Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Nest-Site Selection By Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle Alcyon) In Colorado, Sara Shields, Jeffrey F. Kelly

Habitat Assessment and Management Collection

Along the Cache la Poudre River in northern Colorado, belted kingfishers nested in relatively tall banks that lacked a toe. Kingfishers constructed burrows in soils that contained significantly less sand than was present at systematically sampled points. This finding conflicts with earlier findings that indicate kingfishers select sandy soils for burrow construction. Otherwise, the physical characteristics of banks used by belted kingfishers in Colorado were similar to those found elsewhere.

The Case For Hunting On National Wildlife Refuges, Harvey K. Nelson

Hunting Collection

Public land management agencies are faced with greater challenges today than ever before in responding to the recreational needs of society. As Will Rogers so aptly stated, "Land, they make so little of it nowadays" (Steinhart 1986). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) also must face these challenges in management of national wildlife refuges (NWRs). There is a growing demand by the American people to utilize and enjoy NWRs in a variety of ways. Managers are faced with the dilemma of determining how much and what kind of management and utilization of natural resources is appropriate without compromising the …

The Case For Hunting, William L. Robinson

Hunting Collection

My purpose at this symposium is to present the case for hunting. I am a wildlife ecologist by training and profession, and I am also a hunter. As a hunter, I am sensitive to criticisms of this pursuit, as any hunter should be. Some people question how, with knowledge of the nature and functioning of ecological systems, I can go out with a gun and kill grouse, ducks, and deer. I respond that, indeed, my understanding of ecology and the nature of man enhances my enjoyment of hunting.

Assault On Eden: Destruction Of Latin America's Rain Forests, Douglas R. Shane

Ecology Collection

In the seemingly distant world of Latin America's rain forests, man's greed and desperation have resulted in a fire which threatens to obscure our ability to observe life's poetry: The continuing destruction of the earth's tropical rain forests is one of the most serious environmental problems confronting humanity today: Intact, these vital organisms offer an understanding of the planet's past and a key to our future; destroyed, they threaten catastrophe of global consequence.

The Green Movement: Implications For Animals, Ronnie Z. Hawkins

Environment Collection

The Green movement, a newly emerging political movement that is both global in scope and firmly anchored to each local region at the grassroots level, is destined to be of great import to those concerned with the status of nonhuman animals in our society. Closely allied with deep ecology and bioregionalism, Green thinking embodies an alteration in our perception of the human organism: no longer seen as separate from and superior to all the other components of the ecosystem, our species is placed in context as one among many interdependent forms of life, with the attainment of a sustainable balance …

Is Nature Our Birthright?, Nancy Heneson

Ecology Collection

It is of course impossible to escape the notion of self-interest in our relationship with nature. In fact, it is "unnatural," if one understands (and, one is forced to say nowadays, believes in) evolution. However, there is no real justification for either disguising this as stewardship or perverting it into dominionism. Every organism has an impact on the environment, and it is not only idealistic but biologically nonsensical to argue that we should leave everything alone. However, when decisions on policy are made which direct the future use of land, plants and animals, at least let the rationale not be …

Sampling Problems And Interpretation Of Chemical Analysis Of Mineral Springs Used By Wildlife, D. Fraser, E. Reardon, F. Dieken, B. Loescher

Habitat Assessment and Management Collection

Mineral-rich springs used by wildlife were studied in order to develop an appropriate sampling technique. The mineral content of the water varied spatially within a lick, apparently because of contamination by nonlick water and animal urine. The spring source usually could be located with a conductivity meter. Samples contaminated by animal urine could be recognized by their high N content and usually by their color. The distinctive chemical composition of licks is best appreciated by comparing filtered samples of lick water with nonlick water collected nearby. Field filtration was necessary when samples were preserved with acid for trace-metal analysis. Soil …

Oil-Soaked Birds Saved: Hsus Participates In Historic Bird Rescue

Close Up Reports

As the world watched the black tide of crude oil from the Amoco Cadiz devastate bird life along the French coast, HSUS staffer Guy Hodge was reporting to Congress about efforts to save oil-soaked birds in a recent Chesapeake Bay oil spill. A barge (ATC- 133) carrying nearly 500,000 gallons of crude had run aground south of the Maryland-Virginia border. Some of its cargo spilled into this North American waterfowl wintering area.

Together with HSUS cruelty investigator Phil Steward, Hodge had assisted in the most successful on-site bird rescue operation in history. One out of every three rescued birds was …

Struggle To Save Dolphins Continuing

Close Up Reports

The Humane Society of the United States has initiated a nationwide boycott of a tuna products until real progress is made in reducing the needless slaughter of porpoises in tuna nets.

In the Spring of 1976, HSUS first asked its members to refrain from buying tuna because of the high porpoise mortality and the tuna industry's unwillingness to adopt any research porpoise-saving procedures. Recently, HSUS Program Coordinator Patricia Forkan called for a nationwide boycott of tuna.