Principles of wildlife management: types, examples and uses

• Main Authors: Hone, J, Drake, VA, Krebs, C
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Wildlife Management Society 2014
• Subjects: Alces alces
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_13695; https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/86fab564-ba44-4d68-b5b1-26a7c3909329/download; https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/25600

General principles in wildlife management can assist scientists and managers to evaluate current management, plan future activities and avoid the tyranny of individual management decisions. We describe, with examples, two principal uses of “principles”; first, a prescriptive principle is defined as a general guideline for wildlife research and management. Second, an empirical principle is defined as a broad generalization based on replicated empirical observations and experiments. We focus on a review of the field evidence for one empirical principle, namely the relationship between management outcomes and inputs. This relationship is part of answering the question, how much management is enough? The empirical evidence supports the relationship in studies ranging from lamb abundance and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) control effort, population growth rates of black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and African elephants (Loxodonta spp.) and anti-poacher efforts, moose (Alces alces) abundance and hunting effort, red deer (Cervus elaphus) abundance and hunting effort, coypu (Myocastor coypus) abundance and trapping effort, and bovine TB status in livestock and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) control effort. The principle, and others, should assist ecologists and managers to achieve management objectives.