Various Aspects of Wildlife Ecology Can Be
Applied to Many Fundamental Curriculum Concepts.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
• Geometry
• History
• Vocabulary
• Geography
• Change
• Definition
• Biology
• Timelines
• Critical Thinking
• Location
• Charts, Graphs
• Compare/Contrast
• Place
• Economics
• Math Functions
• Movement
• Civic Involvement
• Relationships
• Region
• Ecology
• Non-linear Thinking
There’s much more to wildlife ecology than . . .
romance and cute little animals!
.
WHAT IS WILDLIFE?
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Game species only? Non-game species? Fish?
Insects, worms, bacteria?
How about the plants and fungi that support the
animal population?
Inter & intra-relationships between individuals and
populations?
Reactions to the physical environment?
Origin of the term?
“Wildlife includes all the animals associated with a particular
ecosystem. However, knowledge about wildlife is largely
restricted to game species, threatened & endangered species,
and other species of economic importance”.
VERTEBRATES
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Vertebrates are animals with backbones. There are about 400
species of vertebrates that occur in the Upper Peninsula. If you
include all the other types of species, the count would easily reach
into the thousands. Nobody knows that number for certain.
BIRDS: waterfowl,
songbirds, raptors & owls, shorebirds, woodpeckers,
gallinaceous birds, crows & jays, hummingbirds, and many others.
FISH:
game fish, panfish, minnows, bottom-feeders, cold water, warm water
MAMMALS:
others.
rodents, bats, squirrels, weasels, deer, bear, cats, and many
HERPETILES (amphibians & reptiles):
lizards, snakes, and others.
salamanders, toads, frogs, turtles,
NUMBER OF MICHIGAN SPECIES
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Number of
Game
Vertebrates Species Species
• Birds
306
40
Plus . . .
• Fish
146
50
15,000-20,000 Insects
• Mammals
68
23
195 Snails
• Reptiles
30
1
79 Mollusks
• Amphibians
25
1
?? Other Taxa
575
115
Total Species
Source: Winter 2000 “Spotting Scope.” MDNR databases. MSU Extension sources.
THE SPECIES !
ABOUT
400
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
SPECIES OF VERTEBRATES IN THE U.P.
THREATENED & ENDANGERED
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Endangered (42 animals in Michigan): Any species of fish, plant life,
or wildlife that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part
of its range, other than a species of insect as determined by the
Department, or the Secretary, of the United States Department of the
Interior to constitute a pest whose protection under this part would
present an overwhelming and overriding risk to humans.
Threatened (39 animals in Michigan): Any species which is likely to
become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all
or a significant portion of its range.
OTHER “T&E” DEFINITIONS
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Special Concern: While not afforded legal protection under the Act, many of
these species are of concern because of declining or relict populations in the
State. Should these species continue to decline, they would be recommended
for Threatened or Endangered status. Protection of Special Concern species
now, before they reach dangerously low population levels, would prevent the
need to list them in the future by maintaining adequate numbers of selfsustaining populations within Michigan. Some other potentially rare species are
listed as of Special Concern pending more precise information on their status in
the state; when such information becomes available, they could be moved to
Threatened or Endangered status or deleted from the list.
Extinct: Any species which can no longer be found anywhere in the world.
Extirpated (10 animals in Michigan, mostly fish):
Any species
which can no longer be found in the State of Michigan, but which can be found
elsewhere in the world.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
FOREST ECOLOGY BASICS
COMPOSITION
STRUCTURE
FUNCTION
COMPOSITION
Genetic Diversity - Gene Pools
Species, Number of Species &
Species Abundance
Populations of Animals & Plants
Species Associations & Community
Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
INVASIVE SPECIES
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Ecological - Economic - Aesthetic values
Displaces native plants & animals, including T&Es
42% of USA have declined due to exotics (FWS)
Degrades diverse biological communities
Can alter: hydrological patterns, soil chemistry, erodibility,
moisture-holding capacity, fire susceptibility
Harbors pests, pathogens, toxins
(i.e. garlic mustard, Scotch pine, soybean aphid)
Annual monetary costs run into the billions of dollars
Over 40,000 introduced species are catalogued in N.A.
A FEW U.P. EXAMPLES
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Gypsy Moth
Dutch Elm Disease
Zebra Mussel
Oak Wilt
Purple Loosestrife
White Pine Blister Rust
Spotted Knapweed
Eurasian Water Milfoil
Garlic Mustard
Buckthorn (2 species)
Sea Lamprey
Larch Casebearer
Beech Bark Disease
Asian Lady Beetle
Michigan Invasive Plant Council:
http://www.msue.msu.edu/mipc
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
STRUCTURE
Vertical & Horizontal
Spatial Heterogeneity & Density
Edge Effect
Islands & Fragmentation
Dead Trees & Snags
Micro-Environments
Appearance
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
VERTICAL STRUCTURE
Vertical structure refers to the “ladder-like”
arrangement in a forest.
Co-Dominant
Dominant
Intermediate
Shrubs
Co-Dominant
Intermediate
Suppressed
Ground Cover
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland Stewardship. P. 17.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE
Stand density and crown cover within timber stands
and across the landscape is horizontal structure.
40%
80%
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland Stewardship. P. 20.
100%
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
EDGES, SNAGS, AND
FRAGMENTATION
Edge Effect
Forest Fragmentation
Large Snags
Green. 1995. Birds and Forests. P.55. UM-Cartography Lab.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
FUNCTION
Energy Capture & Trophics
Weathering
Mineral & Nutrient Cycling
Water Movement
Temperature & Humidity
Succession & Disturbance
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
ENERGY CAPTURE
Energy Capture
10%
Trophic Levels
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
CYCLING
Ecosystem
Gains
Losses
Nutrient, Mineral, and Water Cycling
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
SUCCESSION
Grasses
& Forbs
Shrubs &
Saplings
Wisconsin DNR, 1995. Wisconsin’s Biodiversity as a Management Issue. P. 22.
Young
Forest
Mature Old
Forest Forest
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
DISTURBANCE
Forested ecosystems are dependent upon disturbance for
renewal and to provide biological diversity. The plants and
animals in a forest don’t know whether the disturbance is
caused by natural events or human-caused events.
Natural Events
Human-Caused Events
Fire
Wind
Animals
Flooding
Diseases/Insects
Fire
Harvest
Pollution
Development
Exotic Introductions
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
WHAT IS HABITAT?
Site Quality
• Soil, Topography, Climate Extremes, Precipitation, Drought Periods
Space and Home Range
• Proximity, Diversity, Seasonality
Food & Water
•
Seasonality, Variety, Preferences, Nutrition
Shelter
•
Weather, Cover, Young, Display, Resting/Roosting
Variability
•
Different Species Can Have Widely Different Requirements
•
That Can Change With the Seasons and Life Stage.
POPULATIONS vs. INDIVIDUALS
Age Structure
Sex Ratio
Natality & Mortality
Lifespan
Interspecific Dynamics
Intraspecific Dynamics
Territoriality
Home Range
Migrations
Carrying Capacity
Generalists?
Obligates?
Facultative?
Preferences?
Opportunistic?
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
POPULATION DYNAMICS
S-curve of population growth
Annual cycles
Short and long-term cycles
Irregular and irruptive cycles
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
THEORETICAL
POPULATION GROWTH
POPULATION
The “S” Curve
s-curve
TIME
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
ANNUAL CYCLES
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
annual
cycles
1000s Furs
LONG-TERM CYCLES
Canada Lynx, Hudson Bay Company
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
hare
cycle
Year
Source: Elton & Nicholson (1942) in Dasmann (1964), p.173.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
IRRUPTIVE CYCLES
Raccoon, Hudson Bay Company
Number of
Raccoons Taken
raccoon
cycle
Source: Elton & Nicholson (1942) in Dasmann (1964), p.179.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
AN IRRUPTIVE CYCLE
Kaibab Deer Herd
100
80
60
kaiba
b deer
40
Long-term
Habitat
Damage
20
0
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
Source: Elton & Nicholson (1942) in Dasmann (1964), p.166.
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
I “toad” you there was more to wildlife ecology than
romance and cute little animals!
DEER HABITAT
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Keep in mind that the State of Michigan owns those deer and all
the wildlife, unless … You have lots of money for a fence!
Clearcut mature aspen stands, under 40 acres, maximize edge,
feathered edges.
Encourage small oak groves, stump sprouts.
Plant small openings to nutritious perennial grasses & herbs.
In hardwoods, use group selection or small clearcuts to encourage
oak and other browse species.
Consider the distance between winter thermal cover and winter
feeding areas.
Remember that high deer populations can have negative effects on
forest regeneration and other species of wildlife. High populations
also stress agriculture and cause increased automobile crash rates.
GROUSE & WOODCOCK
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Provide a multi-aged patchwork of aspen stands through age 40
or 50 years, especially mature male aspen.
Few grouse move more than two miles from where they’re born,
or move beyond their 8-10 acre home range.
Provide drumming logs and space around the drumming logs.
If possible, watch where grouse feed in tree tops (easiest in
spring during catkin flush) and favor popular clones over lesser
used clones.
Work with adjacent landowners to make small harvests
economical for the logger.
SONGBIRDS
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Harvest or cut in the fall or winter. Fewer birds, less disturbance,
not the breeding season.
Think small scale, many species range within a half-acre during the
critical breeding season.
Encourage berry and seed-bearing shrubs.
Encourage large snags … 6-10 per acre.
Canopy with 50-75 percent cover.
Good vertical structure.
Keep the livestock out.
Lots of edge.
Ignore most of the above if you’re interested in deep woods species.
FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE
Basics of
Wildlife
Ecology
Woodland wildlife is managed by manipulating the forest
to provide the kind and variety of habitat needed.
Forestry practices in the U.P. have many effects:
• encourages plant diversity
• encourages forest regeneration
• causes multiple age distributions
• provides “edge”
• creates horizontal and vertical structure
• adds more micro-environments
• accelerates system metabolism & nutrient cycling