200 



Illinois Natural HisiORV SuRviiy Bulletin 



Vol. 27, Art. 2 



future; however, increasing attention 

 must be given to other wild species, in- 

 cluding nongame species. Nongame spe- 

 cies must be studied not only because 

 they represent economic and esthetic 

 values but also because some of them, 

 such as mice, are especially useful in basic 

 research. Responsibility for research on 

 certain species cannot be side-stepped on 

 the ground that effective study of these 

 species is being carried on in other states, 

 for Illinois has problems characteristic of 

 its own land-use pattern and it bears a 

 responsibility to other states inasmuch as 

 enlightenment on particular problems is 

 often best obtained through comparison 

 of range-wide differences. 



\Vhile it is true that great progress 

 has been made in wildlife research, and 

 the number of unknowns has been re- 

 duced, this increased knowledge has ex- 

 panded our awareness of unknowns. 

 Many research techniques have been de- 

 veloped, but, in most instances, the de- 

 gree of their reliability has not been 

 adequately determined, and refinement is 

 desirable. Although the research has been 

 increasingly objective, it must be ad- 

 mitted that there is need for improve- 

 ment. The expanding field of wildlife 

 research requires specialization, but it also 

 requires integration and synthesis. 



This post-mortem of wildlife research 

 impresses me with the fact that the qual- 

 it\- of a contribution is influenced not 

 onl\- by the capabilities of the individual 

 researcher but also by the length of time 

 devoted to concentrated effort on par- 

 ticular problems. If real progress is to 

 be realized in the future, the sustained 

 and concentrated effort of top-flight re- 

 searchers must be insured. Illinois will 

 stand among the leaders in wildlife re- 

 search onl\ so long as the means with 

 which to attract and hold qualified per- 

 sonnel for extended periods is provided. 

 Provisions must be made for long-range 

 research, with monographic-type publica- 

 tion being an objective. And, finally, we 

 must guard against becoming desk- and 

 laboratory-bound theorists and interpret- 

 ers. It is essential that contact be main- 

 tained with living organisms in their nat- 

 ural surroundings. 



Much of our research effort has moved 

 in the direction of life history, ecology. 



and populations. And much of it must 

 continue to move in this direction. How- 

 ever, means for improvement must be 

 constantly sought out. In life history 

 studies, we must be increasingly objec- 

 tive. In ecology, we must be mindful of 

 the need for land-use practices which are 

 compatible with the best interests of both 

 landowners and wildlife, especially in 

 view of the increasing use of marginal 

 land and agricultural chemicals. In the 

 area of population mechanics, we must 

 not only measure population trends and 

 population composition ; we must also 

 seek and evaluate with greater refinement 

 those factors which influence population 

 trends and make-up. 



In the future more attention must be 

 given to fields of study only lightly 

 touched upon in the past. Animal be- 

 havior, a vital and challenging field, must 

 be explored particularly, for what an ani- 

 mal does is more important to the wild- 

 life manager than what it is. Mobility, 

 especially migration, must be examined 

 more critically. Nutrition, qualitative as 

 well as quantitative, must be investigated, 

 and techniques for evaluating "condition" 

 in wildlife must be explored. Anatomy, 

 embryology, genetics, physiology, and 

 biochemistry must, of necessity, play a 

 larger part in the evaluations of the 

 future. 



We must guard against the neglect or 

 shunning of certain research by avoiding 

 a "that's been done before" philosophy. 

 It may well have been done before, but 

 we must be careful to evaluate the 

 thoroughness with which it was done. 

 We must examine it for weaknesses and 

 for its value as a basis for new working 

 hypotheses. 



The wildlife research of the Natural 

 History Survey has been instrumental in 

 bringing about desirable changes in estab- 

 lished policies and practices and in the 

 establishment of new policies and prac- 

 tices which affect wildlife. We must pro- 

 vide adequate bases for the policy making 

 of the future. To these ends we must 

 move in the direction of prompt publica- 

 tion, and we must make certain that use- 

 ful publicity is given especially to those 

 findings which indicate that support of, 

 or changes in, practices or administrative 

 policies are desirable. 



