SPECIES/HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS - A KEY TO 



CONSIDERING WILDLIFE IN PLANNING AND 



LAND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS 



Jack Ward Thomas 



THE 1970s - A TIME OF REVOLUTION 



The period 1969-1980 brought a revolutionary change in how Americans view 

 wildlife and its management. The change, a revolution in perception, was simply the 

 recognition that all wildlife is important in and of itself and as part of a larger 

 functioning whole — an ecosystem. This perceptual revolution, in concept, is now 

 fixed firmly in law, but its impacts are gradually working their way into full-scale 

 application by governmental agencies at both state and federal levels. 



For many years before 1969. wildlife was defined in practical terms by govern- 

 mental bodies as those species hunted for sport, trapped for furs, controlled to 

 accomplish human objectives, or of particular aesthetic value. Governmental 

 management of these species was based on funding obtained from or supported 

 largely by clearly identified constituencies. 



Universities evolved specialized programs in wildlife biology and management to 

 produce the knowledge and trained professionals to meet these needs. Many such 

 programs were oriented toward training in zoology which, in the opinion of some, 

 emphasized the animal and populations while paying less attention to habitat. 



As a result, most wildlife research was focused on a few species, and it \vas directed 

 to their taxonomy, population level and dynamics, life history, behavior, distribu- 

 tion, and food habits. Comparatively little effort was spent on defining habitat 

 requirements of even these select species. And little attention was given to the study, 

 welfare, and management of other species. 



For many decades preceding the revolution, scientists expanded the science of 

 ecology. They taught principles of ecological management to generations of wildlife 

 managers and researchers. Those students went to work in mission-oriented 

 organizations that served well-defined constituencies such as hunters and fishermen, 

 and the wood-products and livestock industries. Simultaneously, ideas about a 

 holistic management philosophy were reaching thousands of other people. New 

 interest groups formed around wildlife for reasons other than or in addition to sport 

 hunting, trapping, nuisance wildlife control, etc. Suddenly, as if a dam had broken, 

 flood of state and federal legislation occurred mandating that these revolutionary 

 perceptions be put into action through governmental agencies dealing with wildlife 

 management. For many practicing wildlife professionals this has forced a wrenching 

 adjustment to new realities. 



The seminal legislation that stirred this revolution in concept was the National 

 Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).' NEPA required that the environmental 

 consequences, including impacts on wildlife, of any activity involving federal funds 



The Author. Jack Ward Thomas, B.S., M.S. (Wildlife Management), Ph.D. (Forestry), worked 10 years for 

 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and 14 years for the USDA Forest Service where he is currently a 

 Chief Research Biologist. Thomas has authored some 150 pubhcations on wildlife and wildlife habitats. 



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