Game Animals Management “Managing Nutrition”

Next Generation Science / Common Core Standards Addressed!

• HS‐LS4‐5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on determining cause and effect relationships for how changes to the environment such as deforestation, fishing, application of fertilizers, drought, flood, and the rate of change of the environment affect distribution or disappearance of traits in species.

Bell Work / Objectives

• Describe essential nutrients that are needed by animals.

• Identify food sources of plant origin.

• Identify environmental factors that affect the food supply.

• Describe ways that humans can supplement the natural food supply for wildlife.

Nutritional Label

• Lets discuss the nutrients that we consume from this food.– Fat– Carbohydrates– Proteins– Vitamins– Minerals

• What nutrients do animals need?

Terms

• Drought

• Energy nutrients

• Flowers

• Fruit

• Leaves

• Proteins

• Minerals

• Nematodes

• Nuts

• Pods

• Roots

• Vitamins

• Water

Essential Nutrients

• Nutrient requirements for wildlife vary during the life cycle.– Mature animals need nutrients to provide for

their activity, maintenance of their body, and reproduction.

– Lactating females have increased need for nutrients.

– Young animals have specific requirements to support rapid growth.

What are the essential nutrients needed by animals?

• Energy nutrients

• Proteins

• Minerals

• Vitamins

• Water

Energy Nutrients

• Carbohydrates and fats provide;– Energy is needed for

the animal to maintain its body and to provide for its activities.

– Sugars, starches, and oils provide energy nutrients.

Proteins• Necessary for animal

growth, maintenance, and reproduction.

• More protein is needed during periods of active growth and during lactation.

• Some animals, such as carnivores, get protein from eating other animals.

• Plant eating animals can get protein from eating seeds and young, tender vegetation.

Minerals

• Needed for growth, reproduction, and other life functions.

• Very important for bones, hooves, teeth, antlers, horns, and other similar body parts.

• Minerals are available in the food and water that animals consume.

Vitamins• Regulate body

processes and can be found in the foods animals eat.

• Vitamins A, K, E, K, and B complex are very important for animal health.

Water• Nutrient that is very

important for animal health.

• Animal consumption of water varies by species and location.

• As much as 40 percent of an animals body is water.

• A good source of clean, non-polluted water is essential for animal health.

Essential Animal Nutrients

What are animal food sources that come from plants?

• Plants provide many sources of food for animals.

• Different animals utilize different parts of plants.– Leaves

– Flowers

– Fruit

– Nuts

– Seeds

– Twigs & bark

– Roots

Plant Parts

• Leaves – green, vegetative part of the plant.

– Ruminant animals, such as deer and bison, utilize them extensively.

• Flowers – provide nectar for various animals.

– Ex. bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

Plant Parts

• Fruit – contains seeds and other edible parts.–Grows on plants

after it has flowered.

–Berries are one example of fruit.

Plant Parts• Nuts – grow on trees and

contain the seeds from the tree, usually have a hard outer shell.

– Acorns and pecans are examples.

• Pods – seed from plants that do not produce fruit or nuts.

Plant Parts

• Twigs & Bark – Some insects burrow into the bark of some trees and sometimes deer will eat the bark and twigs off trees.

• Roots – underground portion of the plant.–Rodents and nematodes (small

worms) for example.

What environmental factors can affect the food supply for

animals?

• Weather

• Pests

• Fire

Weather Related Problems• Drought – prolonged period

without enough rain.– Mild droughts can cause

a decrease in production of plant material.

– In severe cases, large amounts of plant material can be killed, thus drastically affecting the food supply.

Weather Related Problems

• Storms can remove vegetation, fruits, nuts, and seeds from plants.–Severe storms, such as tornados and

hurricanes can blow down trees and other plant life.

–Ice storms can cause severe plant damage and kill large numbers of wildlife.

Weather Related Problems

• Floods can smother plant life and kill it by preventing respiration and photosynthesis.

• Untimely freezes can kill vegetation prematurely, or cause early season fruits to drop to the ground.

Pests

• Pest outbreaks can severely affect the food production of some plant species.

• These can include insects and disease.

• In some cases, insects and diseases can destroy whole plant communities.

Fire

• Each year, thousands of acres of forest are destroyed by fire.

• Sometimes these fires are caused naturally by lightening, while other fires are caused by human carelessness.

What can humans do to supplement the natural food supply?

• Leaving strips of untilled land around the edges of fields.

• These strips can provide both food and cover for wildlife.

• Planting food producing trees, shrubs, and other plants.

What can humans do to supplement the natural food supply?

• When harvesting trees out of a forest, leaving food producing trees.

• Provide corn and other feeds to wildlife when needed.

• Providing fertilizers to ponds to produce aquatic plants for fish to consume.

Review / Summary

• What are the essential nutrients needed by animals?

• What are animal food sources that come from plants?

• What environmental factors can affect the food supply for animals?

• What can humans do to supplement the natural food supply?

The End!