Contraception in Wildlife Management: Reality or Illusion?

Nuisance wildlife in areas where hunting is not an accepted practice and declining public support of lethal control measures have prompted research on contraceptives as a way to manage population levels. However, complex legal. biological, economic, and ethical issues should be addressed before such techniques are tested even on small, isolated populations. Regulatory authority by State and Federal agencies must define protocols for using contraceptive materials in wild populations. Registration of wildlife contraceptives either as pesticides or vaccines will likely be necessary. Health-related issues include harmful effects on target species, nontarget species and humans who may consume carcasses. Models for evaluating population impacts and genetics are needed. Cost-effectiveness itself and who will pay these costs must both be considered. Disruption of behavioral mechanisms and resulting population impacts raise ethical considerations. Contraception may have application with limited, isolated or confined populations, but its eventual use on free-ranging wildlife populations is questionable

Aircraft Configured for Flight in an Atmosphere Having Low Density

An aircraft is configured for flight in an atmosphere having a low density. The aircraft includes a fuselage, a pair of wings, and a rear stabilizer. The pair of wings extends from the fuselage in opposition to one another. The rear stabilizer extends from the fuselage in spaced relationship to the pair of wings. The fuselage, the wings, and the rear stabilizer each present an upper surface opposing a lower surface. The upper and lower surfaces have X, Y, and Z coordinates that are configured for flight in an atmosphere having low density

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: COMPATIBLE OR CONFLICTING?

Examples of wildlife-human conflicts include deer-automobile collisions, disease transmission concerns, and damage to various commodities (e. g. agricultural crops, timber production). The extent of these problems is increasing at a time when American\u27s attitudes are shifting emphasis from commodity production to concern for the environment. Ecosystem management has been proposed as a strategy to balance concerns for commodity production and the environment. Ecosystem management, unlike traditional natural resource management, will require management over large areas for long periods of time. This new philosophy of land management requires that the natural resource base be viewed in its entirety, and not as separate and independent parts. Ecosystem management will require cooperative decision making by all stakeholders. The public wants to be involved in the definition of a healthy ecosystem as well as determining management strategies that maintain and enhance the integrity of ecosystems. Social, economic and ecological factors must be considered if ecosystem management is to be embraced by the public. Ecosystem function over the landscape has been altered by many factors including habitat modification, elimination of large predators, and introduction of exotic species. Examination of these factors suggests that wildlife damage management will need to be an integral part of practical ecosystem

A Key for Aging White-tailed Deer Using Tooth Replacement and Wear Technique

Management of white-tailed deer is important to maintain the health of deer herds and to protect their habitats from the effects of overpopulation. Knowing the age of deer is imperative to maintain a balance of deer and their habitat. This paper provides a summary of how to age deer in the field using tooth replacement and wear technique. A key for aging deer using this technique is presented to serve as a quick reference guide in the field

Effects of white-tailed deer herbivory on upland hardwood plant communities in the Piedmont of South Carolina

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is an important game species and the largest native herbivore in South Carolina. Deer populations have rapidly rebounded in the last 50 years resulting in browse lines, reduced regeneration of overstory tree species, and in some circumstances, extirpation of preferred deer browse species. The impact of white-tailed deer has been studied throughout much of its northern range, but there has been little long-term research into the impact of deer on forests and plant communities in the Southeast. This study measures impacts of deer herbivory 13 years after clearcutting six upland hardwood stands in the Clemson Experimental Forest by comparing plant communities inside and outside exclosures. An initial study conducted 1 year after the clearcut concluded that deer herbivory had no impact on the plant communities. To determine the long-term impacts of herbivory, the plots were surveyed 13 years later. The survey determined that there was significantly greater plant species richness outside the exclosures compared to inside (pp\u3e0.1). Both treatments had a similar number of invasive species (p\u3e0.1). There was significantly higher vine regeneration inside the exclosures (pLonicera japonica) was reduced outside of the exclosures (p 10cm DBH compared to the plots inside exclosures (

BEAVER IMPACTS ON TIMBER ON THE CHAUGA RIVER DRAINAGE IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Even though beavers (Castor canadensis carolinensis) occur over most of the southeastern United States, the impacts of increasing beaver populations on riparian forests within the southern Appalachian mountains are. not been well documented. Long-tenor browsing and inundation by beaver may alter the composition and structure of riparian forests. A survey of 62 streams (74 mi) within the Chauga River drainage in the mountains of South Carolina was conducted during 1991-1992 to determine the level of beaver activity within the drainage and the amount of timber damaged by beaver activities. Thirty-six streams had evidence of significant beaver activity with a total of 5.3 mi (7.2%) affected by beaver. Twenty-six streams (17.3 mi), primarily those with steep gradients and no flood plains, had no evidence of beaver activity. On beaver impacted areas, values of beaver damaged timber averaged $781.27/ac for sawtimber and$36.01/ac for pulpwood While high in terms of volume/acre within impacted riparian areas, timber damage was relatively minor for the entire drainage because of the small area (49.2 ac) affected