NRC 261 How would you deal with a request to solve the problem of unwanted flying squirrels in someone s attic Urban Wildlife and Wildlife Control 3 April 2014 trees bushes pond creek greenbelts parks Wildlife living in urban areas How can we enhance their lives and make more of them Too many of them pigeons starlings rats On Campus What influences their density and distribution habitat availability and diversity o natural landscapes o human landscapes sheds barns gardens o but urban monoculture too much cement mortality factors o low o high no hunting or trapping no large natural predators cats eating birds roadkills Urban vs rural characteristics of bird communities exotic vs native species o exotic high in urban low naturally o native low in urban high naturally species abundance o low in urban high naturally biomass density o high in urban low naturally o high in urban low naturally method of feeding o generalists in urban o specialists naturally Landscaping for wildlife Components 1 o Brush piles snags water feeders nest boxes o Conifers grasses nut trees seasonal plants for hummingbird butterfly bee moth Basic Principles o Provide basic needs Food water cover space o Take advantage of opportunities Open space New construction Consideration Structural Plant type Animals Pets o Chomp chomp Wildlife Control too much wildlife o Exceed cultural carrying capacity o In urban areas we call them nuisance wildlife o High contact rate between wildlife and humans o Lots of people with not enough experience conflict kinds of problems in urban areas o nuisance raccoon skunk o damage white tailed deer flicker squirrels woodchuck o safety moose car geese plane o aesthetics poop In non urban areas o livestock depredation o crop damage Nuisance damage management must be implemented historically mainly lethal means used o no real concern for animal welfare o general and specific control when urban exotic or other wildlife become problems to humans or ecosystems control Public acceptability of various techniques e g coyote control graph o Lethal methods are generally less acceptable but the quick way to kill them are the most accepted management of overabundant vs underabundant animals what kind of problem is it 2 what is the magnitude of the problem Control Techniques o Non lethal Economic reimbursement Husbandry Mechanical barrier Repellent Habitat modification Restore predators disease Fertility control chemosterilant Trap relocate places o Obviously lethal Shooting trapping poisoning Considerations o how efficient are the various methods you can use o what are the public concerns and attitudes o Information exchange o Prevention is the key be proactive proactive management o anticipate problems o get at them when they are small o take advantage of previous experiences Results in a lot of deaths because animals are put in unfamiliar NRC 261 How and why should hunting and trapping regulations differ between the United States and Mexico different histories cultures finances even though the goal is the same Harvesting Wildlife 8 April 2014 Harvest any removal from the wild o Dead or alive o A euphemism o Legal or illegal o Too agricultural Hunting and trapping legal harvest of wildlife by individual citizens for personal use Commercial harvesting legal harvest intended for sale Poaching intentional killing out of season without a license permit etc What roles do hunting and trapping fill 3 o Consumption Food Clothing o Economics Individual income trapping and selling furs meat Protection over abundant animals that might be a threat to livestock game species threat to crops elephants o Recreation o Social reasons o Ecological management o Financial and political support Why is hunting and trapping so controversial o Culture people view things in a lot of different ways o History traditions and experiences that have been passed on o Experience o Tolerance some people are okay with it some are more closed minded about it What s wrong with hunting and trapping o Too many populations are endangered o Unnecessary o Hunting has to do with guns o Some means of harvest are inhumane or non sporting o Trophy hunting excessive behavior o Unethical morally wrong to take the life of another animal o No experience an unfamiliar activity Considerations o Touchy subject Like politics religion o Limited perspectives Rich vs poor Time to think Walk in my shoesl From a biological perspective what should we do o Identify the effects on populations o Identify the impacts of overpopulation o Conduct sustainable management From the Social perspective what do we do o Enhance law enforcement o Encourage open discussion among user groups o Be willing to pay convince people there is a price tax money compromising beliefs or attitudes etc o Understand differing societal values 4 Exotic Wildlife NRC 261 How would you determine the best ways to manage an established exotic species What are exotic species 10 April 2014 A species not native to an area How why did they get here Introduced by humans o Accidents mice wild horses o Aesthetics English house sparrow brought from England o Economic benefit Raccoon dog brought to the US for its pelt o Sport hunting Chukar partridge fun to hunt and good to eat o Endangerment in native habitat White rhinos imported to Texas as part of a way to conserve endangered species Desirable vs undesirable exotics o Is desirable exotic an oxymoron Biodiversity concerns If we don t care about certain exotics they are not undesirable o Undesirables Economic damage Nutria from South America brought to the US as a fur bearer Doesn t have dense fur because it is a tropical mammal So when the fur prices dropped they were let loose in the wild They now reside in 18 states in high densities They eat crops and they tunnel through irrigation systems Competition Mute swans territorial Gray squirrels almost eliminated the red squirrels in the UK Sika deer come from Asia introduced to Texas after 8 years they completely outcompeted white tailed deer Chinese ring necked pheasants outcompete prairie chickens and parasitize their nest with their eggs Wild boars introduced for food and got loose now there are 5 million of them and they have large litters Dig and root up the ground Same species as domestic pigs if they go feral they can interbreed They eat eggs of ground nesting birds o Predation o Hybridization Brown tree snakes Guam rail never had to deal with predators until the bts got to Guam Caused