Testing The Efficacy And Potential Consequences Of Fencing As A Wildlife Management Tool

This dissertation examines how various anthropogenic barriers affect wildlife movement, and in particular, how fencing affects movement and behavior of both migratory prey and predators in semi-porous environments. I chose to examine this subject as our planets last remaining ecosystems are threatened by human encroachment due to population pressure, agriculture, and a myriad of other ecological stressors. In order to mitigate the encroachment, conservation fencing is rapidly becoming the norm even though constraining wildlife movement is fraught with ecological issues. My interest in conservation fencing was to examine the potentially hidden or understudied consequences of its usage. The introduction discusses human-wildlife conflicts and the role of fences. Chapters 1 and 2 review the literature concerning animal movement and landscape ecology and set the general framework from which follows the series of specific studies in Chapters 3-6. Chapter 3 compares basic monitoring methods that lie at the core of the studies that follow. In this chapter, a comparison of traditional track monitoring to modern camera trapping methods demonstrated the power of mechanical vigilance but also the importance of timely monitoring for managerial decisions. Chapter 4 examines the effectiveness of fence-gaps, a wildlife management tool designed to compromise between complete isolation by fencing and an open landscape. The results of this study showed that most of the species in situ have indeed discovered these fence-gaps. Chapter 5 explores the potentially unintended consequences of the creation of fence-gaps as these structures funnel migration movement and thus could act as prey-traps. Using a spatial analysis of carcass locations, the results of this study demonstrated that predation locations did not cluster near the fence-gaps. Chapter 6 examines predation near the perimeter fencing and within fenced areas designed to exclude elephant. Results showed that lion predation was not over-represented near the perimeter fences and that exclosures provided good hunting grounds for lion but these exclosures did not create prey-traps. The dissertation concludes that fencing is a useful conservation tool that requires reliable monitoring to understand how wildlife functions with fencing, and to permit managers to react to issues through an adaptive management framework.

The conflict between increasing human population and biodiversity conservation is one of the IUCN’s key threatening processes. Conservation planning has received a great deal of coverage and research as a way of conserving biodiversity yet, while theoretically successful, it has never been tested. Simple lines on maps to illustrate conservation areas are unlikely to be successful in the light of human encroachment. It may be that some form of overt display is necessary to ensure the protection of reserves. This may be signage, presence of guards/rangers or physical fencing structures. The need for some form of barrier goes beyond restricting human access. The megafauna of Africa pose a genuine threat to human survival. In southern Africa, fences keep animals in and protect the abutting human population. Elsewhere, fencing is not considered important or viable. Where poverty is rife, it won’t take much to tip the balance from beneficial conservation areas to troublesome repositories of crop-raiders, diseases and killers. Conversely, in New Zealand fences are used to keep animals out. Introduced species have decimated New Zealand’s endemic birds, reptiles and invertebrates, and several sites have been entirely encapsulated in mouse-proof fencing to ensure their protection. Australia faces the same problems as New Zealand, however surrounds its national parks with cattle fences. Foxes and cats are free to enter and leave at will, resulting in rapid recolonisation following poisoning campaigns. How long will these poison campaigns work before tolerance, aversion or resistance evolves in the introduced predator populations?

Winner of the IENE Project Award 2016. This authoritative volume brings together some of the world’s leading researchers, academics, practitioners and transportation agency personnel to present the current status of the ecological sustainability of the linear infrastructure – primarily road, rail and utility easements – that dissect and fragment landscapes globally. It outlines the potential impacts, demonstrates how this infrastructure is being improved, and how broad ecological principles are applied to mitigate the impact of road networks on wildlife. Research and monitoring is an important aspect of road ecology, encompassing all phases of a transportation project. This book covers research and monitoring to span the entire project continuum – starting with planning and design, through construction and into maintenance and management. It focuses on impacts and solutions for species groups and specific regions, with particular emphasis on the unique challenges facing Asia, South America and Africa. Other key features: Contributions from authors originating from over 25 countries, including from all continents Each chapter summarizes important lessons, and includes lists of further reading and thoroughly up to date references Highlights principles that address key points relevant to all phases in all road projects Explains best-practices based on a number of successful international case studies Chapters are "stand-alone", but they also build upon and complement each other; extensive cross-referencing directs the reader to relevant material elsewhere in the book Handbook of Road Ecology offers a comprehensive summary of approximately 30 years of global efforts to quantify the impacts of roads and traffic and implement effective mitigation. As such, it is essential reading for those involved in the planning, design, assessment and construction of new roads; the management and maintenance of existing roads; and the modifying or retrofitting of existing roads and problem locations. This handbook is an accessible resource for both developed and developing countries, including government transportation agencies, Government environmental/conservation agencies, NGOs, and road funding and donor organisations.

The latest edition of this classic guide details how to understand and resolve a broad array of human-wildlife conflicts. This new edition of Human-Wildlife Conflict Management updates our understanding of the human dimensions, as well as biological and ecological concepts, underlying human-wildlife conflicts. While it provides wildlife professionals and students with the knowledge and adaptive management strategies to resolve such conflicts, it uniquely explores negative interactions with a wide range of wildlife taxa beyond those typically covered in traditional wildlife damage management, including invasive plants, invertebrates, and fish. Designed to help students and natural resource practitioners gain a deeper understanding of how to successfully avoid and resolve conflict between humans and wildlife, it is informed by author Russell F. Reidinger's decades of teaching students and professionals how to anticipate and manage human-wildlife conflicts, as well as his experience leading a national research program devoted to this work. The book covers important human-wildlife topics such as: • individual-, population-, and ecosystem-level effects • survey techniques • management methods • human dimensions • economic issues • legal and political aspects • damage management strategies Featuring explanations of important terminology and pertinent biological and ecological concepts, Reidinger also shares the latest research, provides a plethora of real-world examples, and includes suggestions for additional resources.

The Australian continent provides a unique perspective on the evolution and ecology of carnivorous animals. In earlier ages, Australia provided the arena for a spectacular radiation of marsupial and reptilian predators. The causes of their extinctions are still the subject of debate. Since European settlement, Australia has seen the extinction of one large marsupial predator (the thylacine), another (the Tasmanian devil) is in danger of imminent extinction, and still others have suffered dramatic declines. By contrast, two recently-introduced predators, the fox and cat, have been spectacularly successful, with devastating impacts on the Australian fauna. Carnivores of Australia: Past, Present and Future explores Australia's unique predator communities from pre-historic, historic and current perspectives. It covers mammalian, reptilian and avian carnivores, both native and introduced to Australia. It also examines the debate surrounding how best to manage predators to protect livestock and native biodiversity. Readers will benefit from the most up-to-date synthesis by leading researchers and managers in the field of carnivore biology. By emphasising Australian carnivores as exemplars of flesh-eaters in other parts of the world, this book will be an important reference for researchers, wildlife managers and students worldwide.

The #1 selling wildlife management book for 40 years, now updated for the next generation of professionals and students. Since its original publication in 1960, The Wildlife Techniques Manual has remained the cornerstone text for the professional wildlife biologist. Now fully revised and updated, this eighth edition promises to be the most comprehensive resource on wildlife biology, conservation, and management for years to come. Superbly edited by Nova J. Silvy and published in association with The Wildlife Society, the 50 authoritative chapters included in this work provide a full synthesis of methods used in the field and laboratory. Chapter authors, all leading wildlife professionals, explain and critique traditional and new methodologies and offer thorough discussions of a wide range of relevant topics. To effectively incorporate the explosion of new information in the wildlife profession, this latest edition is logically organized into a 2-volume set: Volume 1 is devoted to research techniques and Volume 2 focuses on pragmatic management methodologies. Volume 1 describes research design and proper analytic methods prior to conducting research, as well as methods and considerations for capturing and handling wild animals and information on identification and marking of captured animals. It also includes new chapters on nutritional research and field sign identification, and on emerging topics, including structured decision-making. Finally, Volume 1 addresses measurements of wildlife abundance and habitat and research on individual animals. Volume 2 begins with a section on the relationship between research and management including public outreach, described in a context that encourages engagement prior to initiation of management. An adaptive management approach is described as a cornerstone of natural resource management, followed by a section on managing landscapes and wildlife populations. The volume also includes new chapters on ethics in wildlife science and conservation, conflict resolution and management, and land reclamation. A standard text in a variety of courses, the Techniques Manual, as it is commonly called, covers every aspect of modern wildlife management and provides practical information for applying the hundreds of methods described in its pages. This deft and thorough update ensures that The Wildlife Techniques Manual will remain an indispensable resource, one that professionals and students in wildlife biology, conservation, and management simply cannot do without.