Wildlife management facts for kids

Wildlife management is all about carefully looking after wild animals, their homes, and how people interact with them. The main goal is to achieve specific positive results for nature. This can include protecting wildlife, managing how many animals live in an area, or even looking after game animals for hunting.

This picture shows how wildlife, their homes, and people are all connected in wildlife management.

Wildlife management aims to stop the loss of Earth's amazing variety of life, called biodiversity. To do this, experts consider important natural ideas. These include how many animals an area can support and how changes in the environment affect living things. They also look at the land, soil, and water. Most wildlife scientists work to protect and improve animal homes. Sometimes, this means planting new forests, managing pests, or helping water systems.

Looking after game animals, often called gamekeeping, means managing wildlife for the health of species that can be hunted. This might involve managing the numbers of certain animals to help other valuable species, like pheasants, thrive in woodlands. In 1933, a famous conservationist named Aldo Leopold described wildlife management as the skill of making land produce a steady supply of wild game for people to enjoy.

Understanding Wildlife Management History

The story of wildlife management began with early rules about hunting and fishing. These rules were often called game laws.

Early Efforts in the United Kingdom

In Great Britain, early game laws grew from strict forest rules. These rules were very tough during the time of the Norman kings. Back then, harming the king's deer was a very serious offense. For a long time, only people of a certain social rank were allowed to hunt.

A hunter with birds and a dog in Yorkshire, 1912.

By the late 1800s, people started to pass the first laws to protect wildlife. They also formed the first groups dedicated to nature conservation. For example, the Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869 was passed in the United Kingdom in 1869. This was one of the world's first nature protection laws, thanks to efforts from groups like the Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds.

The Game Act 1831 helped protect game birds by setting "close seasons." During these times, hunting certain birds was not allowed. This law also required hunters to have a license and allowed for gamekeepers to be appointed. The goal was to balance the need to protect animals with allowing some hunting, and to manage both the environment and animal populations.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) started in 1889. It began as a protest group against using bird feathers in clothing. This group became very popular and joined with another group to form the RSPB. It gained support from many people, including scientists who study birds.

The National Trust was formed in 1895. Its goal was to protect important lands for the benefit of the whole country. In 1899, they bought a piece of land called Wicken Fen, creating Britain's first nature reserve. A pioneer in wildlife conservation, Charles Rothschild, helped establish many other nature reserves. He also managed his own estate to be a great home for wildlife, especially butterflies. In 1912, he started the Society For The Promotion Of Nature Reserves, which later became The Wildlife Trusts partnership.

Over the years, more local nature trusts were formed. These groups often focused on buying land to create nature reserves in their areas. Today, many organizations, including government groups like the Forestry Commission and charities like the RSPB, work on wildlife management. Laws like the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 also help protect wildlife. The UK government even offers support to farmers to improve their land for conservation.

Wildlife Management in the United States

In the United States, early wildlife laws began in 1839. Rhode Island was one of the first states to close the hunting season for white-tailed deer for part of the year. At first, these rules mainly focused on limiting hunting. Lawmakers didn't always think about animal population sizes or the need to protect their homes.

Hunting ducks with decoys near Toledo, Ohio, in 1908.

The modern field of wildlife management really began in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s. Leaders like Aldo Leopold believed that science and technology could help improve animal habitats. This would lead to healthy populations of valued wild animals like ducks and deer.

Important steps for wildlife management happened in the 1930s. Aldo Leopold became the first university professor in wildlife management in 1933. His important textbook, 'Game Management,' was also published that year. The Wildlife Society was founded, and the Journal of Wildlife Management began publishing. Many projects were planned in the 1940s, including research on waterfowl and wetlands. The Fish and Wildlife Act encouraged farmers to plant food and provide shelter for wildlife.

In 1937, the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was passed in the U.S. This law was a big step forward. It added a 10% tax on guns and ammunition. The money collected from this tax goes to states to fund wildlife management activities and research. This law is still helping wildlife today.

After World War II, wildlife management grew even more. An important event happened in Yellowstone National Park regarding the park's elk population. In 1963, a special board was asked to gather scientific information for future wildlife management. This led to the Leopold Report, which suggested actively managing the elk population.

Many scientists believe that the large number of elk in Yellowstone was partly caused by the removal of wolves from the park. When wolves were gone, elk numbers grew very high. This led to too much grazing in some areas. For about 30 years, park officials managed the elk herds by moving some animals and allowing hunters to take others outside the park. By the late 1960s, elk numbers were very low. This caused concern among both conservationists and hunters. The park stopped these actions in 1968, and the elk population grew again.

Since the 1970s, new ideas have emerged. Groups focused on animal rights and environmental protection began to question some wildlife management practices. While wildlife managers still play a key role in protecting endangered species, conservation biologists have broadened the focus. They now look at protecting entire ecosystems and all the different kinds of life within them, not just single species. In the U.S., government agencies like those involved with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 carry out wildlife management practices.

Different Ways to Manage Wildlife

Wildlife management uses various methods to help animals and their environments.

Protecting Wildlife: Custodial Management

Bear-resistant trash cans help protect both bears and people in Slough Creek.

Custodial management is about protecting wildlife by keeping outside influences to a minimum. It's like putting a fence around a natural area to let nature take its course. This approach is good for national parks, where the goal is often to protect natural processes. It's also used for endangered species when the main threat comes from outside the natural system. For example, visitors are often asked not to feed wild animals.

Active Wildlife Management: Manipulative Methods

Manipulative management involves directly changing animal populations or their environment. This could mean changing the amount of food available, altering habitats, or managing predators or diseases. This method is used when animal numbers need to be adjusted, either because they are too low or too high. What is considered "too low" or "too high" can sometimes be a matter of opinion.

Bringing Nature Back: Rewilding

Rewilding focuses on reducing human impact on ecosystems. The goal is to help these areas return to a natural state where they can take care of themselves. This approach recognizes that certain key species, called keystone species, have a huge effect on their ecosystems. By bringing back these important species, rewilding aims to restore natural processes that have been lost. This can help ecosystems become stronger and even help fight climate change by storing more carbon.

Managing Pests for Wildlife and People

Pest control involves managing animals that are seen as pests. This can be done to help other wildlife, farmers, or for human safety.

Rules for Hunting and Wildlife Protection

Studies and research help decide when certain wildlife species can be hunted legally. This allows for some animals to be taken from populations that have grown large. In the United States, rules for hunting waterfowl and other migratory birds are set by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. State game commissions set rules for other animals like deer.

An "open season" is when hunting is allowed by law. This usually avoids the animals' breeding season. Hunters might have rules about the sex or age of the animal they can hunt. A "closed season" is when hunting is not allowed, usually during the breeding season, to protect the animals. Hunting during a closed season is illegal.

Managing Predator Populations

In the past, some government agencies focused on reducing predator populations. For example, in 1896, the Division of Biological Survey in the United States worked to manage agricultural pests. By 1905, they also aimed to reduce the numbers of wolves, coyotes, and other large predators. This was supported by ranchers and lawmakers.

However, some scientists believed that predators were an important part of the ecosystem and should not be removed. By the 1920s, there was a public debate between those who wanted to remove predators and those who wanted to find a way for them to coexist. One official stated that with the arrival of Europeans, the natural balance had been "violently overturned." He believed that large predators no longer had a place in modern society.

Following this, many poisoned bait stations were placed across the western U.S. By 1930, wolves were largely removed from the lower 48 states, including Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Efforts then turned to managing coyotes. This continued into the early 1970s. Despite efforts to reduce their numbers, coyotes are very adaptable and spread into new areas, even cities.

In 1985, the responsibility for predator management was moved to the Wildlife Services program under the United States Department of Agriculture. Official reports show that Wildlife Services has managed large numbers of animals over the last decade. For example, in 2023, they managed over 1.4 million animals, including many native wild animals.

How Wildlife Management Helps Ecosystems

Losing and breaking up natural habitats are big reasons for the decline of biodiversity. However, landowners who participate in activities like hunting and shooting are often more likely to protect and restore woodlands and hedgerows. This is because these areas are used by the animals they hunt. A study in 2003 showed that these landowners were much more likely to plant new woodlands than those without hunting interests. They also protected much larger woodland areas.

Landowners often take steps to improve habitats for game species. This includes planting shrubs and managing trees to encourage new growth. Experts have reported that game management schemes can benefit conservation. For example, woodlands managed for game often have denser undergrowth and more native birds. However, some studies have also shown that very high numbers of game birds can sometimes negatively affect ecosystems. This can lead to shorter grass, less variety of flowers, and fewer insects.

To provide food and shelter for game birds in winter, landowners plant special "cover crops." These are often species like maize or quinoa, planted in strips next to farm fields. These cover crops also help other farmland birds, like linnets and finches, by giving them valuable food and a safe place to hide.

Before the Hunting Act 2004, fox hunting also encouraged woodland protection in England and Wales. Studies showed that woodlands managed for foxes had a greater variety and number of plants and butterflies.

Different Views on Wildlife Management

Some people disagree with managing wildlife through hunting or other methods that involve removing animals. Groups focused on animal rights and welfare often object to these practices. They might argue that it is unfair to animals. They also question the idea of raising certain animals for hunting, especially when money is involved. These groups believe that all animals deserve protection and that humans should not decide which animals live or die for human benefit.

Environmentalists also sometimes oppose hunting if they believe it is not needed or could harm biodiversity. Critics of gamekeeping point out that changing habitats and managing predators are sometimes used to keep animal populations artificially high for hunting, without always considering the overall health of the ecosystem. However, gamekeepers in the United Kingdom argue that their work is important for wildlife conservation. They say they look after much more countryside than is found in nature reserves and national parks.

See also

In Spanish: Manejo de la vida silvestre para niños