ZOOLOGY 260 Lecture 8: 2- 10/11/16 WI Wolf Recovery
2 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Recovery facilitated by large litter sizes, long dispersal, avoiding people. Wolf packs initially est. in areas w/ low densities of roads and people. Prey (deer) recovered and became super abundant. 90% of wolf diet is white-tailed deer (forests) provides shelter. Equilibrium (nmax): birth rate - mortality rate = 0. As pop density increases, each individual faces more challenges. Lower birth rate- not enough food to feed young/offspring doesn"t survive. Equilibrium point- pop stops growing at that point, where they cross. Logistic pop growth curve (slide 11) (graph on slide 10) Halfway point- maximum sustained yield (350 wolves?) How much can we harvest sustainably (year after year) Max r- produces most young and dying at low rates. Hunt max number of wolves every year. Predicted that wolves will stop recolonizing bc there are areas in which wolves can not survive. Ex: milwaukee, other places w/o (large) deer pop. Legal battles w/ 12 periods of delisting and listing 2003-present.
