New research reveals that traditional management efforts for New England cottontail, which relied on the best available science, may actually be thwarting their recovery Wildlife conservation is frequently limited by an incomplete understanding of how animals interact and respond to native ecosystems--a limitation that is only further challenged by the many novel factors, like invasive species or habitat fragmentation, that alter the way in which species interact with their environment. Although it is in the best interests of threatened species for us to thoroughly investigate these relationships, obtaining specific information is often difficult due to cost, low population size, lack of technology, or the evasiveness of the species in question. In these circumstances, we rely heavily on what information we do have; though it may be incomplete, applicable across only a narrow environmental niche, or unable to account for critical changes to the environment from, for example, the introduction of new competitor or spread of invasive plants.
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AuthorAmanda is an Assistant Professor at South Dakota Sate University. Her research focuses on conservation and management of wildlife and their habitats Archives
October 2023
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