NRC 261 Final Exam Preparation Spring 2012 POTENTIAL ESSAY QUESTIONS Here is a set of hypothetical situations dealing with wildlife conservation issues As a person now knowledgeable about wildlife conservation come up with some good ideas that would help solve the following problems In your answers you might should consider the roles that human values laws and policy ecosystem and habitat management genetics and biodiversity food population demography predators animal behavior wildlife trade parks and zoos and or climate change play in managing and conserving wildlife You might also indicate what questions need to be or should be answered before proceeding Remember I expect answers that indicate you actually learned something new in taking a wildlife conservation class at UMass 1 Cottontail rabbits are causing plant damage in a large public garden There s a chance though that the species is the endangered New England Cottontail not the much more common Eastern Cottontail What should be done be complete First we would want to confirm whether or not the cottontail rabbits are actually the endangered New England Cottontail species If it is the much more common Eastern Cottontail we have a few options to prevent them from causing plant damage Fences repellent chemicals trapping and relocating restore predators or disease to control populations We also have lethal options shooting trapping and poisoning We have to take into consideration how abundant the population is and what the magnitude of the problem is However if the species is indeed the endangered New England Cottontail there might not be a lot we can do Pro active management could be the best solution Anticipate the issues and work to resolve them when the magnitude of the issue is small Non lethal methods of management should be used mechanical barrier trapping and relocating 2 At a party you happen to notice that on the shelf there is an ivory tusk of some kind You ask your host about it and it turns out that it is from a walrus and the host has just brought it back from Alaska where she had hacked it out of a carcass that she found on a beach You know that it is illegal to possess such an item and you get the idea from your host that she does too Give 4 options for action and explain why each is relevant 1 Explain to her that even though the walrus was dead she cannot take it s ivory tusks Tell her that it is illegal to posses ivory tusks because she might not know Educate her but let her decide what to do with the tusks 2 Alert the authorities that she is in possession of an illegal item Let them handle the situation You know it is illegal but you yourself have no authority to confiscate the ivory tusks from her 3 Confiscate the ivory tusks yourself and turn them over to the authorities She might very well know that it is illegal to possess them and is hoping to sell them illegally through the international trade market And you don t know if she will do the right thing and turn them over to the authorities herself 4 Destroy the ivory tusks You don t know what the host will do with them she could ultimately try to sell them illegally She could even show them off to others encouraging them that it is acceptable to posses ivory tusks Either way by her possessing these ivory tusks she could be encouraging illegal trade and ultimately affecting the walruses If you turn them over to the authorities there could be a chance that the ivory tusks get stolen or end up in the wrong hands It could be best to destroy them so no one can posses them 3 Raccoons are becoming more and more of a nuisance in your neighborhood because they not only get into garbage cans but also have attacked chickens and domestic bunnies You also find out that some neighbors without pets or livestock are feeding the raccoons every evening for entertainment It is legal to use a cage trap to capture raccoons during the regular fall trapping season if you purchase a license and can spend 50 to by a trap but illegal to capture them and let them go somewhere else Its costs 150 per raccoon to have a professional control agent come and remove them At a neighborhood meeting you are called on to recommend a solution to the problem What do you recommend First make it clear that feeding the raccoons is unsafe and only worsening the issue Educate your neighbors and let them know that by feeding the raccoons they are ultimately harming them since they will be human dependent and will no longer be able to find their own food Suggest that neighbors make sure they obtain secure garbage cans that somehow lock or close tightly so that the raccoons cannot get to them As for the chickens and bunnies it may be best to use some kind of secure mechanical barrier or fencing to keep raccoons out This should manage the problem If the problem persists you may have to resort to lethal options Trapping when permissible or using poison 4 You receive a call that a mountain lion that was seen several times in a local neighborhood has been found chased up a tree by dogs in rural Berkshire County Massachusetts Some people have been concerned and worried that it might be dangerous if just let go especially if it is a released pet Others want it protected at all costs because if it is wild it s the first confirmed one found in the state in over 100 years What do you suggest What conservation role is there for the Mass Environmental Police the Mass Division of Fish and Wildlife the U S Fish and Wildlife Service the Audubon Society or other non governmental wildlife conservation organization and the local Town Mayor or Council The Town Mayor or Council may decide what can be done to remove the mountain safely from the tree First it should be confirmed whether or not this mountain is a released pet If it is it is up to the local authorities to decide whether or not to bring it back to it s owner If this mountain lion is actually common in the state of Massachusetts it is up to the state legislature to decide what to do The Mass Division of Fish and Wildlife may relocate the animal and release back into the wild However if this mountain lion migrates between states or if it certainly is endangered it may be under Federal jurisdiction If this mountain lion is the first confirmed sighting in over 100 years this animal should be listed under the Endangered Species Act Then federal agencies like the U S Fish and Wildlife Service will play the largest role in it s conservation This will ensure that