1. Biology 335
Wildlife
and
Fisheries Biology

2. Objectives Introduction to wildlife and fisheries biology. Topics
history of wildlife and fisheries conservation and management
Wildlife and fisheries ecology
conservation and management in practice
habitat management techniques
animal management techniques
scientific tools

3. Why do YOU care? Today’s Outline
Defining wildlife and fisheries biology
History of wildlife and fisheries biology
Why do YOU care?

4. What is wildlife? Game vs. non-game
Bias towards charismatic megafauna; cite examples
Give three examples of wildlife
Game vs. non-game
In PA > 60 mammals; how many are hunted?
> 300 birds
In US <9% of birds and 12% of mammals are designated as “game”

5. What is Wildlife? Pig? Channel catfish in river
Feral swine
Channel catfish in river
Channel catfish in adjacent fish farm pond
Wild Brook Trout in California? (stocked)
Ring-necked Pheasant in PA?

6. Fisheries What is/are fisheries? Give three examples of fisheries
Game vs. non-game
Refers to a target species, not confined to just fish in general

7. Fisheries?

8. What is wildlife and fisheries biology?
Habitat
Biota
Human User

9. Grassland
Black-footed ferret
Farmer or rancher

10. Mountain meadows
Elk
Hunters

11. What is wildlife and fisheries biology?
Journal of Wildlife Management – in premier issue (1937)
Wildlife management is “the practical ecology of all vertebrates and their plant and animal associates”
Wildlife management “along sound biological lines is part of the greater movement for conservation of our entire native flora and fauna”

12. Conservation vs. Management
Management – to manipulate with a goal in mind (read excerpt p. 2 in Bolen)
Conservation – to sustain healthy or restore unhealthy populations
Conservation is NOT Preservation
Preservation – leaving natural systems as they are
Gifford Pinchot – a forester for T. Roosevelt
Lines have been blurred

13. What is wildlife management?
Game or stock management
Endangered species management
Non-game management
Animal control
Basic biology – Natural history
Habitat management - Restoration ecology
People management

14. “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering”
Aldo Leopold

15. Who needs a wildlife or fisheries biologist?
Municipal, state, federal, tribal agencies need biologists to manage and conserve
Private sector
Law enforcement
Politicians

16. History of Wildlife & Fisheries Biology
Genesis 1:28
“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth,”

17. History of Wildlife & Fisheries Biology
Kublai Khan ( AD) decreed no taking of any animals from March to October

18. History of Wildlife Management
At the same time in Europe, wildlife was exploited for food with less regard for management
Wildlife viewed as enemies to be conquered, subordinates to be controlled, or competitors
In most countries, wildlife belongs to the landowner!

19. History of Wildlife Management
By 1700s only wildlife left was on property of nobles
Wildlife and fish were owned by the king
With his permission, nobles were granted the right to hunt

20. Supreme Court declared that all property of the king belonged to the people

21. Market Hunting (read excerpt p. 6 of Bolen)

22. A market for hunting
American robins, plovers, curlews, sandpipers were sold in restaurants
Swans, herons and egrets hunted for plumes
Led to Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918

23. Punt Gun Hunting

24. Frank Chapman's 1886 Feathered Hat Census
BIRD SPECIES
# HATS SEEN
Grebes 7
Blue Jay 5
Green-backed Heron 1
Eastern Bluebird 3
Virginia Rail
American Robin 4
Greater Yellowlegs
Northern Shrike
Sanderling
Brown Thrasher
Laughing Gull
Bohemian Waxwing
Common Tern 21
Cedar Waxwing 23
Black Tern
Blackburnian Warbler
Ruffed Grouse 2
Blackpoll Warbler
Greater Prairie Chicken
Wilson's Warbler
Northern Bobwhite 16
Tree Sparrow
California Quail
White-throated Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Snow Bunting 15
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Bobolink
Northern Flicker
Meadowlarks
Red-headed Woodpecker
Common Grackle
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Oriole 9
Eastern Kingbird
Scarlet Tanager
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Pine Grosbeak
Tree Swallow

25. FAILURE!
60 million reduced
to 150

26. FAILURE!
50 BILLION reduced to 0

27. FAILURE! Extirpated from PA
Mammals: Fisher, Marten, Mountain Lion, Gray Wolf, Lynx, Wolverine, Bison, Elk

28. FAILURE in progress? Birds:
Passenger Pigeon, Greater Prairie Chicken, Piping Plover, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Bewick’s Wren, Bachman’s Sparrow

29. No holds barred…
Waterfowl were shot with cannons loaded with shot (Read Chesapeake by James Michener)
Bison shot from moving trains
No seasons, no limits, no geographical restrictions
The abundance of wildlife seemed limitless

30. Market hunting – the trade or selling of wildlife for commerce
Subsistence hunting – the taking of wildlife for food
Trophy hunting – the taking of “premium” specimens

31. By early 1900’s hunting opportunities were scarce and people began to realize that some sort of conservation and management of wildlife and fisheries were needed.

32. Teddy Roosevelt – 26th president (1901-1909)
developed National Wildlife Refuge system
reserved 230 million acres for public use

33. Aldo Leopold
Father of US wildlife management
1933- Game Management
1949- A Sand County Almanac

34. 1937-Pittman-Robertson Act- 10% (now 11%) excise on slaes of sporting arms and ammunition
supplemented legislative appropriations and license fees
More recently, growing numbers who value wildlife for reasons other than hunting
should it be the Pennsylvania Wildlife Commission?

35. … and today?