Fish and Wildlife in America. Renewable resources usually taken for granted we have developed an...

Fish and Wildlife in Fish and Wildlife in AmericaAmerica

Renewable resourcesRenewable resources

• usually taken for granted

• we have developed an attitude that there will always be more

• Animals fall into this category

Renewable resourcesRenewable resources

• ability to reproduce

• many species have died out

• management of wildlife resources is important

WildlifeWildlife

• living things that are neither human or domesticated

• especially birds, mammals, fishes

• includes both plant and animal life

WildlifeWildlife

• we will concentrate on higher life forms

• vertebrates

• lower forms of plant and animal life are also important in maintaining a balance

United StatesUnited States

• estimated that the continental U.S. contains over 2,300 different vertebrate species.

• Game animals make up only a small portion of this number

Early PioneersEarly Pioneers

• depended on these birds, mammals and fish to survive

• meat supplied food

• skins used for shelter and clothing

• oil kept firearms usable

Early PioneersEarly Pioneers

• oil used to light cabins

• with out wildlife resources the wilderness would have never been conquered.

World Fur TradeWorld Fur Trade

• America was well established

• at the cost of wildlife

• trappers took the animals faster than they could multiply

• treated the resources as a crop

Wildlife killedWildlife killed

• many because they appeared hostile

• bears, wildcats - danger to people

• many species were killed because they threatened the safety of domestic animals

Wrongly accusedWrongly accused

• hawks were thought to kill chickens

• mass destruction of hawks took place

hawkshawks

• stomach contents found to contain

• 40% insects, 30% frogs

• 23% rats and mice, 3.4% small birds

• 2% aquatic wildlife

stomach contentsstomach contents

• .5% game birds

• .5% rabbits

Red Tail hawksRed Tail hawks

• poultry parts were discovered but those parts were only a small percentage of the diet

• original premise was unfounded.

Rare or EndangeredRare or Endangered

• few in number

• 1966 Endangered Species Preservation Act

• 1969 - Endangered Species Conservation Act

Congressional ActsCongressional Acts

• protect fish and wildlife on a worldwide basis

• protection and conservation of species of native fish known to be threatened with extinction

1969 amendment1969 amendment

• dealt with importation of endangered species into the US from anywhere in the world

• called for formation of an endangered species list

1969 amendment1969 amendment

• list is updated every 5 years

• 1970 the list contained 133 species of mammals

• 124 birds, 24 reptiles

• 25 fish, 1 mollusk

Extinct speciesExtinct species

• no longer exist

• outside of museums or photographs

Rare speciesRare species

• one that is no longer common

• in in danger of becoming extinct

• zoos may hold the last examples of the species

Extinct SpeciesExtinct Species

• Passenger Pigeon

• at one time the population was thought to be in the billions

• flew in enormous flocks

• John Audubon estimated on flock he saw at over one billion

Passenger PigeonPassenger Pigeon

• large flocks would strip all the foliage

• leaving the area bare

• people declared war on the birds

• killing all they could find

Passenger PigeonPassenger Pigeon

• captured the young and killed them, shipped them to cities as food

• flocks soon disappeared

• NY, PA and MA passed laws to protect them

Passenger PigeonPassenger Pigeon

• laws were too late

• birds held in captivity would not breed

• last known passenger pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914

Passenger PigeonPassenger Pigeon

• body of last passenger pigeon is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC

Extinct SpeciesExtinct Species

• Carolina Parakeet

• Heath Hen

• Labrador Duck

Carolina ParakeetCarolina Parakeet

• sought for their colorful feathers which were used in women’s hats

• final extinction came in 1914

Heath HenHeath Hen

• relative of the prairie chicken

• used for food by early settlers

• bird sanctuary set up in the early 1900’s

Heath HenHeath Hen

• Fire swept through the sanctuary

• a few males survived

• last bird died in 1932

Labrador DuckLabrador Duck

• became extinct before anyone realized it was gone

• most birds were killed for their feathers which were used to stuff pillows

Endangered MammalsEndangered Mammals

• 133 on the endangered list distributed by the US Dept. of the Interior

Common endangeredCommon endangered

• big horn sheep, polar bears,

• key deer, wolves

• mountain lions

• most hunted extensively without considering extinction

Big Horn SheepBig Horn Sheep

• threatened by extinction from two sides

• humans and disease

• large sheep, relatives of domestic sheep

Big Horn SheepBig Horn Sheep

• live high in the mountains

• above the tree line

• 6-7 feet in length

• have long curved horns

Big Horn SheepBig Horn Sheep

• are hunted for trophies• many carcasses are found with head

removed• very alert• are under protection of game laws• some are being kept in wildlife reserves

Polar BearsPolar Bears

• important source of food for Eskimos

• fur is used for clothing

• meat is used for food

• airplane hunting is being used to kill vast amounts each year

Polar BearsPolar Bears

• Females produce only 2 young each year

• stay with mother for 10 months

• Canada and Soviet Union have laws to protect these animals

Key DeerKey Deer

• smallest white tail deer

• killed for trophies

• strict laws prohibiting hunting

• population increased from 30 to 300 because of wildlife refuges

WolvesWolves

• wolves resemble dogs

• hunt in packs at night

• pack consists of young and old

• female bears 5-14 pups in a den guarded by the male

• male and female mate for life

WolvesWolves

• feed on domestic livestock

• there have been bounties on wolves

• now bounties can only exist if the population endanger the deer population

Mountain LionsMountain Lions

• has been eliminated in eastern US

• hunt at night

• feed mainly on deer

• humans hunt frequently

• are hunted for skins and heads.

• Hunting is not allowed in national parks, but are hunted in forest areas

Endangered BirdsEndangered Birds

• there are 124 birds on the endangered species list.

• The most common are the whooping crane, bald eagle, ivory-billed woodpecker, and prairie chicken.

Whooping CraneWhooping Crane

• migrate from Texas to Canada each year

• many are hunted during migration

• nest up to two young per year

• the young fly south with adults

Whooping CraneWhooping Crane

• when birds return to Arkansas Wildlife Refuge each year they are counted.

• The count has steadily increased

• at the present time there are only 51 whooping cranes

Bald EaglesBald Eagles

• Has a white head and tail

• bald eagles feed on dead salmon

• bounties have been places for their talons

• are now protected by law

Bald EaglesBald Eagles

• $500 fine for tampering with an eagle or its nest

• the number to bald eagles continues to drop

• take young 4 years to mature

• can live up to 100 years

Ivory-billed WoodpeckerIvory-billed Woodpecker

• largest woodpecker in North America

• lives in southern states

• nests in tops of old forests

• eat insects and grubs found in old and dying trees

Ivory-billed WoodpeckerIvory-billed Woodpecker

• are being held in secret reserves and one day they will be reintroduced to the public

Prairie ChickensPrairie Chickens• is a type of grouse

• Indian dances imitated their mating dances

• oil drilling and drought dwindled the population

• in 1959 the Prairie Chicken Foundation was formed to protect them

Endanger FishEndanger Fish

• there are 25 fish on endangered species list

• 2 species are located in Mammoth Caves and Death Valley (pupfish and blind fish)