FW 4013 - WILDLIFE TECHNIQUES
Journal of Wildlife Management Guidelines
Professor: Dr. Tom Nupp
Office: 205 McEver Course Description: Instruction in current wildlife
techniques including habitat evaluation and manipulation, estimation of wildlife
abundance, capturing and marking, identification and aging. Course is structured around a
research project that requires use of popular wildlife techniques. Text: Bookhout, Theodore A. (ed.). 1994. Research and
management techniques for wildlife and habitats. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD.
740pp. Justification: This course fulfills an option in the
Fisheries and Wildlife degree program as well as a requirement for professional
certification by The Wildlife Society. Ecology (FW/BIOL 3114) is a prerequisite for this
course. Majors other than Fisheries and Wildlife taking this course will gain experience
in the current practices and research techniques used by wildlife biologists. Objectives: To introduce students to current wildlife
research techniques and to provide experience using those techniques, with emphasis on
applications to ongoing research projects. Students will gain experience collecting and
analyzing research data and communicating the results in both written and oral formats. General Education Objectives: This course is not a listed
general education requirement. Assessment Methods: Mid-term Examination: A comprehensive 100-point mid-term
examination will occur during the 8th week of classes. Final Examination: A
comprehensive 150-point final examination will occur during the regularly scheduled final
exam period. Laboratory Reports: Students will be expected to record a
brief report of several of the laboratory sessions or demonstrations. Three formal lab
reports will be required. These must be neat, typed, and grammatically correct. Each
will be worth 35 points -- with grading weight being given to mechanics (6), abstract (6),
introduction (6), materials/methods (3) results (8), and conclusions (6). Research Project: Each
student, or group of students (max.=3) must develop and implement a research project on
some wildlife species or group of wildlife species to answer a specific research question. The research project should be implemented early
in the semester so that adequate results can be achieved before the end of the semester. Finally, the individual or group must present the
research project as a scientific report, with
audio-visual aids, to the class. The
details of the research project will be discussed further in class. The research project will be worth 100 points and
the presentation will be worth 50 points.
Hours: MWF 10:00-12:00; M 2:00-5:00 (others by appointment)
Phone: 968-0313
@atu.edu
Final Grade: The student’s final grade will be based on a combination of lab report scores, exam scores, management report scores, and presentation.
Mid-term
100 points
Laboratory (2 reports @
35) 70 points
Homework
30 points
Final exam
150 points
Management plan
100
points
Presentation
50 points
500 points
A = 450-500 (90+%)
B = 400-449 (80-89%)
C = 350-399 (70-79%)
D = 300-349 (60-69%)
Class policies: (1) This is a field-oriented course which requires participation in class field trips (some of which may be scheduled at times other than the regularly scheduled time). It is the student’s responsibility to participate in the field trips and dress according to the prevailing weather and insect conditions. Time will be required for field work other than that formally scheduled (e.g. setting and checking traps, and/or mist nets). Students missing more than one (1) field exercise will be penalized 20 points for each field exercise missed. (2) Students must not miss regularly scheduled field trips and exams without a justifiable and legitimate excuse (ie. Illness, traffic accident, university sanctioned trips etc.). If you know you are going to miss a field trip or exam due to an illness or other legitimate conflict contact me beforehand so that alternative arrangements can be made. Tests given at times other than normally scheduled may of alternate material or format. (3) Work submitted after the deadline will be penalized 10% of the value of the exercise for each day late. (4) Cheating or plagiarism on a quiz, exam, or management report will result in a score of zero for that assignment. Repeat offenders will receive an F for the course. (Plagiarism = presenting work done by someone else, either in whole or in part, as if it were one’s own. If you are still unsure follow this link: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bpg/plagiarism.htm). Lastly, it is expected that students enjoy themselves and learn!
FW 4013 - WILDLIFE TECHNIQUES
Topic Outline - Fall 1999
Week Date Topic Text Chapter
1 Lab -- 21 Aug Course description and introductory statistics 1,2
2 Lect.-- 26 Aug. Wildlife literature and scientific writing handout
Lab -- 28 Aug. Scientific writing practice and discussion of projects
3 Lect.-- 2 Sept Labor day, no class
Lab -- 4 Sept *Age determination in deer 8
4 Lect.-- 9 Sept. Population estimation 7,9
Lab -- 11 Sept. Goose mark-resight - field
5 Lect.-- 16 Sept. Habitat management techniques 22,23,28
Lab -- 18 Sept. *Mast sampling techniques - field
6 Lect.-- 23 Sept. Home range estimation 15
Lab -- 25 Sept. Rabbit trapping and marking - field
7 Lect.-- 30 Sept. Home range determination - telemetry
Lab -- 2 Oct. Radio-telemetry techniques - field
8 Lect.-- 7 Oct. Review for mid-term exam 16
Lab -- 9 Oct. Oak symposium in Fayetteville
9 Lect.-- 14 Oct. Mid-term exam
Lab -- 16 Oct. *Small mammal trapping - field
10 Lect.-- 21 Oct. Disease and parasite considerations 13
Lab -- 23 Oct. Diseases cont
11 Lect.-- 28 Oct. Analyzing predator activity and food habits
Lab -- 30 Oct. Scent station indices and scat analysis - field
12 Lect.-- 4 Nov. Animal damage control 18
Lab -- 6 Nov. Trapping demonstration - field
13 Lect.-- 11 Nov. Use of drugs for capturing and handling wild animals 6
Lab -- 13 Nov. Identification of waterfowl wings
14 Lect.-- 18 Nov. Habitat suitability models
Lab -- 20 Nov. Work on management plans
15 Lect.-- 25 Nov. Habitat management--Landscape considerations 21
Lab -- 27 Nov. Thanksgiving break
16 Lect.-- 2 Dec. Presentations of field research projects
Lab -- 4 Dec. Presentations of field research projects
*Labs marked with asterisks must be summarized in a formal report due the following lab period.
Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Revisions will be made to take advantage of special events, unusual weather, or unexpected scheduling conflicts of the professor.