Gamma Theory

Gamma Theory is a course designed to allow you to work on the subject matter, ideas, concepts, and skills at your own pace. There are questions scattered throughout to assist you in testing your knowledge. Links are provided to other resources on this site as well as some made to other sites.

You are encouraged to link the Glossary via your "Favorites" and to use it often.

To complete assignments, just email answers or written materials requested to me. I'll reply by email. You may call me if there are difficulties (540-552-8672). We may not meet personally, but you can imagine this guy being at the other end of this process...

Assignment 1

1. Read Your future in wildlife management. No written work required.
2. Read Key Words used in wildlife management. Check out whether you know all of these words. Begin studying those that you do not know. Use the Glossary; use the dictionary; use your former textbooks. You have to know the words to get along, to avoid looking ignorant; to do creative work. Study on your own. Send me a one-line note saying what percent of the words you seemed positive about when you first checked over the list. (We'll see what your improvement is near the end, but this will not be included in assigning your final grade.)
3. Read the list of recent general textbooks in wildlife management and be aware that they exist. That's all. Just be aware and send people to the appropriate ones.
4. Answer the questions at the end of Forest Faunal Systems, Chapter 1.

Assignment 2

1. Study for a review of ideas from earlier courses: Fundamentals of Wildlife (for critique within the course)(Submit nothing.)
2. Read and study The Wildlife Resource
3. Study the partial list of Gamma Theory Elements as used in the course. Make a list of these with others in your personal notes. I may request others later. I believe, and I hope that you will agree, that we have a professional responsibility to attempt to develop theory within our field.
4. Read comments about a resource in general. Be sure that you can make a good distinction between "wildlife"the wildlife resource."
5. Read about "Rasking". Write the definition of rasking. Write: Can you improve or clarify it? What might be a better word or phrase? At least the criteria by which a better one would be recognized?
6. Read and study Chapter 2 of Forest Faunal Systems. Answer the questions at the end of that chapter.
7. Read Cross currents as they relate to the relevance of Gamma Theory. (No written assignment at this time.)

Assignment 3

1. Read The Situation:Toward a Satisfactory Condition a look at the typical resource agency situation as a start to formulating an alternative to classical agency decision making.
2. Read and study Chapter 3 of Forest Faunal Systems. Answer the questions at the end of the chapter.

Assignment 4

1. Read (only)the linked unit to understand an emphasis on output or objectives.
2. Write a list of at least 5 key reasons why objectives are needed.
3. Study objective weighting over time and maximization. Make a simple 2 by 2 table, 2 objectives, 2 options. Objective 1 is given a weight of 10, Objective 2 a weight of 7. The effectiveness of option A for Objective 1 is 6; the effectiveness for achieving Objective 2 is 5. The effectiveness of Option B for the objectives is respectively, 3 and 9. Which option will you select if these are true and total expressions of the system being evaluated? (See Table 4.9 for another example of the procedure in Chapter 4.) Report your answer.
4. Read and study criteria and objectives. (No written requirement.)See another linked note on criteria.
5. Memorize the 7 types of objectives. See also another note on "Types" of objectives
6. Write a brief note on the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. Present an excellent example.
7. Read and study Chapter 4 of Forest Faunal Systems. (The last section on diversity can be delayed until the next Assignment.) Answer the questions (Part a) at the end of that chapter.

   Assignment 5

8. Answer the questions on variety (Part b) at the end of Chapter 4 (Forest Faunal Systems).
9. Read and study risk and risk analysis and relate it to the sections on risk within Chapter 4. Write a paragraph on " expected value" and give a great example to help your colleagues see the message clearly.

   Assignment 6

10. Read and study Chapter 5, Feedback and Control of Forest Faunal Systems. Answer the questions at the end of the chapter.

    Assignment 7