3.1 An Introduction To Animal Ecology

Ecology Texts:

Odum (1983): Basic Ecology

Anderson (1991): Management of Wildlife Resources Second Edition, Prentice Hall Inc.

Objectives:

(1) What is Ecology     Odum - (1983)

(2) Components in the Study of Ecology

(3) Characteristics of Wildlife Populations     Anderson (1991): Chapter 2

• Populations, Communities and Ecosystems
• Birth on Natality Rate
• Death on Maturity Rate
• Life Tables
• Survivorship Curves
• Productivity
• Density
• Age Structure
• Genetic Composition

(4) What is a Habitat

(5) Evolution and Adaption

Readings:

Characteristics of Wildlife Populations - Birth/Death Rates, Productivity, etc. (Google Books)

Presentation: Life Tables and Survivorship Curves - University Illinois Chicago

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3.2 Population Growth & Interactions

Anderson (1991): Chapter 3

Objectives:

(i) Population Growth

• Growth Form
• Growth Equation
• Exponential
• Logistic

Readings:

Introduction to Population Modelling

Logistic Population Growth: Equation, Definition & Graph

(ii) Interactions

• Competition
• Mutualism                  
• Predation                    
• Commensalism
• Hunting & Fishing                             
• Symbiosis
• Parasitism
• Diseases

Readings:

Population Interactions - Terms	Population Interactions - Terms
Helpful text - Hunting & Fishing. pg. 155 of Google Book	Article on diseases in wildlife populations

(iii) Population Cycles

• Stress
• Food
• Genetics

Readings:

Density-independent forces and density-dependent forces	Population cycles - Intrinsic and extrinsic density dependent forces due to food and other factors
Population cycles due to genetics. See section: The Logic of GFG Coevolution in Natural Ecosystems

 (iv) Population Regulation (see above readings):

• Density Independence - all vital rates of the population and its growth rate were dependent only on the environment. Click here for source.
• Density Dependence - caused by limited availability of a necessary commodity. Click here for source.
• Population Constraints

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3.3 Population Movements & Measurements

Anderson (1991): Chapter 4

Objectives:

(i) Population Movement

• Migration
• Immigration
• Emigration
• Measuring Movements

(ii) Collecting Pollution Data

• Total Counts              
• Sampling
• Precision
• Stratified Sampling
• Cluster Sampling
• Sample Size
• Indices

(iii) Methods

• Aerial Surveys
• Trapping
• Transects
• Mapping
• Indirect Methods
• Mark Recapture
• Banding
• Roadside & Cell Counts
• Animal Welfare

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3.4 Population Modelling

Anderson (1991): Chapter # 5

Objectives:

(i) Models and Wildlife

• Definition of a Model
• Development of a Model
• Model Characteristics
• Types of Models
• Stochastic
• Deterministic
• Wildlife Modeling
• Population Models
• Habitat Models
• Planning  Models

(ii) Some Models used in Wildlife Management

• Population Models
• One Population
• Turkey
• Fishers
• Deer
• Eagle
• Fish
• Kite
• Disease
• Habitat Models
• Correlation
• Predicture

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