Wildlife Management: A Case Study of the Kaibab Plateau
Added on 2023-05-29
7 Pages1225 Words122 Views
|
|
|
Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 1
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2
Introduction
The Arizona Kaibab Plateau is Northern Arizona and sits between the Utah border and the Grand
Canyon. It covers close to 1100 square miles and generally ranges between 6000- 9000 ft. above
the sea level. The plateau is surrounded by a lower-elevation winter and a transitional range
famously for the deer herd. The plateau is also covered with porous limestone. This proves the
near complete lack of surface water. The plateau has got no streams and just a few ponds that
provide water to the wild animals. The plateau is famously known for its big mule deer. The
mule beer of Kaibab plateau played an important role towards shaping the initial phases of
wildlife management. The plateau was also famously known to the Native Americans as a
hunting ground for the large numbers of mule deer in the region (Binkley, Moore, Romme, &
Brown, 2016).
Before 1905, the estimated deer population in the Kaibab plateau was about 4000deer. During
the same period, the estimated carrying capacity of the range was at 30,000 deer. In a bid to
preserve the then commonly known as ‘finest deer herd in America’, the then president Theodore
Roosevelt opened the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve. This was also aimed at reducing
the high rate of hunting within the range (Burk, 2013). Unfortunately, during the same period,
the Kaibab forest area had also experienced overgrazing by horses, sheep and cattle. Due to the
overgrazing, most of the tall grass no longer existed. The major practices in order to save the
deer population was to immediately ban hunting in the range and then make attempts to
exterminate the deer predators. 20 wolves, 816 mountain lions, more than 500 bobcats and 7388
coyotes were killed between 1907 and 1939.
Introduction
The Arizona Kaibab Plateau is Northern Arizona and sits between the Utah border and the Grand
Canyon. It covers close to 1100 square miles and generally ranges between 6000- 9000 ft. above
the sea level. The plateau is surrounded by a lower-elevation winter and a transitional range
famously for the deer herd. The plateau is also covered with porous limestone. This proves the
near complete lack of surface water. The plateau has got no streams and just a few ponds that
provide water to the wild animals. The plateau is famously known for its big mule deer. The
mule beer of Kaibab plateau played an important role towards shaping the initial phases of
wildlife management. The plateau was also famously known to the Native Americans as a
hunting ground for the large numbers of mule deer in the region (Binkley, Moore, Romme, &
Brown, 2016).
Before 1905, the estimated deer population in the Kaibab plateau was about 4000deer. During
the same period, the estimated carrying capacity of the range was at 30,000 deer. In a bid to
preserve the then commonly known as ‘finest deer herd in America’, the then president Theodore
Roosevelt opened the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve. This was also aimed at reducing
the high rate of hunting within the range (Burk, 2013). Unfortunately, during the same period,
the Kaibab forest area had also experienced overgrazing by horses, sheep and cattle. Due to the
overgrazing, most of the tall grass no longer existed. The major practices in order to save the
deer population was to immediately ban hunting in the range and then make attempts to
exterminate the deer predators. 20 wolves, 816 mountain lions, more than 500 bobcats and 7388
coyotes were killed between 1907 and 1939.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 3
Size of the herd over time
The following data represents the deer population from 1905 to 1939.
Figure 1: Data representing deer population
A graphical representation of the data is as shown below;
1905 1910 1915 1920 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1935 1939
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
population of deer
deer population
Figure 2: Showing the deer population over time
Size of the herd over time
The following data represents the deer population from 1905 to 1939.
Figure 1: Data representing deer population
A graphical representation of the data is as shown below;
1905 1910 1915 1920 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1935 1939
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
population of deer
deer population
Figure 2: Showing the deer population over time
End of preview
Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.