Other meanings of Wildlife management
Conservation biology
Wildlife management is the practice of managing wildlife populations and habitats to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives, balancing conservation with human needs. It integrates principles from ecology, forestry, and game management, and has evolved from a focus on game species to a broader ecosystem-based approach. Modern wildlife management addresses habitat conservation, population control, and human-wildlife conflict, often guided by scientific research and adaptive strategies.1
Wildlife management emerged from early game laws and the conservation movement of the late 19th century, with figures like Aldo Leopold pioneering scientific approaches. The profession grew in the United States with the passage of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, which imposed an excise tax on firearms and ammunition to fund wildlife restoration.2 Initially focused on game species, management expanded to non-game species and ecosystems in the latter half of the 20th century, influenced by the environmental movement and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.3 Internationally, the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) shifted emphasis toward biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, integrating local communities into management plans.
Modern wildlife management relies on population dynamics, habitat assessment, and adaptive management, where decisions are treated as experiments and adjusted based on monitoring. Techniques include habitat restoration, controlled burning, and regulated hunting or culling to maintain populations within carrying capacity.4 For endangered species, captive breeding and translocation are used, as exemplified by the recovery of the California condor. Human-wildlife conflict mitigation, such as non-lethal deterrents and compensation schemes, is increasingly important in agricultural and urban landscapes. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, with its principles of public trust and science-based policy, underpins management in the US and Canada.5
Wildlife managers face unprecedented pressures from climate change, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species, which alter species distributions and interactions. Climate change forces shifts in phenology and range, requiring dynamic management strategies that anticipate future conditions.6 Invasive species, such as the Burmese python in Florida, disrupt food webs and require intensive control efforts. Urbanization increases human-wildlife encounters, leading to conflicts over property and safety. Additionally, funding for wildlife management is often insufficient, with a heavy reliance on hunting licenses, which may not cover non-game species. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the zoonotic disease risks associated with wildlife trade, prompting calls for integrated health and wildlife management approaches.
Beyond mainstream practices, wildlife management includes niche areas like urban wildlife management, which addresses species such as coyotes and deer in cities, and the use of indigenous knowledge in co-management arrangements. The profession also involves forensic techniques to combat poaching, such as DNA analysis and isotopic tracing. Historically, the role of women in wildlife management, like Rachel Carson, is often overlooked, yet their contributions to environmental awareness have shaped policy. The concept of 'shifting baseline syndrome' highlights how managers may accept degraded conditions as normal, emphasizing the need for historical reference points. Additionally, the management of disease in wildlife, such as chronic wasting disease in deer, involves complex surveillance and culling programs that are rarely publicized.
This entry focuses on the scientific and practical aspects of wildlife management, excluding the legal or political dimensions.
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