Managing Wildlife Managing Wildlife PopulationsPopulations

Next Generation Science / Common Core Standards Addressed!Next Generation Science / Common Core Standards Addressed!

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

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Standards AddressedResource Standards Addressed NRS.01.06. Apply ecological concepts and NRS.01.06. Apply ecological concepts and

principles to living organisms in natural principles to living organisms in natural resource systems.resource systems. NRS.01.06.01.b. Analyze the factors that NRS.01.06.01.b. Analyze the factors that

influence population density and population influence population density and population dispersion in natural resource systems.dispersion in natural resource systems.

Bell Work / ObjectivesBell Work / Objectives

Explain the relationship of populations to Explain the relationship of populations to habitat.habitat.

Explain the concept of population status.Explain the concept of population status. Explain habitat factors that affect wildlife Explain habitat factors that affect wildlife

populations.populations.

TermsTerms

Birth rateBirth rate Carrying capacityCarrying capacity Controlled huntingControlled hunting Death rateDeath rate Habitat degradationHabitat degradation Habitat destructionHabitat destruction Land UseLand Use

Limiting factorLimiting factor PopulationPopulation Population densityPopulation density Population statusPopulation status Reproductive Reproductive

potentialpotential Wildlife habitatWildlife habitat

Managing Wildlife PopulationsManaging Wildlife Populations

What is the population of the world?What is the population of the world? Why has the human population been able Why has the human population been able

to get so large?to get so large? How is this related to wildlife How is this related to wildlife

management?management?

How are populations and habitat How are populations and habitat related?related?

PopulationPopulation Used to describe the number of organisms in Used to describe the number of organisms in

an area.an area. May refer to the combined number of all May refer to the combined number of all

species.species. Or the number of one species.Or the number of one species.

Animal and plant populations have Animal and plant populations have important affects on each other.important affects on each other.

How are populations and habitat How are populations and habitat related?related?

Population densityPopulation density Measure of how crowded or sparse organisms are in Measure of how crowded or sparse organisms are in

an area.an area. Density is influenced by the number of new organisms Density is influenced by the number of new organisms

added to the population and by the number that leave.added to the population and by the number that leave.

Birth rateBirth rate Number of young produced per unit of population over Number of young produced per unit of population over

a given time.a given time.

Death rateDeath rate Number of deaths per thousand each year.Number of deaths per thousand each year.

How are populations and habitat How are populations and habitat related?related?

Birth and death rates Birth and death rates form a population curve.form a population curve.

Population numbers are Population numbers are highest in late spring highest in late spring and early summer after and early summer after birth of young.birth of young.

Populations decline due Populations decline due to disease, lack of food, to disease, lack of food, hunting and other hunting and other factors.factors.

What is population status?What is population status? Population statusPopulation status

Overall health condition and numerical Overall health condition and numerical count of wildlife populations.count of wildlife populations.

Healthy populations are those that Healthy populations are those that have the capability of increasing or have the capability of increasing or maintaining stable numbers from maintaining stable numbers from year to year.year to year.

These populations are relatively These populations are relatively disease-free and adequate food is disease-free and adequate food is available to the animals.available to the animals.

Populations are directly related to Populations are directly related to reproduction success.reproduction success.

Reproductive potentialReproductive potential The ability of a population to increase.The ability of a population to increase. Populations with large number of diseased or Populations with large number of diseased or

older animals have lower reproductive older animals have lower reproductive potential. Chronic Wasting disease has potential. Chronic Wasting disease has impacted deer populations in New Mexico.impacted deer populations in New Mexico.

Shortage of food also lowers reproductive Shortage of food also lowers reproductive potential. Drought in the southwest has potential. Drought in the southwest has impacted wildlife populationsimpacted wildlife populations

What is population status?What is population status?

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Limiting factorLimiting factor Any one action Any one action

working alone, or in working alone, or in combination to combination to decrease population.decrease population.

Knowing this helps in Knowing this helps in management.management.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Wildlife habitatWildlife habitat Area that wildlife Area that wildlife

needs to perform needs to perform daily, seasonal, daily, seasonal, and yearly and yearly activities.activities.

Includes food, Includes food, water, cover, and water, cover, and space.space.

Land useLand use How humans use How humans use

or treat land.or treat land. Affects wildlife.Affects wildlife.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Habitat destructionHabitat destruction Total loss of wildlife Total loss of wildlife

habitat could occur.habitat could occur. Habitat destruction Habitat destruction

may result in the may result in the elimination of those elimination of those animals dependent on animals dependent on what naturally grew on what naturally grew on the land.the land.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Habitat degradationHabitat degradation Reducing quality of the habitat.Reducing quality of the habitat. Second most important factor impacting Second most important factor impacting

wildlife. This may occur as a result of nature wildlife. This may occur as a result of nature or caused by man’s actions.or caused by man’s actions.

AccidentsAccidents Roads & highways are often the scenes of Roads & highways are often the scenes of

accidents involving wildlife.accidents involving wildlife. These reduce the population of wildlife.These reduce the population of wildlife. Cause considerable damage to property.Cause considerable damage to property.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

OverpopulationOverpopulation Carrying capacityCarrying capacity

The number of animals that a The number of animals that a particular area can safely particular area can safely support.support.

If population increases If population increases beyond capacity, there is not beyond capacity, there is not enough food and cover for enough food and cover for each animal.each animal.

This can reduce health of the This can reduce health of the wildlife.wildlife.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Controlled huntingControlled huntingUsed to keep wildlife Used to keep wildlife

populations from populations from exceeding capacity.exceeding capacity.

Involves well planned Involves well planned legal hunting to legal hunting to maintain populations.maintain populations.

Dollars raised from Dollars raised from hunting return into the hunting return into the wildlife management wildlife management accounts in each accounts in each state.state.

What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

Wildlife managementWildlife management Provides safeguards for Provides safeguards for

wildlife populations and wildlife populations and their habitats.their habitats.

Offers solutions to Offers solutions to population problems.population problems.

Provides for management Provides for management of suitable habitat.of suitable habitat.

Ensures adequate food, Ensures adequate food, water, and cover for all water, and cover for all species.species.

Review / SummaryReview / Summary

How are populations and habitat related?How are populations and habitat related? What is population status?What is population status? What are the major limiting factors What are the major limiting factors

affecting wildlife populations?affecting wildlife populations?

The End!The End!