FOCUS

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FOCUS

• FOCUS
• FoCuS
• focus

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Wildlife Population Analysis

• Define Wildlife
• Is a mosquito wildlife?
• Is a river darter wildlife?
• Is Running Buffalo Clover wildlife?
• What is non-game wildlife?
• Is a dove non-game?
• Is a bobcat non-game?
• Does it make any difference?

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Population

• Define population
• Organisms of a particular species in a particular
  place and time
• Define habitat
• food, water, and cover (not a place, is it?)
• This course will focus on
• How wildlife populations are studied
• Not on their habitats other classes with that
  focus
• Not strictly management
• Rather applied ecology, conservation
• Not strictly game
• Rather all species
• Not on ecosystems
• Rather at the population (species) level

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Text

• Not so much a text but a manual
• Techniques for Wildlife Investigations and
  Management
• This course avoids the habitat chapters
• What is a technique?
• Better question is what makes any technique a
  good technique for a particular task
• That is, there is usually more than one way to
  accomplish a task
• So, what characteristics do you look for to judge
  one method superior to another?
• That question WILL be on exam 1!!

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A good technique is one that(what you said)

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

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Characteristics of a good technique(what I
said)

• 1 It works achieves the intended objective(s)
• 2 It is cost effective
• 3 It takes few people
• 4 It requires little training
• 5 It requires little supervision
• 6 It requires little equipment/supplies
• 7 It is time efficient
• 8 It is broadly applicable
• 9 It is flexible
• 10 It is safe to the manager/researcher
• 11 It is humane/safe for the animal
• 12 It produces repeatable results
• 13 It is easily evaluated
• 14 It is acceptable to the public

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Population Analysis and Management

• It is quantitative by nature
• Requires math!
• Looks at population size AND dynamics
• Population size may grow or decline
• By what mechanisms do populations change?
• Birth natality
• Death mortality
• Dispersal ingress or egress
• Deals with dispersion as well
• How organisms are distributed at any one time
• Clumped, even, random
• Deals with animal behavior?
• Health?
• People?

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Is Management Research?

• Read Pages 67-68 the The research-management
  connection and Summary
• Any management (manipulation) is based on a
  hypothesis that the practice will achieve some
  intended objective
• Unfortunately, rarely is management tested in a
  formal, scientific way
• Mallard excess males example
• Prescribed burning example
• Population index example
• Technical Guidance example

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Adaptive Management

• What is that?
• A formal monitoring and evaluation of the
  impacts of management practices, followed by
  revised management approaches
• Comparing what we thought would happen (our
  model) with what actually happened
• Deciding if changes are needed in management
• Starting over with revised management
• Managers have done this for years, but on a
  more-informal basis
• It is, essentially, the scientific method for
  management

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The scientific method in population analysis and
management

• In the last 20 years, wildlife management has
  been moving to a more-reliable knowledge, based
  on science
• Descriptive research is as important as ever, but
  it is NOT enough on which to base management
• Just because you know the difference between an
  Indiana bat and little brown bat, you dont know
  how to manage either

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The scientific method

• The 16 steps (box 1 on page 46)
• Identify the problem
• Conduct a literature review
• Identify the broad research objective(s)
• Collect preliminary data
• Conduct exploratory analysis
• Formulate a hypothesis or conceptual model
• Formulate predictions (testable hypothesis)
• Design research for each hypothesis
• Prepare a proposal outlining the above
• Obtain peer review of proposal and revise

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Final 6 steps

• Perform experiment or collect data
• Or construct model?
• Conduct data analysis
• Evaluate, interpret, and draw conclusions
• Speculate on results and formulate new hypotheses
• Submit manuscript for publication or presentation
• Take new hypotheses and return to step 6 or 7
• Its a never-ending process!

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Natural vs. field or lab experiments

• See pages 59-61
• Natural experiments
• Involve no manipulation
• Uncontrolled experiments
• Observational data
• Comparisons of groups, areas,
• Lab experiments
• Manipulate
• Highly controlled experiments
• Field experiments
• Manipulations in the field

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Semester Independent Assignments

• Day With a Biologist
• Deer Check Station Work
• Popular writing assignment (AWAKE)
• Scientific Journal Manuscript

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Day with a Biologist

• You will be assigned a biologist based on your
  interests and their availability
• Contact your assigned biologist by email or phone
  ASAP to find a day that works for both of you
• If that date requires you to miss class, make
  arrangements with each instructor involved. I
  can email your instructors to explain the absence
  if you email with the contact and course info,
  but cannot force them to let you make up any
  assignments make sure they agree to this
  well-ahead of time. Avoid missing tests in other
  classes.
• Email to me the date you have arranged

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Day-with-biologist, continued

• Your assignment is to assist, observe, and
  interview your biologist.
• Take field notes and write a journal entry for
  this activity
• Interview any time during the day, ask them
  questions about their work, including
• How do you like your job
• What do you most like about it
• What do you most dislike about it
• What do you spend most of your time doing
• How much time is spent outdoors versus at the
  desk
• What most surprised you about working as a
  biologist when you first got out of school
• What college courses have proven most valuable
  and why
• What did you NOT learn in college that you feel
  you should have been taught
• Any advice you have for me
• Failure to complete one full letter grade for
  the course

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Army Depot Deer Check Station not in Spring 2007

• Sign up to work for just one date on the sign-up
  sheet provided in class
• You will later be required to provide your SS,
  and you will need to have your drivers license
  with you at the Army Depot
• You need to arrive by 9 am and be available until
  3 pm
• Assist as asked by those in charge, but be sure
  to participate in aging and measuring, and ask
  questions as required
• Dress should be professional, but wear clothes
  that can get bloody and dirty.
• Failure to complete ½ letter grade for course

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AWAKE Species Account

• Follow instructions to participate found on Dr.
  Fredericks AWAKE link on his home page
  (people.eku.edu/frederickb)
• If your account is accepted, you may be paid 50
  if you turn in the necessary forms
• This is a required assignment, but payment is
  contingent upon the above and on funding
• This is 5 of 100 points of your course grade

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Scientific Journal Manuscript

• You are required to write an original manuscript
  according to the guidelines of the Journal of
  Wildlife Management
• JWM guidelines are linked on the course web page.
  Follow these exactly, except submit to Dr.
  Frederick instead of the Journal editor
• Review manuscripts submitted by others as
  assigned
• Revise your manuscript as instructed
• Submit all by the deadlines specified in the
  syllabus
• Your topic is assigned by the instructor
• This is worth 10 of 100 points for the course

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