Download AG-WL-03.453-05.2_ Wildlife and Human Conflict

Wildlife and Human Conflict
Habitat Destruction
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Habitats can be
destroyed by natural
causes, human actions,
and pollution
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Natural causes: lightning
strikes, fires, hurricanes,
earthquakes, and ice
storms
Human actions: building
highways, subdivisions,
factories, agricultural
practices
Pollution: chemical
contaminants, landfills,
smoke, smog, and acid
rain destroy habitat
Human Impact on Wildlife
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Harvest: hunting and
fishing
Introduce exotic
species
Fire suppression
Campsite and trail
development
Grazing
Mining
Predator control
Harassment
What is Human-Wildlife Conflict?
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Conflict occurs when wildlife
requirements overlap the
requirements of human populations
Species most exposed to conflict
are also shown to be more prone to
extinction due to human-induced
mortality
Impact human welfare and have
economic and social costs
Human-Wildlife Conflict Driving Forces

Human Population Growth
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Land Use Transformation
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As populations increase,
settlements expand
leading to wildlife
encroachment
Consequence of
increasing demand for
land, food production,
energy, and raw
materials
Species habitat loss,
degradation, and
fragmentation
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Interconnected with
population growth and
land use change
Human-Wildlife Conflict Driving Forces
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Increasing Livestock Populations
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Abundance and distribution of wild prey
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Increased densities in livestock production
create an overlap of diets and forage
competition with wild herbivores
 Results in over grazing and decline of local
herbivore
Abundance prey leads to increased predation
Decrease prey leads to diet change of predator
which then focuses on livestock
Climatic factors

Seasonal changes in rainfall or temperatures
leads to diet and habitat change for animals
Human-Wildlife Conflict Indicators
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Species Distribution
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Species shift away from
human activity may
indicate displacement
Species shift towards
human activity may
indicate attraction of
opportunistic species
Abundance
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Increased abundance
may indicate attraction of
opportunistic species
Decreased abundance
may indicate
displacement of species
Human-Wildlife Conflict Indicators
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Population Trends
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Increasing population trends may indicate
attraction for opportunistic species
Decreasing population trends may indicate
displacement
Species Diversity
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Diversity measures combine information on the
number of species and abundance
A decrease in diversity may indicate some
species have been displaced or eliminated
Does not reflect replacement of one species
with another
Human-Wildlife Conflict Indicators
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Species composition
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Change in composition may indicate
displacement of species sensitive to human
presence
May also indicate attraction if the species
present are opportunistic
Species Richness
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A decrease may indicate displacement of
species sensitive to human presence
An increase may indicate that opportunistic
species have moved into an area
Does not reflect the replacement of one
species by another
Human-Wildlife Conflict Prevention
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Lethal methods of
control should not
be first response
Public education is
needed
Improved land use
planning