1694142116

.pdf

School

Texas A&M University, Commerce *

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Course

435

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by BarristerPrairieDog3752

Thousands 2.0 then reduced the season limit to five a few years later. In 1920, Kentucky set a limit of two birds per season; Texas allowed three and Virginia allowed six birds. Such protection finally stemmed the decline of wild turkeys, and several states thereafter initiated restoration programs. Turkeys were released in parts of their former range, but many of the introduced birds simply disappeared. The reason, discovered after many failures, was that game-farm strains of turkeys were released in most of the restocking ef- forts. Such birds were ill-adapted for survival in the wild, and they soon perished. In a few instances, vari- ous races of wild turkey were mismatched and did not correspond to the ancestral distribution range for each race. For example, birds from southern Texas were released in Iowa, and stock from Florida was sent to Colorado. These releases also failed, but with new knowledge and renewed efforts, wildlife man- agers eventually restored viable populations of wild turkeys to many areas of the United States. California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Kirtland's war- bler (Dendroica kirtlandii), and the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) are only a few of the many species that have approached extinction. As noted in Chap- ter 8, disease decimated the remaining population of black- footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), perhaps the most endangered species of mammal in the world. Throughout the world, some 290 species of mammals and 388 species of birds are endangered. Each exam- ple amply demonstrates our failures in the treatment 2.6 Problems of Excess: Reindeer, Deer, and Blackbirds 15 of wildlife. We have failed to recognize the plight of these animals or, worse yet, have not responded once precarious situations have been recognized. The for- mer excuse perhaps resulted from mere ignorance, but, in light of the unchecked slaughters, the latter seems unconscionable. Today, the perilous status of many animals has been recognized, and the govern- ments of many nations indeed have committed funds and other resources to the restoration of these species. As described in Chapter 19, biologically sound man- agement plans are now in effect for the recovery of some threatened and endangered species. With the implementation of these plans comes new hope for the lasting coexistence of humans and wildlife. 2.6 PROBLEMS OF EXCESS: REINDEER, DEER, AND BLACKBIRDS Not all concerns of wildlife management deal with the scarcity of animals. Problems sometimes arise from overabundance of particular species. A dynamic exam- ple resulted from the introduction of 29 reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) on St. Matthew Island in the Bering Sea (Klein 1968). The original herd of 24 cows and 5 bulls was released on the 332-km2 island in 1944 and then expanded to 6000 animals by the summer of 1963 (Fig. 2-4, left). The following winter, the herd crashed in a die-off that left only 42 animals, all females except for one apparently sterile male. The animals