wildlife

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Fact: Four percent of all mammals are wild animals.

Wildlife involves both plants and animals found in the wild. When you talk of wildlife, many people think it only includes wild animals. However, wildlife is made up of both plants and animals.

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

• Define wildlife
• Describe uses of wildlife
• Describe factors affecting the distribution of wildlife
• Describe significance of wildlife
• Describe problems facing wildlife conservation
• Describe wildlife conservation, its importance, and methods of wildlife conservation

Wildlife used to refer to all undomesticated animal species, but now it includes all organisms living or growing wild in an area not introduced to by humans. Wildlife exists in all ecosystems; grasslands, deserts, forests, plains, and rainforests. Even urban areas that have experienced most development contain wildlife.

EXAMPLES OF WILDLIFE PLANTS

USES OF WILDLIFE

• Wildlife is a source of food. Hunters and gatherers relied fully on wildlife for their food. Both plants and animals provided food. Today, wildlife is also a source of food, for example, game meat.
• Wildlife is a source of pets. Wildlife animals like parrots and monkeys can be domesticated by humans as pets to give company.
• Wildlife is a source of medicinal ingredients. Since early days, wildlife has been used as a source of medicinal ingredients. Some wildlife plants have medicinal value, and some are used up to date in the manufacture of medicines.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DISTRIBUTION OF WILDLIFE

• Climate. Heavy rainfall leads to big forests thus favoring animals like buffaloes and elephants. Arid and semi-arid climate supports hardy animals with the ability to withstand water scarcity. For example, animals like camels have a very high tolerance for water scarcity. Animals like some frogs (wood frog) can also survive extremely cold conditions by hibernation. Hibernation refers to a state of minimal metabolic activities by some animal species which mainly occurs during winter, as a coping mechanism for low temperatures.
• Relief. Windward side receiving heavy rainfall support big forests favoring animals like elephants while leeward sides of mountains experiencing low rainfall favor grasslands which favor carnivores and herbivores.
• Terrain. Hunting animals such as cheetah are found in plains and plateaus that are relatively level where they are able to run for long distances chasing their prey.
• Soils. Shallow and infertile soils favor grasslands which suit many carnivores and herbivore.
• Vegetation. Desert and semi-desert vegetation supports hardy animals like grants gazelle. Birds live where there are trees in order to have shelter. Savannah woodlands with more acacia trees favor giraffes which feed on foliage from the trees.
• Availability of water. Fish are found in lakes, rivers and oceans. Some animals like hippos live mainly in fresh water.
• Human activities. Man hunts animals thus threatening some species with extinction. Man has also displaced animals from their natural habitat by clearing vegetation for settlement and agriculture. Man has taken measures to conserve endangered species of wildlife by establishing national parks, sanctuaries and game reserves.

SIGNIFICANCE OF WILDLIFE

• Wildlife helps to maintain ecological balance. For example, the death of carnivores would lead to an increase in herbivores. This would lead to a reduction in forest vegetation which may affect agricultural activities as herbivores may invade farms in search of food.
• Wildlife can be used to generate income. Wildlife can contribute to the economy because of its many uses. Wildlife products like food, medicine, timber and wool can be used to generate income. Activities like wildlife tourism also help to generate income from wildlife. Other related activities like job creation are also examples of the economic value of wildlife.
• The conservation of wildlife has led to better utilization of marginal areas. Areas like semi-deserts are not good for crop cultivation. Wildlife ensures better utilization of land that would otherwise be left idle.
• The preservation of wildlife helps in the protection and preservation of water catchment areas.
• Wildlife is a source of food.
• Wildlife is a source of medicinal ingredients.
• Wildlife supports scientific experiments. Many wild organisms are used in scientific experiments, for example, testing the effects of a new medicine.
• Wildlife helps develop hybrid organisms. Wildlife plants and animals are crossed with domesticated organisms to produce hybrids with desirable characteristics.

PROBLEMS FACING WILDLIFE

• Poaching. This is illegal killing and trafficking of wildlife. Extreme poaching has led to the extinction of some animal species.
• Adverse climatic conditions. Conditions like prolonged periods of drought may lead to the death of wildlife, both plants and animals. Other conditions such as flooding also have devastating effects on wildlife.
• Bush fires. Bush fires lead to the death of wildlife and destruction of habitats.
• Pest and diseases. Wildlife is also susceptible to different pests and diseases. These may lead to death of some wildlife species.
• Overgrazing. Overgrazing leads to the depletion of food for some wildlife species. These species risk death from hunger, or they may migrate to a new habitat.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

As the population of humans increase, more land is put under human use. This has led to reduced amount of natural vegetation and thus the habitat of different species. The vast forests and species inhabiting them become greatly threatened.

In the oceans, fishing has become intensive. This has led to fish population reducing rapidly.

Wildlife conservation is important because it serves the following purposes.

• Ecological balance. Wildlife plays an important role in ecological balance. Wildlife is an important part of any ecosystem. Wildlife maintains geochemical cycles, population control and food chains, therefore maintaining a balance in nature.
• Economic value. The economic value of wildlife is high. Wildlife provides us with products like timber, fruits, meat, rubber, spices, milk, honey, and silk. Wildlife is also a great source of income through tourism.
• Genetic resource. Genes from wild plants and animals are used to assist better crop varieties by genetic engineering. Animal characteristics like disease resistance, increased production and higher ecological amplitude may be acquired from wildlife.
• Education. National parks, botanical gardens, and zoological gardens provide education to students in topics like ecology.
• Cultural value. Wildlife is the source of many mythological stories. Different cultural practices are related to wildlife like traditional places of worship (shrines).
• Aesthetic value.

METHODS OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Steps taken in order to protect and manage wildlife include;

• Protection of natural habitats. Human intervention is one of the leading causes of habitat deterioration. These human activities include fire, logging, and construction work and air pollution.
• Protection through legislation. Several countries have passed laws that forbid killing of wildlife.
• Mass education. Conservation awareness and education is done to reduce ignorance of wildlife utility. This creates an understanding of the importance of wildlife therefore the need to conserve it.
• Maintenance of rare species in protected areas.

Wildlife involves both plants and animals. Wildlife is important to us humans in many ways as discussed above. It is our duty as humans to ensure that we conserve wildlife.