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Conservation of the Red Wolf

Conservation of the Red Wolf. Charlotte Talbert. Summary Layout. Introduction :Natural History of the Red Wolf. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Part I: Species Identification and what is being done now. Part II: Article Presentation. Part III: Statistics Represented in the Article.

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Conservation of the Red Wolf

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  1. Conservation of the Red Wolf Charlotte Talbert

  2. Summary Layout Introduction :Natural History of the Red Wolf 1 2 3 4 5 Part I: Species Identification and what is being done now Part II: Article Presentation PartIII: Statistics Represented in the Article PartIV: Human Roles and Controversies

  3. Introduction Natural History

  4. Habitat of the Red Wolf The original habitats of the red wolf included mixed forests, wetlands, mountains, and coastal prairies. They will live just about anywhere that humans will allow/tolerate.

  5. Range of the Red Wolf • Original Range: “Once the Southeast’s top predator, the red wolf was found from the Atlantic and gulf coasts north to the Ohio river Valley, through central Pennsylvania, New England and possibly southern Ontario, and west to southern Missouri and central Texas” (Coalition). Current Range: “Presently lives in the wild on the national wildlife refuges and adjacent private property in the 1.7-million acre restoration area in northeastern North Carolina. Original Range: “Once the Southeast’s top predator, the red wolf was found from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts north to the Ohio River Valley, through central Pennsylvania, New England and possibly southern Ontario, and west to southern Missouri and central Texas.”

  6. Prey of the Red Wolf Red wolves are quite the opportunistic hunter. Depending on availability they will consume between 2-5 lbs. of food daily. They will travel long distances for food (up to 20 miles/day)

  7. Social Structure and Lifespan Red wolves live in family groups or pairs that are called packs “Red wolves communicate through vocalizations (including howling), body posture, facial expressions and scent marking” (Coalition).

  8. Threats to the Red Wolf • Gunshot • Vehicle injury and death • Habitat loss due to human development • Hybridization with coyotes (primary threat) • Sea level rise associated with climate change

  9. Part I Species Identification and what is being done now.

  10. Species Identification Biological species concept Morphological species concept • Group of individuals that breed among themselves but not among other groups • Group of individuals morphologically, physically, or biochemically distinct from other groups

  11. Difficulties in Distinguishing Species Species concept and problems with taxonomy Varietal or subspecific variation Hybrids • Often sterile because chromosomes cannot pair in Metaphase I • If fertile they violate the biological specie concept

  12. Red Wolf Hybridization with Coyotes Few remaining red wolves(Canisrufus) may all be hybrids with coyotes (Canislatrans) and may lose its status as endangered and go extinct due to hybridization. • Red Wolf • Red Wolf/ Coyote Hybrid • Coyote

  13. Part II Predicting Red Wolf Release Success in the Southeastern United States Journal of Wildlife Management

  14. The Red Wolf Recovery Program Listed as endangered in 1967 by the Endangered species Preservation Act in 1966 Recovery Program was created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Act of 1973 led to the beginning of this program This program removed all of the red wolves from the wild and placed them in captivity with goals of reproduction and repatriation

  15. First Repatritiation 1987 on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (ARNWR) and U.S. Department of Defense land in northeastern North Carolina Island propagation sites were established in Carolina (1987), Mississippi (1989 and Florida(1990) Another mainland repatriation effort was established in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1991)

  16. What was done? >400 “wild candids were captured” Captured in the coastal marshes of Texas and Louisiana (1973-1980) Only 14 produced viable offspring that met designated criteria established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

  17. Methods Evaluate release success of 320 releases of 202 red wolves 17 classifications of release success “included survival and reproductive criteria, and whether intervention was necessary to prevent or resolve human conflicts”

  18. Model Development Biological conditions at the release site • Wolf population size • Coyote density Human influences at the release site • Livestock density • Human density • Road density The characteristics of each release • Characteristics and behaviors of the wolves

  19. Objectives Identify correlates of red wolf release success in the southeastern United States Use those correlates to evaluate prospective release areas

  20. Part III Statistics of the Red Wolf Release presented in the journal article

  21. Releases were classified into survival segments. Those that did not survive 6 months were not included. The dependent variables in this study were survival and failure of the release.

  22. Part IV Human Roles and Controversies

  23. Value of the Red Wolf “Every species has intrinsic worth. In addition to the obvious aesthetic value, the red wolf plays a practical and positive role in maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems. Restoring red wolves also enhances the Earth’s biodiversity. There are cultural and economic implications in restoring red wolves, as well, whether it is revering the wolf for its skills or what it represent in nature to the economic benefits of ecotourism or reducing crop damage caused by prey species. At the very least, there may be an ethical obligation to right past wrongs and learn from the past mistakes that can only be realized or actualized with the restoration of red wolves and other predators” (Coalition).

  24. Controversies Concerning the Red Wolf What is a red wolf? Are red wolves dangerous to people? Will humans develop tolerance for wolves and other top predators living in proximity? Do wolves reduce the number of game animals available for hunters? Should wolves be legally hunted along with other big game animals? Should red wolves be managed as an endangered species into the future? Are the costs worth the benefit? Should livestock growers be compensated for the loss of valuable domestic animals due to wolf predation?

  25. Works Cited Van Manen, Frank T., Barron A. Crawford, and Joseph D. Clark. "Predicting Red Wolf Release Success in the Southeastern United States." Journal of Wildlife Management64.4 (2000): 895-902. Print. The Red Wolf Coalition. www.redwolves.com Primack, Richard B. Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer, 2010. Print.

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