1. Iowa Wildlife Reweaving the Web

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

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

4. Wildlife Declines in Iowa 1860- 1890 Mountain Lion – 1867 Bison – 1870 Elk – 1871 Black Bear - 1876

5. Lynx – 1882 Trumpeter Swans- 1883 Gray Wolf – 1885 Long-billed Curlew – 1890 Bobcat – 1894 Whooping Crane- 1894

6. Beaver – 1904 Wild Turkey – 1910 River Otter – 1929 White-tailed Deer - 1936

7. Cause of Wildlife Decline? Loss of Habitat Unregulated hunting

8. 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

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

10. 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

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

12. River Otters 1929 only in the Mississippi Brought in from Louisiana in 1985 251 released in 13 sites

13. 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?

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

15. White Tailed Deer 1936 – 500 left in Iowa 1953- hunting season starts Now 300,000 – 400,000

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

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

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

19. Ruffed Grouse Not successful Need dense cover

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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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.