CORE CORE Natural Resource Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which management strategy best addresses overabundant white-tailed deer populations damaging forest regeneration?
- Increasing predator reintroduction programs only
- Reducing hunting seasons and lowering bag limits
- Issuing antlerless harvest permits to increase doe harvest (Correct answer)
- Planting fast-growing tree species resistant to browsing
Correct answer: Issuing antlerless harvest permits to increase doe harvest
Issuing antlerless (doe) harvest permits directly reduces herd size by targeting the reproductive segment of the population, which is the most effective tool for lowering deer density.
Question 2: The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation holds that wildlife is owned by:
- The landowner on whose property the animal is found
- Private hunting and fishing organizations
- The citizens of the nation as a public trust resource (Correct answer)
- Federal government agencies exclusively
Correct answer: The citizens of the nation as a public trust resource
A cornerstone of the North American Model is the Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that fish and wildlife belong to all citizens and are managed by government agencies on their behalf.
Question 3: An invasive plant species outcompetes native vegetation in a wetland. Which consequence is most directly harmful to waterfowl?
- Increased water clarity reduces ambush opportunities for predators
- Loss of native seed-producing plants reduces food availability (Correct answer)
- Higher water temperatures improve nesting conditions
- Greater plant density provides more nesting cover
Correct answer: Loss of native seed-producing plants reduces food availability
Native wetland plants typically produce seeds and invertebrate habitat that waterfowl depend on; invasive species like common reed often provide little nutritional value and reduce food sources.
Question 4: What is the role of a 'keystone species' in an ecosystem?
- It is the most abundant species in the habitat
- It has a disproportionately large effect on ecosystem structure relative to its biomass (Correct answer)
- It is legally protected from all forms of harvest
- It exists only at the top of the food chain
Correct answer: It has a disproportionately large effect on ecosystem structure relative to its biomass
A keystone species exerts influence far beyond what its population size would suggest; its removal causes dramatic changes to ecosystem structure and biodiversity.
Question 5: Which water quality parameter most directly indicates organic pollution and low oxygen levels in a stream?
- pH level above 7.5
- High biological oxygen demand (BOD) (Correct answer)
- Elevated calcium carbonate concentration
- Presence of aquatic macrophytes
Correct answer: High biological oxygen demand (BOD)
Biological oxygen demand (BOD) measures the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms decomposing organic matter; high BOD indicates heavy organic pollution and depleted oxygen levels.
Question 6: A hunter observes that a stand of oak trees has produced very few acorns this year. How might this directly affect deer behavior?
- Deer will concentrate in agricultural fields and other mast-alternative food sources (Correct answer)
- Deer will reduce their home range size and become more territorial
- Deer will migrate to coastal regions in search of marine vegetation
- Deer herd size will immediately decline due to starvation
Correct answer: Deer will concentrate in agricultural fields and other mast-alternative food sources
Deer are highly adaptable and will shift their feeding patterns to alternative food sources such as agricultural crops, brassicas, or other mast crops when acorn production is poor.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'sustainable yield' in fisheries management?
- Harvesting all fish above a minimum size limit each season
- The harvest level that can be maintained indefinitely without depleting the population (Correct answer)
- Setting season lengths based on recreational angler demand
- Stocking hatchery fish to replace all wild fish harvested
Correct answer: The harvest level that can be maintained indefinitely without depleting the population
Sustainable yield, often called maximum sustainable yield (MSY), is the largest harvest that can be taken from a fish population over an indefinite period without causing population decline.
CORE CORE Natural Resource Management 5
Which management strategy best addresses overabundant white-tailed deer populations damaging forest regeneration?