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- Info
Forests, wildlife, and habitat management: A critical examination of practice and need
| Author: |
Larson, J. S. |
| Date: |
1967 |
| Periodical: |
Asheville, NC: USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 30 p. |
| Link: |
http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/rp/rp_se030.pdf
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| Abstract: |
The history of the relationship between man and wildlife in the United States includes several stages, starting with the American Indian tribes, running through the conquest of the land by white man, and ending with man�s attempt to protect, husband, and finally manage wildlife populations.<br><br>
When it was realized around the beginning of the 20th century that many species of wildlife would be exterminated if action were not taken, a variety of efforts were made to �do something for wildlife.� Legal protection, creation of refuges, and stocking of native and exotic species were typical action programs which characterized this period. Subsequent critical examination of a number of these efforts has shown that, although they were effective at the time, they were mainly stopgap measures which were not of long-term value to wildlife. As a result and often accompanied by public protest, wildlife agencies have shifted from programs directly involving the animals to programs centered on habitat management. Thus, habitat management has largely replaced husbandry in the modern wildlife management program. Refuges, hatcheries, game farms, and buck laws have been shown to be of less lasting value than manipulation and restoration of the environment which wild species call home. <br><br>
However, the pressure for action programs which leave some visible mark on the land has continued. Public demand, channeled through public-sensitive administrators, has resulted in land management programs vast in scope and high in cost. Among these is the very extensive and often intensive creation of agricultural clearings in forested areas for wildlife habitat improvement. The following report is a critical review of this practice. |
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