Iowa Wildlife Reweaving the Web

How has Iowa Changed? At time of European settlement, 15% - Forests 85%- Prairies Today... 1/10 th of 1% of prairies remain

Decline of Wildlife Species Extinct = gone for good Extirpated = gone from Iowa

Wildlife Declines in Iowa Mountain Lion – 1867 Bison – 1870 Elk – 1871 Black Bear

Lynx – 1882 Trumpeter Swans Gray Wolf – 1885 Long-billed Curlew – 1890 Bobcat – 1894 Whooping Crane- 1894

Beaver – 1904 Wild Turkey – 1910 River Otter – 1929 White-tailed Deer

Cause of Wildlife Decline? Loss of Habitat Unregulated hunting

So What? “A species’ ultimate fate will affect human fate, because each contributes to the web of life in a unique manner. The web of life is strengthened by wildlife diversity, and when something is removed, the web is weakened” –P Schlarbaum

Peregrine Falcons Indicator Species 1960’s no nesting pairs west of Mississippi DDT – beginning in 1940’s Now reintroduced to Iowa

Bard Owl Endangered Due to loss of pastureland Meadow voles and mice diet 427 Released in 1980’s CRP idled 2.2 million acres farmland

Greater Prairie Chickens Leks 400 relocated from Kansas in early 1990’s Need large amounts of short grass prairie

River Otters 1929 only in the Mississippi Brought in from Louisiana in released in 13 sites

Trumpeter swan Last nested in Iowa in 1883 Since 1994, 86 released Breeding pairs in 33 sites Now, hope to have wild nesting swans by 1999?

Canada Geese Once believed extinct, in 1960’s no nesting pairs in Mississippi flyway One flock found in Rochester MN

White Tailed Deer 1936 – 500 left in Iowa hunting season starts Now 300,000 – 400,000

Coyotes Once rare in Iowa A “pioneer” species Den in “doze” piles

Pheasants An introduced species in 1950’s From China Relocated around state

Eastern Wild Turkey Once believed needed large tracks of forest to survive Now over 100,000 Prefer acorn diet Relocate to other states

Ruffed Grouse Not successful Need dense cover

Short-eared Owl Endangered Nests on Ground Needs prairie Not enough habitat to survive…

Iowans who have helped… Sylvan Runkel – naturalist Gladys Black – Iowa Birdlife James Dinsmore –A Country So Full of Game Aldo Leopold – A Sand County Almanac Rachel Carson – Silent Spring

Programs that have helped… 1936 – Pittman Robertson Act – 11% tax guns/ammunition/fishing 1972 – DDT Banned 1972 – Endangered species act 1980 – Clean Water Act 1985 – Wildlife Diversity Fund, for nongame species, out of general taxes

Programs that have helped… 1980’s – 2.2 million acres of farmland converted to grassland through CRP 1990’s – Prairie Pothole Venture – 20,000 acres of wetlands in NW Iowa Other programs that promote rich and diverse landscapes for habitat.