Wildlife Intro
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Ecosystem s
Basic Ecology
PA State Game
Commission
Conservation &
Management Wildlife
Biodiversity
•
The Process of
natural aging
Ecological
Succession
Common PA
Ecosystems
The interaction between
different species and the
non-living parts of the
environment
Ex: Forests, Grasslands,
Barrens, Subterranean etc.
Forests
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62% of PA’s total Acreage
Supply fresh water, control erosion, &
remove carbon form the atmosphere
Young forests: made mostly of shrubs and
saplings, are rare thus species depending
on them like the woodcock are declining.
Second-growth forests (~100yrs old) This is
the majority of forests in PA. Home to a
variety of wildlife including the wild
turkey, black bear, white-tailed deer,
ovenbird, gray squirrel, chipmunk, wood
thrush and scarlet tanager.
Old growth forests (150yrs +) Very Rare in
PA. These older forests provide preferred
/critical habitat for a variety of species
including the fisher, pine marten, flying
squirrel, black burnian warbler, brown
creeper, Swainson’ s thrush.
Forests can be viewed as layers of
vegetation with animals inhabiting the
different levels.
The mixed deciduous forest is a distinct
ecosystem which thrives in a mild climate
with ample water.
Grasslands&
Herbaceous Openings
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About 26% of PA’s land cover
Natural Grasslands are rare, only
true prairies are found in western
PA
Many Pennsylvania wildlife
species need open spaces to
live.
Most are the result of human
disturbance (agriculture, surface
mining, re-vegetated strip mines,
landfills, old fields, and forest
openings
Provide habitat for: Woodchuck,
cottontail rabbit, meadow vole,
deer mouse and the Red-tailed
Hawk, Upland Sandpiper &
Short-Tail shrew, grasshopper
sparrows, eastern meadowlarks
and bobwhite quail.
Barrens
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About 3% percent of
Pennsylvania’s land cover.
They are represented by sparsely
vegetated gravel/rock outcrops
and slopes, grasslands, savannas,
thickets, and scrub woodlands.
Most barrens have nutrient-poor
soils and are located on exposed
ridges or slopes where wind
conditions and temperatures can
become extreme and fire is
frequent.
These harsh conditions mean
barrens often contain highly
adapted, rare species of plants
and animals making them critical
in terms of biodiversity.
The serpentine barrens in
southeastern Pennsylvania,
contain the largest number of
endangered plant and animal
species in the state.
Subterranean
Such as caves, are often
overlooked as a habitat type.
Caves, with their unique
formations, temperatures,
moisture conditions, and air
dynamics provide an
important, but fragile, habitat
for many invertebrates and
vertebrates.
Some invertebrates in
Pennsylvania caves are found
nowhere else in the world.
Pennsylvania’s caves also
provide habitat for many bats,
including the federally
endangered Indiana bat and
other small mammals such as
the eastern woodrat, which is
listed as threatened in the
state.
Aquatic
Communities
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Habitats that continually maintain
open water and include tidal,
riverine and lake habitats.
Pennsylvania has abundant
riverine habitats. With more than
83,000 miles of streams – second
only to Alaska in the # of stream
miles –However, more than 6,216
miles have been impaired by
abandoned mine drainage and
agriculture.
Most of Pennsylvania's natural
lakes are found in the northwestern
and northeastern parts of the state.
Although often overlooked, small
seasonal pools of less than onehalf acre play an important role as
breeding grounds for many
amphibians, insects and other
aquatic invertebrates in the state.
Riparian Zones (areas along
waterways) and support trees and
shrubs that prefer moist areas.
Wetlands
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Wetlands are as areas that are
regularly wet or flooded and are
delineated on the basis of
vegetation, hydrology and soils.
Pennsylvania has more than 400,000
acres of wetlands.
Include marshes, swamps, and
scrub-shrub wetlands. Bogs are a
special category of scrub-shrub
wetlands with highly acidic soils and
dense mats of sphagnum moss.
Home to some of the rarest species
in the state, including bog turtles
Sedge Wren, King Rail and Least
Bittern which are now declining.
More than 50% of PA's original
wetlands have been lost or
substantially degraded by filling,
draining or conversion to ponds.
Home to such species as the Redwinged Blackbird, mink and
beaver.
Wetlands filter toxins, clean the
water, and control floods
Urban and
Suburban
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Disturbed areas strongly affected by
people and other developed land.
Account for up to 10-15% of PA’s
land cover and increasing.
Trees and shrubs that produce fruit
are often planted around homes and
businesses provide food for birds and
small mammals. The range of the
northern mockingbird has expanded
due, in part, to suburban
landscaping. The interest in using
native species in landscaping is
increasing and native plants are
becoming easier to find in local
nurseries.
While developed areas continue to
have a high proportion of alien
species.
They do provide habitat for a variety
of native species including
woodchucks, deer mice, meadow
voles, rabbits, robins, squirrels, and
chipping sparrows.
Some woodland animals such as the
Great Horned Owl, Robins, House
Sparrows, Raccoon, Deer, Skunk and
Red-tailed Hawk have successfully
adapted to the urban environment.
Ecology 101
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Survival Requirements
Predator-Prey
Relationships
Adaptions
Population Dynamics
Survival
Requirements
 What
are they?
 How are they met?
Habitat
*the “home” of a species & has
requirements for that species to
live*
SPACE
FOOD
energy
source
SHELTER
WATER
Provides
Protection
home
range: the
area were an
animal
normally
travels to
secure its
needs
Territory:
Area an
animal
defends
The Flow Of
Energy
through within
an ecosystem.
<Food Web
Adaptions
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Predator-Prey Adaptions
 For Ex. An Owl’s
Talons, webbed feet,
strong beak
Environmental Adaptions
 For ex. Hibernation
Terms to Know:
 Migration
 Hibernation
 Defense Posturing
Predator-Prey
Relationships
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Predators: Foxes, coyotes,
bears, hawks, skunks, and
owls
Prey: Rabbits, grouse, mice,
pheasants, birds, deer,
ducks
Predation: The Energy flow
from Predator to Prey
Important Terms
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Precocial-refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and
mobile from the moment of birth or hatching
Altricial-"requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and
development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their
own soon
Crepuscular-appearing or active in the twilight, as certain bats and insects
Nocturnal-done or active at night
Delayed implantation-In delayed implantation the embryo does not
immediately implant in the uterus, but it is maintained in a state or dormancy.
No development takes place during this period and as a result the normal
gestation period is extended, sometimes by as much a one year.
Facultative Diapause - this is a mechanism that is associated with metabolic
stress, usually lactation. If a female becomes pregnant while still lactating for
her original youngster, the sucking stimulus will cause the embryos to enter into
diapause.
Obligate Diapause - this is a mechanism to allow mammals to time the birth of
their youngsters with favorable environmental conditions.
CarnivoreNiche-a position or role taken by a kind of organism within its community
Population Dynamics
The Continuous Change& Renewal of Populations
 Why Populations
Carrying capacity
• How much of a certain
population a habitat
can support
Limiting factors
• Parts of an
environment that limit
a population’s
increase
Compensatory
Mortality
Change
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Reproduction
Migration
Ecological
Succession or
disturbance
Death
• When one mortality factor decreases
another will increase
• The death of one individual improves
the chances of survival for another
Population Change
Natality
Reproduction/ Production of young
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6.
7.
Conditions of the
environment& Habitat
Min. Breeding Age
Max. Breeding Age
# of young produced
per year
Life expectancy after
breeding age
Composition of
population
Reproductive Habits
Mortality
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Weather, Predation,
Disease, Hunting ,Old
Age, Starvation
Animals can also add
or subtract from
populations by
moving into or out of
habitats or the
Immigration and
Emigration of animals
into a habitat
Terms to Know
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Cultural Carrying Capacity:
biological species in an
environment is the maximum
population size of the species that
the environment can sustain
indefinitely
Territory: any area defended by
an organism or a group of similar
organisms for such purposes as
mating, nesting, roosting, or
feeding.
Home Range: the area in which
an animal lives and travels.
Population: a group of individuals
of a single species that live in a
particular area and interact with
one another
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Community: A community is
defined as an assemblage of
species living close enough
together for potential interaction
Succession: the observed process
of change in the species structure
of an ecological community over
time.
Forest Fragmentation: the
emergence of discontinuities
(fragmentation) in an organism's
preferred environment (habitat),
causing population
Biodiversity
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Biodiversity is the
variety of life on
earth
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Levels of Biodiversity
Its Importance
What destroys Biodiversity
Habitat Loss
Endangered &
Threatened Species
Non-native, Invasive, and
Introduced Species
Levels of Biodiversity
Species Diversity: The multitudes of species
that can be found
 Genetic Diversity: The many variations in
genes within a species that leads to
different traits and variations in the
organisms themselves
 Ecological Diversity- the diversity of
ecosystems, natural communities, and
habitats, essentially the variety of ways that
species interact with each other and their
respective environments
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Why is Biodiversity Important?
 Food:
Without biodiversity, the array of natural foods
we enjoy would not be in existence
 Materials: the vast array of materials we can gather
from living things are made possible by biodiversity
 Ecosystem stability: Biodiversity allows for
ecosystems to adjust to disturbances that disrupt
the life within them.
 Genetic diversity: helps prevent diseases & helps
species adjust to changes in their environment
 Biodiversity is part of the things that makes life
possible on earth, with plants providing oxygen
 The variations in life itself are beautiful, and should
be preserved
Specific Impacts of People on
 Positive Impacts
Biodiversity
• Enhancement of
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Negative Impacts
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• Fragmentation of
habitat due to roads and
trails, buildings, etc.
• Disturbance of wildlife
in nesting seasons due to
human activity and noise.
• Destruction of habitat
due to vehicles.
• Death and/or injury of
species by vehicle
collision.
• Trash interfering with
wildlife health through
food intake or causing
injury to wildlife.
• Pesticides or other
changes to environment
to make areas more
comfortable.
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wildlife habitat in
order to attract
wildlife for viewing.
• Increase
knowledge of wildlife
through visiting
wildlife and natural
areas.
• Increase
appreciation of
wildlife and the
importance of the
natural world – leads
to conservation.
• Funding for wildlife
management.
Habitat Loss & Destruction
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Pollution: poisons waterways, soil,
wildlife, disturbs natural habitats,
Destruction of Habit through
Deforestation, Filling in wetlands, or
overall altering of terrain
Invasive plants & animals can
overtake an area pushing out the
existing life and destroying biodiversity.
Causes of Loss of Biodiversity
Habitat loss and degradation: The destruction of
habitats causes huge losses for biodiversity
 Overexploitation: Overfishing, Poaching,
Harvesting, Logging
 Pollution
 Climate Change
 The Spread of Non-native species and diseases
that wipe out native populations and are often
hard to remove as they have no natural inhibitors
in their new environment
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o Habitat Loss
o Introduced species &
Increased Compitition
o Pollution
o Population Growth (people
& domestic animals)
o Over-Hunting (Poaching)
HIPPO
5 Major threats facing
biodiversity
Endangered &
Threatened
Species
Endangered Species: In
danger of becoming
extinct
Threatened Species: on the
verge of becoming
endangered
Species Most Prone to
Becoming Extinct
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Specialists: Animals that
require specific habitats
are more prone to
becoming endangered
Species that Migrate
and depend on several
different habitats
Species with a low
reproduction rates
Species that are
“prized” by people or
conversely interfere with
people (The Bog Turtle
and Great Egret were
prized where as others
were seen as a danger
and nuisance)
Species that are
naturally rare
Not So Fun Facts
o more than 650 are listed as
threatened and Endangered
o more than 800 are considered to be
of conservation concern.
o Over half of Pennsylvania's 65 native
species of freshwater mussels are
endangered or extirpated. Nearly
30% of Pennsylvania fish are of
conservation concern.
o Currently, 130 species still living in
Pennsylvania are ranked as globally
endangered, threatened or rare.
Terminology:
 Extinct:
 Threatened:
 Extirpated:
 Endangered:
 Reintroduction:
 Candidate
Species:
Pennsylvania
Game
Commission
What is the
game
commission?
The Pennsylvania Game commission is a state
agency responsible for wildlife conservation and
management in Pennsylvania. The commission was
established in 1895.
The Pennsylvania game commission…
• Manages, evaluates, and protects wildlife
populations and habitats
• Informs and educates the public on wildlife and
safe hunting practices
• Establishes wildlife management areas
Game Commission Methods to
Evaluate Habitats and Populations
Step One: Determine the Abundance and
Distribution of Wildlife
To help determine abundance of wildlife the game
commission can use an animal’s…
• Songs
• Calls
• Tracks
• Droppings
• Sightings
They can use…
• Tags
• Bands
• Electronic devices
To help determine distribution.
Game Commission Methods to
Evaluate Habitats and Populations
Step Two: Evaluate the Quality of Animals and Habitat
Species Needs
The game commission can determine an animals food
needs by…
• Droppings
• Food remains in stomachs
• Observation
They must be observed year round because some food
preferences differ by season.
Some factors that help determine an animal
population’s status are…
• Reproduction
• Death
• Age and gender ratios
Wildlife Managers
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Wildlife managers are people with
information about quality and quantity of
habitats, status of wildlife populations and
potential limiting factors.
Wildlife managers strive to maintain habitats
and make sure all species are safe and
benefitting from their environment.
Conservation Methods
Wildlife managers help conserve wildlife by…
• Working with landowners to maintain areas
that provide essential habitat ingredients for
a variety of wildlife.
• Working to reduce pollution and
environmental degradation.
• Promoting and enforcing laws that protect
animals and habitats from careless
destruction. This task can only be achieved
with the help of everyone in a habitat.
Deer Management Practices
and Goals
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Manage deer for a healthy and sustainable
herd
Manage deer-human conflicts at levels
considered safe for Pennsylvanians
Manage deer impacts for a healthy and
sustainable habitat
Manage deer to provide recreational
opportunities
Improve public knowledge and
understanding of deer and the deer
management program.
Deer Management Practices
and Goals
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The deer in Pennsylvania reached a surplus
around 1920.
In 1923 antlerless deer harvest began. Since
then there have been many varying hunting
laws and practices.
The deer population continues to fluctuate
but is generally rising.
How Old Am I?
Aging Deer
Jaws
How can you protect and
conserve wildlife?
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Cleaning trash that can harm
habitats
Removing invasive species that could
kill plants animals need to survive
Minimizing use of poisonous
Herbicides and Pesticides
Placing decals on windows to deter
bird collision
Slowing down when driving near
areas where animals may be crossing
Wildlife
Diseases 101
Must Know:
 Chronic Wasting Disease
 White-Nose Syndrome
Wildlife Diseases
Chronic Wasting Disease
 What?
–A neurological
disease found in deer& elk
that produces small lesions
that result in death
 How
is it Spread?- It is
believed that it is spread
through bodily fluids of
infected animals
 Symptoms?-Loss of
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bodily functions, poor
posture, and emaciation
Hunters should take
precautions, but it is not
dangerous to humans
Epizootic Hemorrhagic
Disease
 What?- A hemorrhagic
disease that damages the
walls of blood vessels and can
cause large deaths in
populations(Primarily mule&
whit-tail deer)
 Spread?- Biting Flies or
midges
 Symptoms?- Swollen
tongue Ulcers inside the
mouth, swelling in face/neck,
bleeding from nose
 One of the most common
diseases of white-tailed deer
in the Eastern U.S.
White Nose Syndrome
What is it?
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First Documented in the
winter of 2006-07 in New
York. First believed to have
surfaced in PA in 2008.
Began killing cave bats in
2009. In some areas 90-100%
of bats in hibernacula have
died. More than 1 million
killed in Northeastern US and
Canada.
White fungus on the muzzles
and membranes of affected
bats.
Exact means by which
mortality is caused is not yet
fully understood
Caused by the fungus
Geomyces destructans
What does it
do?When?
 Symptoms: Frequent
arousal(awakening) during
Hibernation, including flying during
the day and clustering around the
opening of the hibernacula ,
causing the bats to burn through
their fat reserves at a rapid rate. All
survivors get reinfected annually,
causing more stress for the animals
and potentially increasing mortality
rates for juveniles and young
females. In addition, the stress of
fighting off the infection may inhibit
the ability of females to reproduce.
 When infection occurs: The fungus
is a cold loving species, and so is
only found to grow on the bats in
the winter, and does not appear
on them during warmer months, or
temperatures the bats are active
in.
White Nose Syndrome Cont.
What Measures are being
taken to discover Outbreaks?
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WNS National Plan
US Fish and Wildlife
Service led a team on
federal+state agencies
and tribes in preparing
a national WNS
management plan to
address the threat to
hibernating bats called
the National Plan for
Assisting States,
Federal Agencies, and
Tribes in Managing
White-Nose Syndrome
in Bats
How?
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In October 2010, Fish
and Wildlife announced
six grants totaling $1.6
million to investigate the
cause of WNS and
identify ways to
manage it.
Planned actions are
research into how WNS
is spread, how the
fungus causes mortality ,
better detection, and
understanding how
resilient the fungus is in
the environment it
causes the disease.
Wildlife
Identification
Lists 2014
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Furs
Tracks
Calls
Natural History
Habitat
List A: Be Able to identify these animals
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Bats
Beaver
Black Bear
Blackbirds, Orioles, Cowbird,
and Starling
Blue Jay
Bobcat
Canada Goose
Chickadees, Nuthatches,
Titmouse, and Brown
Creeper
Chimney Swift, Purple
Martin, and Swallows
Common Nighthawk and
Whip-Poor-Will
Cottontail Rabbit
Crows and Ravens
Diving Ducks
Dove
Eagles and Osprey
Eastern Coyote
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Elk
Finches and House Sparrow
Fisher
Flycatchers
Foxes (Red and Gray)
Gray Catbird, Northern
Mockingbird, and Brown
Thrasher
Kingfisher
Heron Family
Mallard Duck
Mice and Voles
Mink & Muskrats
Northern Cardinal,
Grosbeaks, Indigo Bunting,
and Dickcissel
Opossum
Owls
Pheasants
Porcupine
Puddle Ducks
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Raccoon
Raptors
River Otter
Ruffed Grouse
Shrews
Sparrows and Towhees
Snow Goose
Squirrels
Striped Skunk
Tanager
Tundra Swan
Vultures
Weasels
White-tailed Deer
Wild Turkey
Woodchucks
Woodcock
Wood Duck
Wood Warbler
Woodpeckers
Wren
List B:
Be able to identify, describe the natural history, determine the wildlife
biology, and evaluate habitat for the animals described below by
reviewing the Wildlife Notes which correlate to the animals.
 Black
Bear
 Kingfisher
 Ruffed Grouse
 Snow Goose
 Woodpeckers
 Coyote
 Owls
 Porcupine
 Flycatchers
Puddle Ducks
 Chimney Swift,
Purple Martin, and
Swallows
 Tanager
 Woodcock
 Skunk
 Minks and Muskrat
 Foxes
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List C:
Be able to identify these bird calls,
songs & sounds
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•Bald Eagle
•Barn Owl
•Barred Owl
•Black-Capped Chickadee
•Blue Jay
•Canada Goose
•Cardinal
•Common Nighthawk
•Crow
•Dove
•Eastern Towhee
•Great Blue Heron
•Great Horned Owl
•House Sparrow
•House Wren
•Kestrel
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•Mallard
•Meadowlark
•Northern Flicker
•Osprey
•Pheasant
•Pileated Woodpecker
•Red-Tailed Hawk
•Red-winged Blackbird
•Ruffed Grouse
•Robin
•Screech Owl
•Wild Turkey
•Wood Duck
•Wood Thrush
•Woodcock
List D: Identification of Wildlife Sign
(SIGNS CAN INCLUDE: a picture, fur, hair, feather, gnawing, rubbing,
pellet, nest, scat, skull, and track. (You will only identify skulls of an
animal marked with a ♦ and tracks of animal marked with an*.)
Beaver ♦ *
Elk *
Raccoon ♦ *
Black Bear ♦ *
House Sparrow
Raptors
Black-Capped Chickadee
Fisher
River Otter ♦ *
Bobcat ♦ *
Foxes (Red & Gray) *
Ruffed Grouse
Blue winged Teal
Mallard Duck
Squirrels
Black Duck (see Puddle Ducks)
Mink * & Muskrats *
Striped Skunk *
Canada Goose
Opossum *
White-tailed Deer ♦ *
Cottontail Rabbit ♦
Owls
Wild Turkey
Crows
Pileated Woodpecker
Woodcock
Eastern Coyote *
Pheasants
Wood Duck
Porcupine *
Woodpecker
THE END