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Modern Wild Faunal Resource System Management

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Competency and Questions for Its Evaluation

Objectives of a course in wildlife management have been formulated. Elsewhere a dream about an evaluation system for managers has been described. That system was to be very practical and the exam was to be taken by a person before two observers. Each event was a yes-or-no affair, the student performed or not. Perhaps there is something more akin to standard tests, multiple-choice affairs that can be taken.

I have attempted to assemble the basic questions (the test item topics) that need to be addressed. They are very similar to the objectives and one day their union may result in a test and score that students and others may find useful. Until then, perhaps the list can be used by self-motivated students to test themselves and to perfect the list. Some day someone (some group) has to specify what wild faunal system managers have to know. They now graduate from graduate programs with no overlap of courses, sometime even within the same university. They arrive at graduate schools in wildlife management from different programs with different emphases and undergraduate curricula and even radically different materials taught in different sections of the same courses. There are no standards; no criteria of reference (except a nominal list of course hours in vague categories with no requirements for grade-level or course mastery obtained in each category.)

The following is the beginning of the minimum list of questions or required performance (the behaviors) for the practicing wildlife manager. Difficulties quickly become evident in the procedure for even making the question very specific, there may be several correct (at least debatably appropriate) answers. Difficulty in judging the answers may make test reliability very low.

1. Select from a moderate list the name of a country within the three most highly populated countries of the world.
2. List at least 5 major effects of insecticides on wildlife.
3. Write the primary relationship between energy used per person in developed and developing countries.
4. List at least 2 reasons why mangroves are important.
5. Write at least 3 correct major reasons why stabilizing species richness in an area is important.
6. Write the names of at least 3 endangered species (other than panda) that occur outside the US.
7. State the source of "musk oil" and the current status of that source.
8. Write at least 5 correct major reasons why wetlands are important to people.
9. Write the name of at least 3 migratory species of animals, exclusive of birds.
10. Write the major problems and undesirable consequences associated with the loss of the world's rain forests.
11. Write the names of the major biomes of the world.
12. State:is the black-footed ferret endangered?
13. State: what has changed its status?
14. Write a definition of the ozone layer and give several reasons why it is important. Write a definition of greenhouse effect.
15. Write at least two probable major wildlife -related consequences of it increasing.
16. Write the meaning of global warming.
17. Write at least two major wildlife-related consequences of it increasing.
18. Write a definition of restoration ecology
19. Write at least 2 major reasons why a parrot from the wild should not be purchased.
20. Define carcinogenic effect.
21. Define teratogenic effect,
22. List the broad major types of insecticides.
23. Turn on a receiver used in radiotelemetry of animals and adjust it to a frequency.
24. Use a receiver and antenna to locate a transmitter.
25. Plot the location on a map of a transmitter given triangulation and other location data.
26. Locate a position (a place) in the field on a map.
27. Using a map and compass, walk or move to a stated location.
28. Identify major topographic map features.
29. Using a compass point in the direction provided by the instructor.
30. Sketch and label a map of a small area (e.g., a designated 1/8 - 1/2 ha area).
31. List major components of a "code of professional ethics" that are consistent with most other members of the wildlife management community.
32. Show evidence of membership in The Wildlife Society or equivalent organization.
33. Make a score of greater than 8 (out of 10) on a 3-minute speech on a wildlife topic given to an actual or simulated professional group.
34. Make a score of greater than 8 on a 3-minute speech on a wildlife topic given to an actual or simulated public group (e.g., hunters).
35. State the major role of secondary plant compounds in protein metabolism.
36. Name the conventional or classic components of N_t = N₀e^rt.
37. Estimate N_t after 25 years when the starting population is 200 and the rate is about 0.03.
38. Calculate a standard deviation for a provided data set of 10 observations.
39. Given a simple linear regression model, estimate Y given a value of X.
40. With a familiar personal computer or calculator and a data set provided, develop a simple linear regression model.
41. Given two means and the appropriate "t" test statistic, decide: Are the means different?
42. One regression model (a) has an R² of 0.6, another (model b) has a value of 0.8. Which is likely to be the better?
43. Give the scientific names of 10 major hunted species in the US.
44. Write the Shannon-Weiner equation for biological diversity.
45. Given three correctly calculated different values from that equation, select the most diverse one.
46. Using proper assumptions and knowing that 35 animals have been marked in an area, and 13 recaptured, 7 of which having been previously marked and captured, what is the population estimate?
47. Type on a word processor a description of some object, obtaining a high score on grammar, spelling, and coherence.
48. Identify correctly 10 widely distributed trees or shrubs from leaf or plant parts.
49. Select from those presented the proper definitions of interspersion and juxtaposition.
50. Given data on distance-apart for objects in the field, decide whether they are or are not randomly distributed.

Please expand the list. Send suggestions to Giles. Make items measurable, precise, needed by all (not just a specialist or in a special area, or only useful with one group of species), and worldwide.

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Questions, revisions?
Send an email message to RHGiles [at] [RuralSystem] dot com
Last revision September 7, 2002.