Wildlife Biology 350: Wildlife Management Techniques Fall 2001
Details: Academic Credit: 4 Semester Hours
Location: 268 Brehm Hall
Time: Lecture, Mondays 3:00 - 4:50 & Wednesdays 3:00 - 3:50 p.m.
Lab, Mondays 5:00 - 6:50 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Eric Pelren
Office: 268 Brehm Hall
Telephone: 587-7263
Electronic mail: epelren@utm.edu
Internet Address: http://www.utm.edu/~epelren/epelren.shtml
Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 - 11:00 am, 1:00 - 3:00 pm; Thursday 9:30 - 11:00 am, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Appointments and walk-in visits welcome.
Required Text:
Bookhout, T. A., editor. 1994. Research and Management Techniques for Wildlife and Habitats. Fifth ed. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Md. 740pp.
Catalog Description:
This course will expose students to technical field and laboratory practices used in managing wildlife populations. Emphasis will include methods for capturing, handling, and marking wild animals; determination of age and sex; population density estimation; and evaluation of physiological condition. Students will assist state and federal biologists with field techniques on at least one occasion beyond designated class times. Three-hour lecture and one lab. -2001-2002 UTM general catalog.
Course Objectives:
1) Provide an understanding of the purposes of wildlife management techniques.
2) Introduce and review techniques commonly used in wildlife research and management.
3) Provide hands-on experience in selected techniques.
Grading Standards and Policies:
Grades will be based on a mid-term exam (10%) and a final exam (10%), attendance and participation (5%), homework and lab assignments (60%), quizzes over readings (5%) and a term paper and presentation (10%). Assignments received within 1 week after due date will be accepted but assessed a 25% late penalty. Final grades will be assigned using the following scale (pluses and minuses may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor): 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; <60=F.
Attendance is expected. Students are responsible for all material covered during missed classes, including homework assignments and exams. Assignments must be turned in before planned absences, and directly upon return to class following medical emergencies. The style and format of make-up exams are at the discretion of the instructor and may be made-up only if the student obtains prior permission from the instructor.
Labs frequently will include field trips. These are tentatively noted on the following page, and usually will be announced in advance. The class will meet for field trips in the normal meeting place unless otherwise stated. Rainwear and waterproof footwear are highly recommended. Professional conduct is expected in all interactions with governmental officials and the public; lack of such conduct will be reflected in the final grades of offending students.
Some field work will be required beyond scheduled laboratory hours. This likely will include working 1-2 days at deer hunter check stations, 1-2 nights at raccoon hunter check stations, and 1 morning at a National Wildlife Refuge aiding biologists with capturing and banding wood ducks. Additionally, there will be a 3-day field trip to East Tennessee in September (see Tentative Semester Schedule, next page).
Classroom conduct will be professional. No tobacco products will be permitted in the classroom. Presenting anyone else's work as your own is plagiarism, which will result in a failing grade for a portion or all of the course. As the course instructor, I pledge to exhibit respect for course participants and enthusiasm for course content to the greatest degree possible; I request the same attitude from course participants.
Tentative Semester Schedule
Date Topic Reading Assignment2
Mon 08/20 Introduction; Wood Duck Information. Homework #1, due 9/5
Wed 08/22 Study Design & Statistics P.172-174; Chapter 1
Mon 08/27 Lab: Presentation & Paper Assignment Guidelines; Library, Literature Search & Citation; Mast Survey; Homework #2, due 9/12 Sample Paper (on reserve); TWS Manuscript Guidelines3
Wed 08/29 Radio-Telemetry Chapter 15 (< page 394)
Mon 09/03 No Class: Labor Day
Wed 09/05 Map, Compass, & GPS Use.
Mon 09/10 Lab: Radio Telemetry. Homework #3, due 9/19
Wed 09/12 Analysis of Movement & Survival Data
Thu - Sat 09/13-09/15 East TN Field Trip
Mon 09/17 Lab: Capture, Handling, & Marking Wildlife Handling Guidelines4
Wed 09/19 Capture, Handling & Marking Animals Chapter 4-7
Mon 09/24 Lab: Capture, Handling & Marking
Wed. 09/26 (Instructor Absent-TWS; no class)
Mon 10/01 Lab: Raccoon Study, John Nelson. Homework #4, due 11/7
Wed 10/03 Exam Review
Mon 10/08 Lab: Mid-Term Exam
Wed 10/10 Determining Sex & Age of Animals Chapter 8
Mon 10/15 (Instructor Absent-SEAFWA; no class)
Wed 10/17 (Instructor Absent-SEAFWA; no class)
Mon 10/22 Lab: Sex and Age Analysis
Wed 10/24 Determining Sex and Age of Animals, continued.
Mon 10/29 Lab: Sex and Age Analysis; Homework #5, due 11/28
Wed 10/31 Counting Animals; Drafts of Term Papers Due Chapter 9
Mon 11/05 Lab: Deer Spotlight Count, Beech Ridge
Wed 11/07 Counting Animals, continued.
Mon 11/12 Lab: Counting Animals. Homework #6, due 11/14
Wed 11/14 Counting Animals, continued.
Sat & Sun 11/17, 18 TWRA Deer Check Stations
Mon 11/19 Lab: Abomasal Parasite Count
Wed 11/21 (Instructor Absent-Thanksgiving Break; no class)
Mon 11/26 Lab: Animal Necropsy Chapter 13 (pages 338-348)
Wed 11/28 Presentation Tips; Final Term Papers Due
Mon 12/03 Lab: Student Presentations.
Wed 12/05 Finish & Review Presentations; Exam Review.
Wed 12/12 Final Exam,12:45 - 2:45 pm.
2 Reading assignments should be completed before the date listed; chapter readings are from Bookhout unless otherwise noted.
3 On reserve in library. Read pages 6 (headings & major sections) - 22 (tables & figures), and review pages 27-34.
4 Three works: one for mammals, one for birds, and one for reptiles and amphibians. Review.