Download Wildlife Workshop

Rhode Island Envirothon
Wildlife Section
Presented by Paul Ricard, RIDEM Division of Forest Environment
Concepts - Self Study
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Biomes, Ecosystems, Communities
Adaptations
Niches
Food chain/food web, trophic pyramid
Population dynamics (Predator/Prey
relationship)
Concepts and Definitions
Wildlife – includes any living organism other
than plants. Generally wildlife is neither
tamed nor domesticated, and is free
roaming. This includes insects, spiders,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.
Biodiversity
Biological diversity refers to the variety and
abundance of species, their genetic composition,
and the communities, ecosystems, and landscapes
in which they occur. It also refers to ecological
structures, functions, and processes at all of these
levels. Biological diversity occurs at spatial scales
that range from local through regional to global.
There are three types of biodiversity:
Genetic Diversity/Species Richness
The variation in genetic composition of individuals
within and among species (e.g. variation within a
population of rabbits).
Species Diversity
The variety of different species found in an area;
(e.g. the variety of species found in a forest).
Ecosystem Diversity
The variety of physical environments and biotic
communities over a landscape (e.g. wetlands,
grasslands, forests, over a region).
Edge
•The border between two different plant
communities, or similar plant
communities of different age classes
Wildlife Use of Various Stages of Land Cover Type
Ecotone
•The area directly affected by edges;
the transition zone between different
plant communities which are different
species or different age classes
Old-field Succession Showing
Changes of Vegetation and Wildlife
Vertical Diversity
•The extent to which plants are layered
within a stand
•The degree of layering is determined by
the arrangement of growth forms (trees,
shrubs, vines, lichens, and mosses); by
the distribution of different tree species
having different heights and crown
characteristics, and by trees of the same
species
Horizontal Diversity
• The complexity and arrangement of
plant communities and other habitats
and habitat components over a given
area
The four components every
species requires are…
Carrying Capacity/Limiting Factor
Biological Carrying Capacity (BCC) – The maximum
number of individuals that the habitat can maintain
over time before experiencing habitat decline.
Cultural Carrying Capacity (CCC) – The maximum
number of individuals that society will tolerate.
Limiting Factor – The element that limits the number
of individuals that utilize suitable habitat. A limiting
factor may or may not prevent a population from
reaching the habitat’s carrying capacity.
Wildlife managers determine a species needs,
evaluate the habitat to determine what the
limiting factor(s) is(are), and then decide how
best to manipulate (manage) the habitat to
attain the desired goal.
Wildlife Population Dynamics
Number of Individuals
(Predator/Prey Relationship)
Time
Prey
Predator
Carrying Capacity
Extinction
Wildlife Management Goal:
To balance the needs of wildlife
and the needs of people for the
benefit of all.
Wildlife Management:
A Historical Perspective
Pre-colonial Forest
Early Settlements
1600’s
Height of Intensive Farming
1790
Early Farm Abandonment
1840’s
White Pine Forest
Late 1800’s
Early Successional Oak Forest
Early to mid-1900’s
How do we manage wildlife?