Fish and Wildlife
IAFNR MODULE 4
N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S
Wildlife
• Living things that are neither human nor domesticated,
especially mammals, birds, and fish.
– In this lesson, we refer to the higher forms of life as wildlife
(vertebrates or non-plant life)
• Wildlife is considered a Natural Resource
– Wildlife allowed the survival of early American pioneers
The Wildlife Population
• In order to survive, any species must reproduce
– Must be done quicker than an animal dies in nature
• Expected population increase
• Species require an appropriate habitat
– An area that a species can find shelter, food, water, and safety
• The Limiting Factor
– A shortage of some element of the system—results in restriction of
population (Ex. Water availability and presence of predators)
• Carrying Capacity
– Who remembers this from before? What is Carrying Capacity?
The Wildlife
Population
• Extinct-species no longer exists
• Rare-very small population of
species exist
• Endangered-in danger of
extinction
• Threatened-species likely to
become endangered
Image retrieved from: Top-Bottom L-R http://dinosaur-archives.boards.net/thread/64/bighorn-sheep-ovis-canadensis-pictorial;
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/our-work/international-polar-bear-day; http://ecowatch.com/2012/08/31/wyoming-wolves/;
http://famebiography.net/wp-content/uploads/1685_puma.jpg; https://pgcpsmess.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/bald-eagle-in-mid-airflight/; http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/whooping-crane/
Wildlife
Management
Image retrieved from: http://toodalootravels.com/category/nationalwildlife-refuges/
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in
Seymour, IN.
Habitat Requirements
• The basic requirements of a species habitat
– Food
• Game animals are typically classifies by the type and amount of food they eat
– Cover
• A place that provides protection from predators and harsh weather conditions
– Water
• Most important requirement if wildlife
– Home Range and Territory
• Home Range: area traveled by game and used for breeding
• Territory: area and animal will defend
Management Practices
Image retrieved from:
http://patch.com/california/imperialbeach/chula-vistapreschool-receives-wildlife-habitat-certification
• Game Refuges
• Habitat Development and
Improvement
• Coordinating Resources
• Hunting Regulations
• Predator Control
• Artificial Stocking
We’ll be covering Game Refuge and Hunting Regulations in more detail
Game Refuges
• Setting aside land for the protection of wildlife species
– Provides the basic needs for survival without the threat of hunters
• Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
– Over 7,000 acres of refuge land area near Seymour, IN
– More than 280 species of birds found there
– Highlighted Wildlife at Muscatatuck
• Wood Ducks
• River Otters
• Bald Eagles
Hunting Regulations
• Hunting Regulations were put into place as early as the 1600’s
– Bison faced extinction because of overhunting
• Hunting is now controlled on both public and private lands
– Used mainly to control overpopulation
• Populations are dependent upon: reproduction rates, climate, disease, habitat,
and predators
– Experts track year-to-year populations to determine regulations like bag
limits, hunting season lengths, and closed seasons
Freshwater
Fishery
Management
Image retrieved from: https://www.visitstmarysmd.com/activities-attractions/fishing-hunting/
The Habitat
Lakes
Farm Ponds
• Three zones
• Uses
– Littoral
• Shallow zone that contains rooted
vegetation (lilies and cattails)
• Most aquatic life located in this zone
– Phytoplankton present
– Limnetic
• No rooted vegetation
• Photosynthesis reaches the bottom of this
zone
• Fish also present in this area
– Phytoplankton present
– Profundal
• Bottom zone, no sunlight
• Warmest in winter and coolest in summer
• Bacteria thrive in this zone
– Water Livestock
– Recreation
– Fire Protection
– Fish Production
• Important to manage farm ponds
properly
Common Freshwater Game Fish
• Largemouth Bass
• Bluegill
• Channel Catfish
Image retrieved from: Top-Bottom:
https://www1.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/species/identification/largemouthbass.htm ;
http://www.shelbyfishfarm.com/Our-Fish.htm;
http://www.agfc.com/youth/Pages/YouthGetStartedFishingCatfish.aspx
Management
• Vegetation
– Provides food, shelter, oxygen, and area for nesting and spawning
– Overabundance can cause problems in fish populations
• Controlled biologically and chemically
• Sampling
– Tracking fish species and growth
• Population Removal or Adjustment
– Procedures to remove or lessen unwanted species of fish
• Fishing Regulation
– Commonly a limit of fish taken from public waters
• Water Quality
– Essential for fish production
– Checking levels of temperature, oxygen, pH, and clarity
Go FishIN!
• Would you like to go fishing?
• Indiana DNR has a new urban fishing program!
– City Lakes are supplied with rainbow trout and
catfish for recreational fishing
– 17 and younger DO NOT need a fishing license
– 18 and older DO need a fishing license
• FishIN in Indianapolis
– Fort Harrison State Park
– Riverside Park
Aquaculture
• Propagation or rearing of
aquatic organisms in
controlled or selected
environments for
commercial use including
food, recreation, or other
public purposes
• Most of the seafood
consumed in the US is
imported
• Wouldn’t it be nice if we
could produce seafood
right here in our own
backyard?
Image retrieved from: http://followgreenliving.com/eco-friendly-aquaculture/
Indiana Aquaculture
• Indiana produces 1.5 million
pounds of fish per year from about
40 farmers estimated at a value of
$15 million
• Fish grown in Indiana
– tilapia, yellow perch, prawns,
shrimp, bait fish, catfish, hybrid
striped bass, bluegill and decorative
fish.
• Indiana farmers are replacing fish
meal with soybean meal in fish
feeds to be more sustainable
Image retrieved from: http://www.indianasoybean.com/strategic-programs/indianaaquaculture/42-strategic-programs-aquaculture/79-indiana-aquaculture-producers
References
• Camp, W., & Heath-Camp, B. (2009) Managing our Natural
Resources. New York: Delmar.
• Indiana Soybean Alliance. (N.D.) Indiana Aquaculture. Retrieved
from: http://www.indianasoybean.com/strategicprograms/indiana-aquaculture
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2015, Feb. 19). Muscatatuck.
Retrieved from: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Muscatatuck/