Fields Of Wildlife Management Research Articles

Human Dimensions of the Reintroduction of Brazilian Birds

People's acceptability for wildlife, stakeholders' engagement and involvement are acknowledged as key factors for the success of wildlife reintroduction projects. We analyzed the main National Action Plans (NAPs) (the Brazilian management participatory instrument for the conservation of endangered species) for eight bird species and conducted an online questionnaire with researchers and practitioners involved in those species reintroduction programs. The assessment of the main Brazilian bird's reintroduction programs showed that, in general, efforts have been made to integrate local people into it. Nevertheless, the actions were disconnected, isolated and fragmented. A formal protocol, designed, discussed and approved by experts aiming to address the human dimensions (HD) of human-bird interactions (HBI), preferably to be used in each stage of the reintroduction programs, was not found. Actions considered related to human dimensions are mainly under the umbrella of environmental education interventions or campaigns, more directed to children and youth; correspond to activities performed by locals with the birds and/or captive birds facilities; or, fostering artcraft production or bird watching activities. The weak or sometimes absent human dimensions approach to this important conservation tool may indicate either the novelty for Brazilian researchers and managers of the science of human dimensions within the field of wildlife management or the lack of dialogue between natural and social sciences when wildlife conservation is at stake. Reintroductions are expensive, sensitive, and labor-intensive processes. It becomes necessary due the conservation status of the species and its implementation follows a careful research of biological, ecological and socio-institutional regional background that identifies the drivers of species extinction and plans according to it. Understanding and predicting people's behaviors and its triggers are paramount to successful reintroduction projects. Thus, making use of well-planned HD studies in HBI may be the watershed between success or failure of reintroduction programs. This study was a pioneer initiative of its kind and it aimed to provide sound recommendations for managers, researchers and practitioners to acknowledge the relevance of HD and its core role in the reintroduction of endangered bird species.

Application of the World Café method to discuss the efficiency of African swine fever control strategies in European wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations

In the current epidemic of African swine fever (ASF) in Europe, the maintenance and spread of the disease among wild boar populations remains the most important epidemiological challenge. Affected and at-risk countries have addressed this situation using a diversity of wild boar management methods with varying levels of success. The methods applied range from conventional animal disease intervention measures (zoning, stakeholder awareness campaigns, increased surveillance and biosecurity measures) to measures aimed at reducing wild boar population movements (fencing and baiting/feeding) or population numbers (intensive hunting). To assess the perceived efficiency and acceptance of such measures in the context of a focal introduction of ASF, the authors organised a participatory workshop inviting experts from the fields of wildlife management, wild boar ecology, sociology, epidemiology and animal disease management to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various control approaches. The discussions between professionals from different countries took place using the World Café method. This paper documents the World Café method as a tool for increasing the level of participation in multi-stakeholder group discussions, and describes the outputs of the workshop pertaining to the control measures. In summary, the World Café method was perceived as an efficient tool for quickly grasping comprehensive perspectives from the professionals involved in managing ASF and wild boar populations, while promoting engagement in multi-disciplinary discussions. The exercise achieved a good overview of the perceived efficiency and applicability of the different control methods and generated useful recommendations for ASF control in wild boar populations in Europe.

Professionalism between the pages

Professionalism between the pages

Exploring “Humane” Dimensions of Wildlife

The field of wildlife management has been on a collision course with human nature for some time, documented by the growing and important body of human dimensions of wildlife research. As the evolution of this field continues, a new dimension of “humane” considerations in wildlife management should be investigated. An exploratory online study of opinions about management decisions with 351 British Columbians of various wildlife engagement levels was conducted. Many participants were not willing to accept trading-off individual animals to protect populations, or killing other species to protect an endangered species, expressing both conservation and animal welfare rationales. Participants' wildlife engagement level and utilitarian or protectionist values influenced how they perceived the acceptability of invasive monitoring and population reduction techniques. The application of animal welfare science to conservation can improve the humaneness of practices and in turn, will help managers communicate with the public and generate support for their programs.

Protests and Collaborations in Wildlife Conservation: A Perspective from the Fields of Wildlife Management in Africa. (Nobuko Nishizaki)

Protests and Collaborations in Wildlife Conservation: A Perspective from the Fields of Wildlife Management in Africa. (Nobuko Nishizaki)

Control of pest mammals for biodiversity protection in Australia. II. Reliability of knowledge

Foxes, wild dogs, feral cats, rabbits, feral pigs, and feral goats are believed to have deleterious impacts on native biodiversity in Australia. However, although considerable resources have been expended controlling these six pest species, there are few reliable estimates of the effects of pest control on native biodiversity. We first show why reliable knowledge of the effects of pest animal control operations can be gained only by adopting proper experimental designs (i.e. treatment and non-treatment areas, replication, and random assignment of treatment and non-treatment areas) and monitoring of both the pest and biodiversity. We then review the design of 1915 pest control actions conducted with the aim of protecting native biodiversity in Australia during 1990–2003. Most (67.5%) pest control actions consisted of a single treatment area without monitoring of either the pest or biodiversity. Only 2.4% of pest control actions had one or more treatment and non-treatment areas, and very few treatment and non-treatment areas (0.3%) were randomly assigned. Replication of treatment and non-treatment areas occurred in only 1.0% of pest control actions. The field of wildlife management has been strongly criticised for its slow adoption of the tenets of experimentation to examine the effects of management actions, and our results show that this criticism applies to mammalian pest control in Australia. Until the principles of experimental design are adopted, knowledge of the effects of mammalian pest control in Australia will remain unreliable.

IN MEMORIAM: STANLEY HELMER ANDERSON, 1939–2005

Stanley Helmer Anderson was born on 6 August 1939 in San Francisco, California. He died peacefully at home with his family in Laramie, Wyoming, on 1 September 2005 after a lengthy illness. His wife Donna preceded him in death in 1999. He is survived by two children, Becky Castano and Greg Anderson, their spouses, and a grandson, Ross Anderson. Stan joined the AOU in 1967, became an Elective Member in 1986, and was elected a Fellow in 1995. Stan's interest in birds began through participation in Boy Scout programs in the San Francisco Bay area when he was 11. He graduated from high school in Burlingame, California, in 1957, and from the University of Redlands with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry in 1961. A year of graduate courses in Education and Biology at San Jose State College in California followed. Stan went on to serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1966, after which he obtained an M.S. degree at Oregon State University under John A. Wiens, studying The Avifaunal Composition of Oregon White Oak Stands. He continued for a Ph.D. under Wiens, completing his dissertation, Ecological Relationships of Birds in Forests of Western Oregon, in 1970. That same year, Stan joined the faculty at Kenyon College, where he worked until 1975. He served as a Scientist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities from 1975 to 1976, and from 1976 to 1980 as Chief of the Migratory Nongame Bird Section of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. In 1980 he moved to Laramie, Wyoming, as Leader of the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. He served as Unit Leader and Professor of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming until his death. The breadth and depth of Stan's contributions to science were substantial. Between 1970 and 2005, he authored almost 200 scientific publications that appeared in journals ranging from The Auk and Ecology to the Journal of Wildlife Management. He also authored or co-authored multiple editions of three textbooks that have been used widely in the field of wildlife management, as well as books on the Prairie Falcon and forest and rangeland birds of the United States. Stan was one of the first avian ecologists to study bird-habitat relations using multivariate statistical techniques. Throughout his career, a special interest in habitat selection guided his research and his training of students. In recent years, he focused increasingly on endangered species and made significant contributions to solving problems confronting black-footed ferrets and Greater Sage-Grouse. Stan's influence is reflected not only in his extensive contributions to science but also in the many students he mentored. From 1980 to 2005, Stan advised or co-advised 100 graduate students, including 23 Ph.D. and 77 M.S. students. Many of his students currently serve as management or research biologists with state (21%), federal (22%), or tribal (3%) natural resource agencies. Many others are college or university faculty (15%), or biologists with nongovernmental organizations (14%) or consulting firms (10%). And still others presently work in secondary schools, medicine, city planning, and ranching, with one bringing his wildlife background to the U.S. Secret Service. Stan's care and sense of responsibility for his students were evident. He frequently mentioned that mentoring his students was the most rewarding aspect of

Wildlife Managers and Public Involvement: Letting the Crazy Aunt Out

Addressing the demands of diverse publics requires wildlife management agencies to seek opportunities for public input. Essential to the search for such opportunities is recognizing barriers. To evaluate internal barriers to public involvement in Utah, this study analyzed Utah Division of Wildlife Resource (UDWR) managers' attitudes regarding public involvement in management decisions. Mail survey results indicate that managers believe most decisions should involve the public, but that authority should be primarily relegated to the wildlife professional. Managers showed the highest support for public involvement, emphasizing gathering information about the public through systematic surveys. These results are important to the UDWR because they identify the presence of internal barriers to more collaborative public involvement processes and internal support for gathering more information about the general public. For the greater field of wildlife management, the results and methods provide a blueprint and justification for other agencies to conduct similar introspection and undertake remedial steps to reduce the barriers.

A Position on Predator Management

A Position on Predator Management