Why are Wildlife and Wildlife Management Valued?

Wildlife are valued for a variety of reasons, and thus we manage for wildlife.  The management approach may differ depending on the particular values of a landowner or user.  Among the common values are:  

Metaphysical:  These are the private, often spiritual or religious feelings, insights, or benefits that people may receive from wildlife as they contemplate the nature of things.

Character:  Wild animals provide part of the wild character, the vitality, the natural completeness to forests; a forest is not the same without a bobcat or pileated woodpecker.  

Aesthetic:  The representation of wildlife in the arts, from cave paintings to television, attests to the importance that humans have attributed to its aesthetic benefits of wildlife.  An evening grosbeak on a snow-covered hemlock bough, a downy woodpecker on a fire-scarred tree stump-- these are among the beautiful things.  Wildlife may create a "scene" or may be like Kierkegaards touch of crimson that enhances or makes splendid an otherwise good view or picture.  Not only visual stimuli but also odor and sound are among wildlifes enhancements of the aesthetics of the forest.  

Preservation:  Knowledge that animals are being cared for and preserved is important to many people.  The number of animals is less important than the presence of a species.  Richness (the number of species) must stay the same.  Where species have been extirpated, reintroduction may be possible.

Existence:  Knowledge that a species exists, even though it may never be seen, is held by some as a great value.  Not necessarily tied to the human action of preserving a species, this objective can often be achieved by providing information.

Recreation:  Hunting and fishing are conspicuous wildlife-related recreational activities.  Others are tracking, taking bird walks, making bird censuses, watching wildlife at feeders, reading about wildlife, and watching televised wildlife programs.  Prehunt preparations such as conditioning and practicing with dogs and weapons, stalking, spending time with friends, escaping from the every-day experiences of the world, making the kill, boasting, and later, the pleasures of recalling the hunting events all contribute to the recreational value of hunting.  Likewise,  sharing photographs or comparing lifetime bird sighting lists with friends are pleasures of nonconsumptive use.  

Physical utility:  Wildlife can provide meat, fur, hides, hair, bones, and other products for direct use.  They provide subsistence and medicines for some native people.

Monetary:  Monetary values have been assigned to wildlife.  Monetary values are only one aspect of "wildlife economics," the broad study of allocating limited resources among conflicting objectives and opportunities.  The financial gains to diverse professional wildlife workers, the employees of agencies, organizations, consulting firms, publication and media firms, pest-control agencies, and enforcement groups should not be overlooked.  Financial gains to communities (especially seasonal employment) related to hunting, birdwatching, and ecotourism can be significant.

Ecosystem:  Ecosystems are complex aggregations of interconnected components and processes, and wildlife are an integral part of those systems. Ecosystems rarely perform according to previous patterns when animals are removed or become overly abundant.  For example, mammals eat insects that are said to harm trees, but increasing mammal populations may reduce the food supply of songbirds, which also play a critical role in the ecosystem.  

Genetic:  Wildlife are valued for the genetic diversity they possess.  Genetic diversity expands the opportunities for species to adapt to novel situations.  Knowledge gained from genetic studies of  wild populations enhances what we know from laboratory populations.  Furthermore, wildlife may provide the resources for genetic engineering, hybridization, and regaining of lost traits in domestic animals.  

Environmental monitor:  By observing wildlife presence, behavior, physiology, or body characteristics, the quality of the environment may be assessed.  Some species are less tolerant of stress, and these species are especially suitable for some kinds of monitoring.  Other species, because they are long-lived or range over a wide area, are best for monitoring large-scale impacts or cumulative effects.  

Damage:  Although "value" connotes positive things, the costs and losses due to wildlife must also be considered.  Wild animal populations may have negative values and thus comprehensive management systems are needed to balance the gains and the losses.  Wild animals may destroy seedlings and crops, damage young trees, prey upon livestock or other wild animals of special interest to people, transmit diseases, such as rabies, and destroy property.  Some species create nuisances with their noise or behavior.  

Legal:  The presence of rare or endangered species in an area may create legal obligations for landowners.  Active management programs with plans and monitoring data that demonstrate conscientious work can minimize the threats of legal action and increase positive benefits of such species.