3 Species Management

Definition: Actions directed at managing or restoring species, focused on the species of concern itself

Exposition: This class contains all actions involved in directly managing species. For you literal minded people interested in drawing black lines on gray areas, the difference between land/water management and species management is defined as follows: If the action targets 2 or fewer specific species, it is species; if it targets 3 or more, it is land/water. For example fish ladders aimed at one salmon species fit in species recovery; fish ladders aimed at several different species fit in natural process restoration.

3.1 Species Management

Definition: Managing specific plant and animal populations of concern

Exposition: Note that culling deer to save a rare plant that they are eating is 2.2 Invasive/Problematic Species Control whereas culling deer to manage the deer population itself fits here.

Examples:

• harvest management of wild mushrooms
• culling buffalo to keep population size within park carrying capacity
• controlling fishing effort

3.2 Species Recovery

Definition: Manipulating, enhancing or restoring specific plant and animal populations, vaccination programs

Examples:

• manual pollination of trees
• artificial nesting boxes/platforms
• clutch manipulation
• supplementary feeding
• disease/pathogen/parasite management

3.3 Species Re-Introduction

Definition: Re-introducing species to places where they formally occurred or benign introductions

Exposition: Re-introductions are to areas where the species formerly occurred following IUCN re-introduction guidelines. Benign introductions are to areas outside of the species’ historic range, but within an appropriate habitat and done deliberately for conservation reasons.

Examples:

• re-introduction of wolves

3.4 Ex-Situ Conservation

Definition: Protecting biodiversity out of its native habitats

Exposition: This is one of the key strategies practiced by zoos and aquaria interested in conservation.

Examples:

• captive breeding of gorillas
• artificial propagation of orchids
• gene-banking