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Wildlife Ecology
Section 3 Part 1
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Wildlife Ecology
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What is ecology?
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The study of the interrelations between
plants and animals and their environment.
By understanding the needs of game,
such as its habits and habitat, the
hunter will have a more productive
hunt.
The NRA has established a hunters code
of ethics. “The hunter will support
conservation efforts which can assure
good hunting for future generations of
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Wildlife Ecology
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Wildlife includes game animals:
Which are given some legal protection,
but must be hunted according to
regulated seasons and bag limits.
 Non-game animals (non hunted and
protected species.
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Wildlife is important as a source of
beauty, biological study, recreation,
and income.
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Wildlife Ecology
Wildlife is sensitive to change and is
a valuable indicator of
environmental conditions.
 Wildness
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Is a condition of genetic and learned
conditions which enable animals to
successfully adapt to life in a natural
environment.
• Example of this is the wild and domestic
turkey.
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Wildlife Ecology
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It is illegal to release pen-reared “wild
turkeys” in Minnesota.
Ecosystem
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A ever changing, interacting association of
living organisms and the environment in
which they live.
Food Chain
A series of organisms consisting of a food
making plant, the organism that uses the
plant for food, another organism that uses
the plant consuming organism for food, and
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so on.
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Wildlife Ecology
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Herbivores
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Omnivores
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Plant eaters
Both Plant and Meat eaters
Population dynamics
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Wildlife changes due to human
activities and natural calamities.
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Wildlife Ecology
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What is habitat
Everything an animal needs to survive.
Places for feeding, drinking, resting,
breeding, and escaping danger.
 The three main components of habitat
are:
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• Food
• Shelter
• Water
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Wildlife Ecology
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Limiting Factors
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Carrying Capacity
• Population limit
• Compared to bucket of water.
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Wildlife Ecology
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Food
Cover
Water
Space
Predation
Weather
Human Activities
Diseases and Parasites
Self-Limiting Factors
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Wildlife Ecology
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Principle of Inversion
This means that as breeding
populations increase, the production
or survival of their offspring will
decrease.
 This results is an animal population
composed of mostly older animals
and very few young.
 When breeding population declines
usually the number of young per litter
increases.
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Wildlife Ecology
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Principle of Compensatory Mortality
Applicable to death rate.
 If one or more factors cause the death
rate to decline, other factors will
increase so that the overall death rate
will not significantly change.
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Wildlife Ecology
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Wildlife and Plant Succession
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This especially happens were a habitat
is lost to fire or other natural disasters.
• After a fire a forest or prairie start over in
growth so habitat that was once there will
not be any more. Year after year these
areas will change and one day will be back
to the original habitat.
Succession
Climax stage
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Wildlife Ecology
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Edge Effect
The edge or borders of habitat overlap
each other.
 There will be a noticeable change in
vegetation.
 The transition zone is the area were
these different habitats overlap.
 For many species this area is the best
habitat because it offers a mixture of
habitat.
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