WLM test 1

Core ethical responsibilities

maintain dignity and integrity, avoid plagiarism, treat animals properly, protect the human rights, recognize societal responsibility, maintain confidentiality, present hypotheses neutrally, refuse corruption or influence, recognize areas of competence, follow all state, local, and fed laws

important ethical themes

professional ethics may differ from legal standards, legality does NOT equal ethical correctness, scientific neutrality even when results are unexpected

Weed

an undesirable plant, different to everyone, same with pests

wildlife

free-living animals of major significance to humans, including associated plants and microorganisms. Excludes ferals, exotics, and domestics

wildlife management

influencing interactions among wildlife, habitats, and people. requires research, management, and public relations

wildlife conservation

the goal is to ensure wise use and management of natural resources

wildlife conservation

the goal is to ensure wise use and management of natural resources

Preservation

saving resources by banning consumption

active management

directly manipulates populations ie. translocations, hunting, habitat altering, predator control

inactive management

not directly manipulating populations, minimize external influences on wildlife and habitat, often human management

wildlife groupings

classification of wildlife to control management

farm species

wild species that dont migrate, can reside on farms, suitable byproducts of farming

forest/range species

organisms (plants, animals, fungi) that depend on forest or rangeland ecosystems for all or part of their life-cycle requirements, including food, shelter, and reproduction

wilderness species

harmful to or harmed by economic land use, requiring special reserves

Furbearers

marketed on fur pelt commercial value

Predators

animals that kill and eat other animals

least concern

not of concern, stable/growing populations

vulnerable

reduced by 50%+ over 10 years or 3 generations. geographic range is less than 20,000 sq km or less than 10,000 individuals. facing risk of extinction

near threatened

close to meeting vulnerable status

threatened

threatened by habitat alteration, exploitation, disease, and predation

endangered

population will reduce 70%+ in 10 years or 3 gens. Less than 5,000 sq km, less than 2500 mature individuals and high extinction probability within 20 years of 5 gens

critically endangered

population reduced by 90% over 10 years or 3 gens, less than 100 sq km, very few mature individuals, extreme likelihood of imminent extinvtion

extinct

most likely all gone, “presumed”

extinct in wild

only persist in captivity

urban wildlife

find habitat in and around humans

park wildlife

exist in parks with no harvest, limited wildlife management, high human management

planning

deliberate social or organizational activity of developing an optimal strategy for solving problems and achieving a desired set of objectives

mission/vision

clarify the direction in any plan by eliminating circular arguments, allowing for a clear development of the desired condition for which goals and objectives become easier to craft

mission statement

clearly communicates what the organization is all about

vision statement

what an organization wants to be in the future

goals

overarching statements that establish a direction and focus of a plan and defines what they hope for it to achieve

objectives

specific measurable actions with defined completion dates

land-use

most suitable specific activities relative to the management of those lands

historic preservation

protect a historic area

ethics

moral principles that govern a persons behavior or the conducting of an activity

human dimensions

applying insight on how humans value wildlife, manage it, and are affected by it

governance

gov mechanisms; process laws, rules, and policies

Impacts management

attempts to shape value created by human wildlife interactions through managing components of social-ecological systems

stakeholders

 what and how wildlife is managed. A person who significantly affects/ is affected by wildlife management decisions/actions

Expert Authority approach

top-down; decisions made unilaterally, for rare emergencies like disease spread

Positive Receptive approach

stakeholder input welcome but not sought; unequal stakeholder input

Inquisitive approach

rely on social sequence, research, and systematic evaluation to seek broader stakeholder to assist with decisions

Intermediary approach

2 way communication between stakeholder group and management agency

Transactional approach

stakeholders with competing interests negotiate directly with each other to determine management actions

Co-managerial approach

wildlife agencies share responsibilities with govt. agencies, under legal constraints

Decisions

integrate scientific and experience based knowledge

Wildlife Acceptance Capacity

Threshold of acceptability that exists for the effects of human-wildlife interactions produced by a wildlife population of a certain density in a particular context. In other words Wildlife Acceptance Capacity (WAC), or cultural carrying capacity, is the maximum wildlife population level in a specific area that is acceptable to human stakeholders

Essential components for habitat management

Food, Water, Cover, Dispersal/Space, Resource management

Denser human population

= more intense management

planning characteristic

Intro/purpose: encompasses goals/objectives

Recommendations: identifies/assigns tasks

Implementation: how tasks are conducted

Monitoring: how a plan is evaluated

Supporting documents: supplemental materials

The Nature Conservancy

inspired to facilitate communication when implementing conservation plans of varying scales

Conservation by Design

1. Global habitat assessments, measure progress, identify conservation gaps, establish priorities for allocating resource funds.

2. Ecoregional assessments: identify ecoregions in need

3. Conservation Action Planning: design/manage conservation projects that advance conservation in any scale

roadmap of action

1. Planning: context, agency goals, statement of purpose, mandates

2. Background infro: previous info, future trends/constraints

3. goals/objectives

4. Alternative management actions, management options, and predicted outcomes

5. Management decision; clear statement of action and consequences

6. Implementation plan

7. Monitoring; should be related to desired outcome

8. Appendices and supporting info

Federal agencies

Pros - stable, benefits. Cons - bureaucracy, slow hiring

State government

 most wildlife management occurs at a state level, game management dominates funding, TX uniquely funds non-game species

Private sector

consulting firms, NGOs, rapidly growing sector

Universities

research, extension, education

Strategic planning

understanding long-term consequences of present actions

Adaptive management

prepare alternative strategies, monitor outcomes, adjust accordingly

Mission

what the organization does

Vision

what it wants to become

Goals

broad direction

Objectives

specific, measurable actions

planning key problems

plans are often contradictory, coordination across scales is difficult, private land ownership complicates conservation

3 phase planning process phase 1

Info gathering:

define focus, stakeholder input, identity constraints, determine resource status

planning process phase 2

agree on decision rules, formulate alternatives (including do nothing), evaluate alternatives, select final action plan

planning process phase 3

implement, long-term monitoring and provide feedback

Passenger pigeon

originally occurred in the billions. They were victims of massive commercial hunting, habitat loss from deforestation, and species reliance on huge colonies to breed successfully… they couldn’t reproduce fast enough to offset the relentless mortality rates. They were often viewed as pests to crops

Labrador duck

specialized feeders consuming mussels and mollusks in shallow bays, increased human population and industrial growth reduced shellfish populations. Overhunting for feathers and eggs. Growing human influence destroyed their breeding and wintering habitats. Species was never largely abundant, being less resilient to external pressures

Market Hunting Era

(1800s–early 1900s) marked by unregulated commercial harvest

Roosevelt Era

marked by Theodore Roosevelt's presidency

• Established national wildlife refuges

• Set aside around 6 million hectares

• First refuge: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

• First refuge employee was Paul Kroegel

Silent Spring

 exposed DDT impacts, led to DDT ban (1974), sparked modern environmental movement

DDT impacts

severe reproductive failure in birds, specifically raptors, due to thinning egg shells. Fat-soluble, long-lasting chemical builds up in fatty tissues and increases in competition higher up the foodchain. Certain bird species (cardinals, wrens, warblers) experienced high mortality within days of exposure. Large scale contamination caused reduced fertility, sex organ abnormalities, and skewed sex ratios in marine life

7 Pillars

1. Wildlife as public trust

2. Elimination of game markets

3. Allocation by law

4. Legitimate purpose

5. International Resource

6. Science-Based policy

7. Democracy of Access

7 pillars key conflicts

private land ownership, loopholes in commercialization, non-game species underfunded, political influence on science

UK

no public hunting, landowners control wildlife, no bag limits, bow hunting ban (1965), commercial game shoots

Norway

 landowners have hunting rights (since 1899), strong data collection (2 centuries), quotas based on wildlife population size and conflict risk, fees redistributed to management

Namibia

wildlife privatized, commercialization encourages, communal conservancies, fencing establishes ownership, tourism = ~50% local revenue

Thailand

Hunting illegal but weak enforcement, strong buddhist cultural influence, NGO heavy conservation, political instability complicates management

Guatemala

 ⅓ land in national park, NGOs heavily involved, private protection fund from permits and fines, national bird: Resplendent quetzal

Ethics

 moral principles guiding conduct

Values

enduring beliefs guiding behavior

Utilitarian

wildlife for human benefit

Mutualist

wildlife has intrinsic value

Pluralist

both perspectives

distanced

Urban populations

ethical dilemmas

occur when” legal =/= ethical, no clear professional code violation, competing stakeholder interests

common ethical conflicts

truth v. loyalty, individual v. community benefit, short-term v. long-term outcomes, justice v. mercy

ethical decision framework

1. Recognize dilemma

2. Define stakeholders

3. Gather facts

4. Evaluate alternatives

5. Assess consequences

6. Decide

7. Reflect

commercialization gradient

gear purchase, license sales, guided hunts. Wildlife products, live animal trade

Slippery slope concern

 commercialization can undermine conservation principles