized from the role of each species in nature

Ecology—the study of ways organisms interact with the environment

Ecosystem—the sum of the living and non-living characteristics of an environment

Wildlife Conservation

-the wise use of wildlife resources; involves maintaining habitat that supports a species or community of species and protecting wildlife from destruction

-closely related to land use

Four areas of wildlife conservation

Research

Education

Law Enforcement

Management

Research

•Helps us understand wildlife and the habitat it needs

•Systematic way of seeking answers to questions about wildlife

•Carried out by industry as well as associations and government agencies

•Helps in understanding habitat needs and how to promote good habitat growth

Education

•Informs people about he roles they have in wildlife conservation

•May be provided by schools, organizations, the media and other sources

•All citizens need a general knowledge of wildlife, not just hunters!

Law Enforcement

•Ensures that laws related to wildlife are followed

•Includes all areas: education, research and use

•Main focus is to reduce violation of hunting laws

Management

•Important part of conservation•The art and science of manipulating a wildlife system to achieve a desired goal

•Includes habitat production and human use of wildlife

•Essential for the survival of wildlife as habitat decreases

Animals

Wildlife animal—one that has not been domesticated

Exotics—usually found in zoosGame—any animal hunted for sport or food;

deer, squirrels, quail, fish, elk and rabbit; many protected by laws

Habitat

•The physical area in which a wildlife species lives

•Influenced by climate, topography, soil, water and presence of other organisms

•Vary among the species•Species classified as terrestrial or aquatic

Terrestrial Wildlife

•Species that live on land; must have water and nutrients to live

•May live in trees, on surface, in the ground

•Climate, elevation, rainfall and topography can influence where species will live

Aquatic Wildlife

•Refers to species that live in water, all or part of the time

•Fisheries—the study of the fish and related species in an area of water

Aquatic habitats may further be classified on the basis of salt content of the water-Freshwater: little or no salt content-Brackish: common where freshwater and saltwater flow together-Saltwater: has high salt content, often 33-37 parts per thousand

Wildlife Populations

•The number of individuals in a group of organisms that occupy an area

•Can include all of one species or a combination of species

Population density—the number of organisms in a given acreage

Natality—the number of new animals born in an area each year (birth rate); measured in number of births per 1000 animals

Mortality—the death rate of animals; measured in number of deaths per 1000 animals

Factors that effect Birth and Death Rates

•Adequate food•Adequate shelter•Population density•Disease•Weather related disasters

Renewable Natural Resources

•Wildlife is a renewable natural resource; can produce more of itself if conditions are favorable

•Long term unfavorable conditions can result in extinction

•Proper management of wildlife supports renewability

•Carrying capacity—the number of a species that an area can support in a healthy condition

•Overpopulation—when an area exceeds its carrying capacity, can result in stunted growth, disease, starvation and death

Biodiversity

The variety of living things that naturally exist in an area.-essential in having a healthy environment and balanced ecosystem