Breeding and Non-breeding Survival of Lesser Prairie
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Transcript Breeding and Non-breeding Survival of Lesser Prairie
Managing Urban Environments
for Wildlife
Robert A. McCleery1, Chistopher E2.
Moorman, Mark C. Wallace3 and David
Drake4
1University
of Florida
2North Carolina State University
3Texas Tech University
4University of Wisconsin
INTRODUCTION
► 50%
of the human population lives in urban
and suburban areas.
► Urban settings have implications for human
health, quality of life, education, and esthetics
► Wildlife ecologists have become increasingly
engaged in and around urban areas because of
the potential impact of working in these
environments
► Urban areas are fundamentally different than
rural and wild areas
Most human-wildlife interactions occur in urban/suburban areas
Ecological Processes, Soils and
Hydrology
►
Energy
minimal net-primary production
energy comes from fossil fuels
food resources are available to
wildlife
► Climate
increased temperatures
humidity is lower, precipitation is
greater
► Disturbance
suppression of large scale
disturbances
increased anthropogenic disturbances
► Evolution
selective pressures caused by humans
are pronounced in urban areas
►
►
►
Socioeconomics
features of urbanization are
tied to social, economic, and
political realities
Soils
compacted, sealed, and
impervious
poor water retention
Hydrology
increased surface runoff,
channel size, water
temperatures, nitrogen,
phosphorus, heavy metals, and
pesticides
Reduced biodiversity
Urban Vegetation
► Three
1.
Categories :
Remnant
native vegetative surrounded by
development
2.
Colonizing
invasive, exotic, and early
successional plants
3.
Planted
managed communities of
nonnative grasses and planted
shrubs, trees, and ground cover
► General
Characteristics
simplified with increasing
urbanization
widely spaced plantings of few
species
nonnative plants dominate the
core areas
snags and downed woody debris
occur in low densities
increased risk of drought because
of the runoff from impervious
surfaces
The abundance of snags and downed logs is low in the built
environment, efforts should be focused on conserving these
critical habitat elements
Wildlife Communities and Urbanization
► Three
1.
Categories :
Avoiders
sensitive to human activities and
not able to use the anthropogenic
resources
2.
Adapters
edge species well adapted to the
typical suburban, backyard, forest–
park matrix
3.
Exploiters
homogenous group of species that are
often not native to the region and
highly adapted to urban environment
► General
Patterns
urbanization causes extinction and
local extirpation of native vertebrate
invasive nonnative species have
replaced native wildlife, filling the
ecological vacuum
densities and biomass of wildlife are
high
diversity generally decreases but
may increase with low-level of
urbanization
Diversity decreases in city center
Demographic, Physiology and
Behavior
► Demographics
higher densities,
fecundity and survival
rates
anthropogenic causes
of mortality
► Physiology
larger individuals
reduced health
► Behaviors
reduced responses to
humans
altered diets
reduced migration
use of structures
loader vocalizations
altered activity
patterns
What is Urban
►
Urban wildlife research is not
restricted to cities and their
surrounding suburbs or to
natural areas within them.
Urban wildlife research also
includes investigations of
wildlife in and around
concentrated human
developments of varying
sizes, and in areas and
communities connected to
cities through transportation,
utilities, or the flow of
materials.
►
Urban wildlife is an
inherently interdisciplinary
field.
We cannot truly
understand how patterns
of human development
influence wildlife without
integrating social sciences
into ecological research.
Urban Study Design
►compare
wildlife
populations in
urban areas to less
developed areas.
►gradient approach
►using landscape
and patch metrics
►hypothesize
what
features are
influencing wildlife
and relate them to
measured changes
►Account for scale
►Use multiple scales
Research Logistics
►meet
with
►handle animals
stakeholder groups
away from the
public’s eye
►engage local
residents
►beware of theft and
vandalism
►gain permission for
access to study
►don’t let access
sites
bias your study
Managing in the Urban Environment
-Practitioners
► Wildlife
management is
people management
diversity of
landowners
urban human–wildlife
conflicts
public unsure of whom
to contact for help
► Promoting programs
direct contact with
stakeholders
build community
support
outreach,
involvement and
interpretation
provide incentives
Management of Wildlife in Exurban,
Suburban, and Urban Areas
Exurban
Suburban and urban
Small habitat extents
Protection through development
ordinances, conservation
subdivisions; collaborative
backyard activity; appropriate
park and open space
management
Protection through
development ordinances,
conservation subdivisions;
collaborative backyard
habitats; appropriate park
and open space management
Large habitat extents
Protection through zoning and Limited options; corridors or
development ordinances,
stepping stones to help
conservation subdivisions,
wildlife move through
collaborative backyard activity;
appropriate park and open space
management
Size of habitat
Habitat Conservation and
Management
► Focus
on restoring
degraded sites
► Conservation efforts
should be directed by
specific landowner
► Work collaboratively
with urban planners
and landscape
architects
► Educate
local
governments &
participate in public
hearings
► Map of potential
conservation lands
during planning
process
Managing Landscapes
►
►
►
Conserving landscapes
60% of the landscape
Connectivity
corridors
stepping Stones
Zoning
Development ordinances
Acceptable land use
►
►
Development patterns
integrate open space into
built environment
consolidate open areas
city center deign
transit orient development
Conservation incentives
density bonuses
transferrable development
rights
tax credits
Open-spaces and Green Developments
►
Invasive plant removal
► Recreational effects
close sensitive areas
leash laws
► Early successional Habitats
need disturbance
fire and timber regulations
can be restrictive
►
►
►
Green Developments
green neighborhoods
conservation subdivisions
During construction
protect trees
silt fences
During post construction
use native plants
use water, pesticides and
fertilizers sparingly
keep pets indoors
Open Spaces Within Urban Areas
► Riparian
Buffers
stabilize stream banks
reduce pollution
larger buffers provide
wildlife habitat
► Greenways
and trails
wider greenways (>100
m) are better breeding
birds
avoid cutting vegetation
next to paths
► Impoundments
construction
► irregular shorelines
► sloping banks
► include islands
Water management
►periodic drawdowns
Greenways are multipurpose, linear, protected open spaces
Home Lot Management
► Landscaping
► Feeders
native plants
promotes seed eating
species
fruit bearing plants
clean feeder regularly
brush piles
► Reducing collisions
layer landscaping
retain snags and deadwood place feeders close to
windows
► Nest boxes
do not reflect vegetation
surrogates for natural
in
windows
cavities
use awnings
Bird Collisions
► Reducing
collisions
place feeders close to
windows
angle window
downward
remove reflective
vegetation from
window
install awnings
Millions of birds die each year from
collisions with windows
Nest boxes can should be designed and located as is appropriate
for target wildlife species
Road Management
► impact
from roads may exceed hundreds of
meters
► Management approaches
underpasses
overpasses
fences
strategic road placement
Attracting Wildlife
► Birds
water
feeders
houses
cats indoors
► Mammals
brush piles
bat houses
► Reptiles
and
amphibians
piled rocks
cover
ponds
► Butterflies
sun
water
caterpillar-host plants
colorful flowers
Damage in Urban/Suburban Areas
► Economic,
healthrelated, and natural
resource damage
8 billion $ to manage
wildlife in US
greatest damage from
► mice,
rats
► raccoons
► moles
► pigeons
► starlings
► Overabundant
species
Often edge-oriented
and habitat generalists.
► Many
of the
interactions suburban
and urban residents
have with wildlife are
often perceived to be
negative.
Groups of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are often viewed as pests
because of the mess their dropping make and the damage they can
cause to residential lawns, golf courses, and ornamental plants
Wildlife Damage Management
► Identify
the problem
► Controlling nuisance
animals
► Use animal’s life
Nonlethal
history, ecology and
► more accepted by the
behavior can be used
public
to resolve the problem.
► not always effects
trap placement
bait
timing
behavioral deterrents
►
moves animal to new
location
Lethal
► can
eliminate a nuisance
animal
► not always accepted
Reproductive controls
Wildlife, like these once endangered brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis),
can easily habituate to people. Eliminating hand outs and the random
implementation of diverse harassment techniques can help combat habituation
Methods for Managing Wildlife
Damage
►Take
an integrated approach
diverse techniques
Randomness of times and locations
►Be proactive before the problem occurs
►Have a knowledge of state and federal laws
►Make ethical considerations
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
► There
will continue to be growing opportunities
for practitioners and researchers in urban
systems
► The
future of urban wildlife ecology and
management depends upon the new cohort of
biologists, and it will be what they make of it.