Wildlife Values

• Commercial• Recreational• Biological• Scientific, philosophical, & educational• Aesthetic• Social• Undiscovered or undeveloped• Negative

Commercial Wildlife Values

• Income (part of economic value)– Selling or trading wildlife or their parts– Conducting business based on access to wildlife

• Meat, fur, etc.• Guides, sporting goods stores, motels, etc.• Leases & fee hunting

Recreational Wildlife Values

• Pleasure, adventure, & advanced physical & mental condition from wildlife activities– Hunting, photography, bird watching, etc.

Biological Wildlife Values

• Contribution of wildlife to healthy ecosystems– Stability– Pollination, seed dispersal, soil tillage, nutrient

transport, etc.

Thinking like a mountain

Biological Wildlife Values

Civilization is a state of mutual and interdependent cooperation between human animals, other animals, plants, and soils, which may be disrupted at any moment by the failure of any of them.

A. Leopold

Scientific, Philosophical, & Educational Wildlife Values

• Studies (scientific & philosophical)– Understand ecology, physiology, behavior,

etc. & ourselves– Baseline information

• Use information in classrooms to educate– Conservation

Aesthetic Wildlife Values

• As objects of beauty, historical significance, or as part of literature, poetry, art, & music– Human communication & expression– Cultural importance

• Indigenous peoples

Social Wildlife Values

• Any benefits that have a positive affect on the community as a whole– More income, less stress, increased physical

& mental health– Overlap with others– Indigenous peoples & cultures

Undiscovered or UndevelopedWildlife Values

• Unknown– Medicine, foods, etc.

• Antler• Gall bladder

Negative Wildlife Values

• Cost of wildlife damage or its prevention– Deer, wolf, Lyme disease, collisions, etc.

Economics of Wildlife

• Florida (National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife Associated Recreation-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2012)

– 242,000 Hunters spent $720,190,000 (↑)

• $2,976/hunter/year

– 4,308,000 Wildlife Watchers spent $3,041,333,000 (↑)

• $706/person/year

Over 3 Billion dollars spent in 2011!

Economics of Wildlife

• U.S. (National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife Associated Recreation-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2012)

– 13,700,000 Hunters spent $33,700,000,000 (↑ 9%)• $2,484/hunter/year

– 71,800,000 Wildlife Watchers spent $54,900,000,000(↑ 9%)

• $766/person/year

Over 88 Billion dollars spent in 2011!

Economics of Wildlife

• U.S. (AFWA 2007)

– 12.5 million hunters– $725 million/yr in license sales– $280 million/yr in P-R funds generated– $300 million in conservation donations– $9.2 billion/yr in paid taxes– $24.7 billion/yr in retail spending

Overall economic impact of $66 billion & ~600,000 jobs in 2006!

Economics of Wildlife

• Non-consumptive uses– Ecotourism

• A conservation tool or problem?

(U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Economics of Wildlife

• Non-consumptive uses– Wildlife Viewing in the United States (Outdoor Industry

Foundation 2007)

• 66 million participants• Supports 467,000 jobs• Generates 2.7 billion in taxes• Economic impact of $42 billion/yr

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– Farming Wildlife

• Fur, meat, musk, antlers, milk, & trophies• Red deer, bison, white-tailed deer

• New Zealand: 1.8 million deer (80% red deer) on 4,000 farms (1/2 worlds farmed deer) yielded $144,523,400 in 2003

– 38,000,000+ lbs venison– 388,000+ lbs velvet antler– 565,000 hides– 105,000 m2 leather– 2,800,000+ lbs co-products (sinews, blood, other)

• $30-150+/lb of antler

• Higher quality meat, often less environmental impact, but social problems in U.S.

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– Hunting

• Value of each species ($ spent/animal harvested)– $11,000+/CO bighorn sheep– $250+/pronghorn– $6,500+/black bear– $800+/mule deer

(U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– Hunting: Livestock vs. Wildlife

• 10-50% more $/acre from wildlife than livestock– Cows, deer, hogs

» Individually or combined

» Florida leases: $4-18/acre/year» TX leases: more

• Improves habitat for all wildlife

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– Hunting

• Harvest fees ($) at private Florida ranches – White-tailed deer: $500-3,500+– Elk: $3,500-8,000+– Feral Hogs: $200-750+

• Helps other wildlife & habitat

(U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– Sport Hunting?

• Harvest fees ($) of safari companies in South Africa (Furniss 1991)

– Ostrich: $350-400– Rhino: $25,000-30,000– Zebra: $550-700– Kudu: $700-950– Giraffe: $1,000-2,500

(U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Economics of Wildlife

• Consumptive uses: Wildlife– 2011 Hunting

• 13,700,000 Hunters spent $33,700,000,000– $2,484/hunter/year

– If hunting was a business it would be in the Fortune 500 top 50!

Economics/Costs of Wildlife

• If hunting were lost as wildlife management tools in the U.S. (IAFWA 2005)

– An additional• 50,000 injuries & 50 deaths from wildlife-auto

interactions (= 297,000 injuries and 250 deaths total)• $3.8 billion in auto repair costs

– Governments would need to spend• Up to $9.3 billion/yr to control deer

– Loss of revenue from hunting licenses & PR$

Wildlife Values

Kellert (1996)

Value Description

Naturalistic Focus on direct exposure and contact with large mammals

Scientific Focus on knowledge and study of large mammals

Aesthetic Focus on physical attraction and appeal of large mammals

Utilitarian Focus on material and practical benefits of large mammals

Humanistic Focus on emotional affection and attachment to large mammals

Dominionistic Focus on mastery and control of large mammals

Moralistic Focus on moral and spiritual importance of large mammals

Negativistic Focus on fear and aversion of large mammals

Symbolic Focus on metaphorical and figurative significance of large mammals