midterm 1 Flashcards
Evolution
change in heritable traits in a population over time
Natural Selection
If there are organisms that reproduce
IF offspring inherit traits from their parents
IF there is variability of traits
IF the environment cannot support all members of a growing population
THEN those members of the population with less-adaptive traits will die out
THEN those members with more-adaptive traits will thrive and pass those traits on to future generations
Evidence for Natural Selection
- Experimental/Artificial selection
- Fossils and transitional forms
- Cellular/molecular
- Distribution
Experimental/artificial selection
rats, fruit-flies, fish, dogs, viruses, and bacteria
Fossils and transitional forms
Homologous and analogous structures - not closely related organisms acquiring similar characteristics
Cellular/molecular
genetic similarities between species
Analogous structures
not closely related organisms acquiring similar characteristics
Homologous structures
common origin sometimes different functions
Fundamental niche
entire spectrum of conditions in which a species can survive and reproduce
Realized niche
Set of conditions actually used by a species due to competition
Intraspecific competition
Competition within species, drives divergence within populations
Interspecific competition
Competition between species, drives divergence within communities
Game animal
wildlife harvested for sport or subsistence
Nongame animal
wildlife not subject to harvest regulations
Fish`
Single species of fish or an individual
Fishes
More than 1 species
Fishery
Composed of 3 components
Biota
Habitat
Human user
Biota
all living organisms: combining flora and fauna
Habitat
resources
direct user
person who contributes to, uses, or directly benefits from a resource
Indirect user
person who uses or manages some aspect of a resource and in doing so affect some other aspect of the resource
Consumptive use
involves removal
Nonconsumptive use
use without removal
Wildlife
Free-ranging undomesticated animals in natural environment
First book on fishery management
Carl Hubbs and Ralph Eschmeyer The Improvement of Lakes for Fishing (1938)
Wildlife definition in JWM
The practical ecology of all vertebrates and their plant and animal associates
Wildlife management
Manipulation of population or habitats to achieve desired goals by people
Active (direct) management
manipulate population
Animals
Environment
Inactive (passive, custodial, nonmanagement)
No action taken
Goals of wildlife management
Make it increase
Make it decrease
Harvest population for continuing yield
Do nothing except monitor
Sources of wildlife funding
Fed or state appropriations
User pay
Private sector
User pay
License sale
Excise tax
Stamps
Excise tax
tax on a specific good when purchased
Federal or state appropriations
Most federal agencies and about 1/3 of state wildlife agencies
Not always reliable
General fund (taxpayer dollars) - 0.2% of CPW budget
Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act
Pittman-Robertson Taxes - manufacturing level 11% excise tax on sporting arms 1970: handguns and archery equipment Distribution based on land area, # licenses, population
Federal aid in sport fish restoration act
Dingell-Johnson (1950)
Taxes - manufacturing level
10% tax on fishing equipment
Distribution based on land/water area, # fishing licenses
USFWS
Receives money and distributes to states in 3:1 match
User pay: stamps
Federal Duck stamps
98% of funds: wetland protection
national wildlife refuge system
Colorado waterfowl stamp
CO: since 1989
>$6.7 million
Protected >19,500 acres of wetland
Colorado Habitat Stamp
CO wildlife habitat protection program
$3 million a year
Since 2006: 173,864 acres (271 mi^2) conserved
Role of science in wildlife management
Generate the knowledge and develop the technical tools needed to sustain fish and wildlife populations as functioning elements of ecological systems
management decisions
What is the desired goal?
Which management option is therefore appropriate?
By what action is the management option best achieved?
management goals
1st phase in management - determine goals
Goals are value (not scientific) statements
Technical Judgements
How to best achieve goals
Testable/verifiable
Induction
reasoning that proceeds from specific set of observations the general inference to the whole
Collect body of facts about some aspect of nature
Look for patterns
Draw general conclusions
Deduction
reasoning that uses observations or experiments to test hypothesis
Begins with a specific hypothesis drawn from theory or patterns in nature
Observations made, or experiments conducted, to falsify hypothesis
Hypothesis withstands falsification is used to confirm, or reject, the theory being tested
Indicator species
species whose status provides info. On certain environmental conditions, seral stages, or treatments
Umbrella species
species with large home ranges and broad habitat requirements such that protecting it will save many other species
Flagship species
charismatic species that wins public support for conservation
Highly-interactive species
a species whos absence leads to significant changes in some feature of its ecosystem
Keystone species
Species that play critical ecological roles that are of greater importance than predicted based on their abundance
Foundation species
Highly interactive species that are often extremely abundant or ecologically dominant
Benefits and challenges of single-species management
hard for management to be effective longterm
Leaving other species out
Ecosystem management
an approach which integrates scientific knowledge of ecological relationships within a community
Attempts to involve all stakeholders
an expansion of traditional natural resource management in three dimensions
Ecosystem services
conditions and processes through which ecosystems and their constituent species sustain and fulfill all human life
benefits and challenges of ecosystem management
hard to manage the whole thing
Adaptive management
The process of implementing a policy decision incrementally, so that changes can be made if the desired results are not being achieved
Similar to scientific experiment
Feedback between management and monitoring
Process uncertainty
Natural variation in ecological systems (including random change)
Environmental “noise” not explained by model
Ecological systems complex, so can be large
Observation uncertainty
Sampling error
measurement error
Precautionary principle
Usually easier to prevent harm to biodiversity than to repair it later
Burden of proof in the standard cost benefit analysis
Burden is on the conservationists
Burden of proof in the precautionary principle
burden is on the developer
Romantic Transcendental Preservation Ethic
Philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau - National Parks Service
Nature ‘temple’ sullied by economic activities
POlitical action of John Muir (1838-1914)
Guides many NGOs
Resource Conservation Ethic
Gifford Pinchot
Conservation - effort of maintaining and using natural resources wisely
Natural resources - the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the longest time
Wise use
Multiple-use
Forest service, BLM, department of interior
Evolutionary-ecological land ethic
Aldo Leopold (1886-1948) - father of wildlife management
Nature complicated and integrated
People “citizen-members”
Co-founded TWS
Organized wilderness society
Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land - Aldo Leopold
Scientific
Intellectual interest in organisms as biological entities
Knowledge and study - precise observation
Public interest increased greatly
Foster desire to conserve wildlife and their habitats
Ecologistic
Concern with ecosystems and species independence
Naturalistic
Interest in wildlife and their habitats through direct experience and contact
Recreational activities
Development of conservation ethic
Humanistic
Strong affection for individual animals
Emotional Bonding
Anthropomorphism
Moralistic
Moral, ethical, and spiritual importance of animals
Opposed to cruelty and overexploitation
Aesthetic
Interest in the physical attractiveness of animals
Images inspire humans
Useful for marketing
Symbolic
metaphorical and figurative significant of wildlife
Utilitarian
interest in the practical value of animals and their habitats
Variety of tangible benefits
Developing nations
Dominionistic
Mastery and control of animals
matching natures challenges -pursuit and conquest
negatavistic
Fear and aversion of animals
Danger competition to be dealt with lethally
attitudes -
evaluations of entities with some degree of favor or disfavor
Subjective norms
what you think important people want you to do
Behavioral intention
Perceived readiness to perform a given action
Behavior
action
