NR 55 - Wildlife Management

Transfer Status

CSU

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 34.00 Contact hours/68.00 Out of class hours/102.00 Total hours/2.00 Unit(s)
• Lab: 51.00 Contact hours/0.00 Out of class hours/51.00 Total hours/1.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 85.00 Contact hours/68.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: The course is a study of plant and animal ecology in relation to principles of wildlife management with an emphasis on identification, sexing and aging criteria, wildlife population dynamics, wildlife habitat, and a review of trapping and marking techniques.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify common North American wildlife species using keys and reference books and describe the natural history of those species.
2. Describe the basic habitat requirements of North American fish and wildlife.
3. Evaluate various wildlife management techniques used in habitat modification and population estimation.
4. Analyze human impact on wildlife populations and habitat.
5. Evaluate the role of wildlife management in endangered species recovery.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

Lab

1. Collaborative Group Work
2. Field Trips
3. Guest Speakers
4. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
5. Instructor Demonstrations
6. Lecture

1. Exams/Tests
2. Oral Presentation
3. Journal
4. Class participation
5. Lab Projects
6. Essays and research papers

Reading Assignments

1. Read the chapter on professional wildlife biology and be prepared with questions for the next meeting’s guest lecturer, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist.
2. Read the chapter on censusing wildlife populations and be prepared to discuss the practicality in use of each census method on various species of wildlife.

Writing Assignments

1. Pick a recent wildlife problem facing managers in the world. Type a 3-page report on the subject, and be sure to include references and cite your sources in the body of your paper.
2. Keep a laboratory journal consisting of detailed hand-written notes from your lab work this week. Be prepared to submit your notes to the instructor in lab next week.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Attend a County Fish and Game Commission meeting and type a brief synopsis on the subject and details discussed in the proceedings. Alternative options to complete this assignment will be identified in the instructions.
2. Explore the natural parts of campus and, using a field guide, list the species of wildlife encountered. Prepare a 1-2 page report using both the scientific names and common names. Alternative options to complete this assignment will be identified in the instructions.

Comer, C. E., et al. (2025). Wildlife Ecology and Management. Waveland Press, Inc., 6th. 9781478649564.

Krausman, P.R. & Cain III, J.W. (2022). Wildlife Management & Conservation: Contemporary Principles and Practices. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2nd. 9781421443966.

Powell. (2020). Principles for Management of Fisheries and Wildlife: The Manager as Decision-maker. Cognella, 1st. 9781516575954.

Other Learning Materials

Field guides as assigned by the instructor.

Forestry/Natural Resources