Wildlife Damage

Question 1

Key negative impacts wildlife can have on forest resources (2 points)

Answer 1

• cause major damage to forests, impact all levels of regeneration
• kill trees and inhibit vegetative growth

Question 2

Key negative impacts wildlife can have on food crops

Answer 2

• Damage to crops leads to loss of billions of dollars
• Due to damage and disease transmission
• Happens more in developing countries

Question 3

Key negative impacts wildlife can have on endangered species

Answer 3

• Introduced wildlife can disrupt the natural structure of the trophic system
• Ex. rats preying on land birds (Ancient murrelets on Langara island went from 200000 pairs to 24000

Question 4

What factors affect the rate of population growth? (3)

Answer 4

• Presence / absence of competition
• Presence / absence of predation
• Presence / absence of disease

Question 5

What prevents a population from growing continuously?

Answer 5

Environmental factors cause:

• Birth rates to decline
• Death rates to increase
• Or both

Question 6

What do we call the point a population stops growing?

Answer 6

Carrying capacity of the habitat

Question 7

Define and state the characteristics of “R”-strategists

Answer 7

• Reproduction strategist
• Species that puts the majority of their energy into producing many offspring
• High production rates
• Low ages of first breeding
• High levels of mortality
• Low competitive abilities

Question 8

Define and state the characteristics of “K”-strategists

Answer 8

• K=carrying capacity
• Low reproduction rates
• Higher ages at first breeding
• Lower levels of mortality
• Higher competitive abilities

Question 9

What habitats are R-strategists adapted for?

Answer 9

Habitat generalists

Question 10

What habitats are K-strategists adapted for?

Answer 10

Late-successional habitats or seasonally predictable environments

Question 11

What defines logistic growth?

Answer 11

Continuous favourable conditions

Question 12

What conditions define irruptive growth?

Answer 12

Unstable or discontinuous favourable conditions

Question 13

Describe how logistic and Irruptive growth vary graphically

Answer 13

• Logistic growth curves with an asymptote

- Irruptive growth curves with waves up and below carrying capacity

Question 14

What is the mechanism that causes the shape of the graph in irruptive growth?

Answer 14

Unstable conditions

Question 15

What are the characteristics of management needed for Logistic growth?

Answer 15

• Management efforts attempt to modify the carrying capacity of the environment to very a low level
• So that damage caused is insignificant

Question 16

What are the characteristics of management needed for Irruptive growth?

Answer 16

• Management focuses on continuous monitoring and prediction of outbreaks
• Followed by appropriate control measures

Question 17

What are the 3 main approaches to managing damage caused by small mammals?

Answer 17

• Use of toxicants
• Managing the habitat
• Provision of diversionary foods

Question 18

State 4 reasons why removal (toxicants) are not an appropriate approach

Answer 18

• Resiliency of small mammals to depopulation
• Poor bait acceptance
• Increased resistance to bait formulations
• The hazard of non-target species

Question 19

What 4 characteristics make a habitat appealing?

Answer 19

• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Space

Question 20

How could a manager reduce attractiveness of food to a pest species?

Answer 20

Changing plants to have a negative impact on digestion

Question 21

Why would removing security cover be helpful in reducing potential damage?

Answer 21

Because predation can be increased by removing security cover/shelter for damage wildlife

Question 22

How would adding complexity to otherwise simple habitats help to potentially reduce a pest species?

Answer 22

A greater degree of complexity could attract competing species which might affect number of pest species

Question 22

How would adding complexity to otherwise simple habitats help to potentially reduce a pest species?

Answer 22

A greater degree of complexity could attract competing species which might affect number of pest species

Question 23

Why must you need to know the habitat associations of a pest species?

Answer 23

By avoiding creating optimal habitat, you are avoiding creating wildlife damage

Question 24

Why must you need to know the habitat associations of a pest species?

Answer 24

By avoiding creating optimal habitat, you are avoiding creating wildlife damage

Question 25

What was the influence of prescribed burning on small mammals?

Answer 25

Typically, burning would make sites less favourable for some species and more favourable for others. In general, small mammals that need cover are hampered in their activities until regrowth of vegetation.

Question 25

What was the influence of prescribed burning on small mammals?

Answer 25

Typically, burning would make sites less favourable for some species and more favourable for others. In general, small mammals that need cover are hampered in their activities until regrowth of vegetation.

Question 26

Advantages of using diversionary food (5)

Answer 26

• Potentially useful for several widely diverse species
• Can produce rapid results if effective
• Favourably perceived by the public
• Eliminates need for lethal control
• Safe, without potential hazards to humans, livestock or wildlife
• Rarely has an adverse effect on the population density of a problem species

Question 27

5 Disadvantages of using diversionary foods

Answer 27

• Cost/benefit ratio must be assessed if the cost of lure crops or supplemental feeding is high
• Lure crops often utilize land that could otherwise be productive
• Supplemental feeding may favour a local increase in the target population by increasing reproduction and survival; potentially it could make the problem worse in the future
• As part of population increase, food may attract more individuals to the site, either of the same species or perhaps of other species
• Target species may become overly dependent on supplemental feeding

Question 28

5 Disadvantages of using diversionary foods

Answer 28

• Cost/benefit ratio must be assessed if the cost of lure crops or supplemental feeding is high
• Lure crops often utilize land that could otherwise be productive
• Supplemental feeding may favour a local increase in the target population by increasing reproduction and survival; potentially it could make the problem worse in the future
• As part of population increase, food may attract more individuals to the site, either of the same species or perhaps of other species
• Target species may become overly dependent on supplemental feeding

Question 29

Why is the quality of diversionary foods important?

Answer 29

Because the foods should be more palatable than the crop being protected and of similar or lower nutritive value than natural foods

Question 30

Why is the quality of diversionary foods important?

Answer 30

Because the foods should be more palatable than the crop being protected and of similar or lower nutritive value than natural foods

Question 31

Why is the positioning of diversionary food important?

Answer 31

Food should be presented in a way that is ready to be fed upon. Placement depends on food/wildlife.

Question 31

Why is the positioning of diversionary food important?

Answer 31

Food should be presented in a way that is ready to be fed upon. Placement depends on food/wildlife.