Essay on the Basic Requirements of Wildlife PDF

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Basic Requirements of Wildlife....

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Essay on the Basic Requirements of Wildlife

(i) Food: Food is the most important basic requirement to get energy and subsequently for proper growth, breeding, propagation and other metabolic activities. The green plants manufacture their food by own by the process of photosynthesis and, thus, called as autotrophs. The animal-communities do not have such type of mechanism and, thus, must depend upon others called as heterotrophs. In this respect, the consumers like herbivorous animals depend upon plants (producers) deriving food-energy from them and, in turn, carnivores ultimately trap their food and energy from them, in this way, food-chain and food-web have been formed and ecological-balance is maintained. Though, each animal requires nutritive elements but the food requirements of all the animals are not alike. The different species are differently adopted for their food as per their environment or habitat and, thus, have different kinds of food-habits to suit in a particular environment. That’s why; some foods are edible while others are non-edible. A particular food may be edible for a particular species whereas it may be non-edible for others. Therefore, quality and quantity of food available in the habitat affects a lotto the number and status of the wild animals. Hence, the assessment of characteristics, quality, quantity and status of the vegetation available in the habitat and its improvement is an important and primary stage of wildlife management. The necessity of food may be divided into two categories: (a) Physiological Need: Some animals fulfill their required nutrients by eating the plants itself; while in some animals, like ruminants, it is synthesized by certain bacteria etc. found in their digestive tract which make it available in useful forms of elements for the body. In some special period, such as in pregnancy and milking period, the females require more food or some special food than the normal period for proper growth of the fetus and young ones. (b) Psychological Need: As per food-habit, there is adaptation in the digestive system of the species, and they prefer the food in that manner. For example, herbivores become instinct towards vegetarian food while carnivores towards non-vegetarian food. Deer become tempted to see grasses whereas tigers will not.

For the sustenance of life, the animals consume diverse types of food in the variable seasons and in this way their food-choice may be said as primary, secondary, and so on. Thus, the food may be categorized in the following kinds: (i) Preferred Food: The most tasteful and liked food is called preferred food of the species. (ii) Staple Food: After preferred-food, the staple-food comes in the series. This food is important for the living of the animal being available for long time. (iii) Emergency Food: When there is scarcity of staple food, the species depends upon certain food which is neither so tasteful nor nutritive and called as emergency-food. Such food cannot sustain the animal for an extended period because it induces malnutrition. (iv) Stuffing Food: The food which is totally non-nutritive and is consumed by the animal only to fulfill its stomach is called stuffing-food. Such food is taken in by the animals when there is no alternative. (v) Miscellaneous Food: Sometimes, certain animals take unusual food which is not in their habit. For example, sometimes bark eaten by sambhar and cheetal, grass by tiger (as found in its pellet sometimes) etc. Pinch Period: The period in which the food is not sufficiently available and causes trouble to the animal, is called pinch-period. This period may be for other basic requirements also such as water etc. The period varies as per the habitat, climate, country etc. The management part is very essential and plays significant role for such period. Selection of food by the animals depends upon the following factors: (i) Availability: The selection of food by the animal depends upon the season and period of the habitat, it depends upon the fact that in which season or period, which type of food is available, and how much labour is to be done to procure it by the animal, because season is responsible for the availability and quantity of the food in a particular habitat.

Hence, the food, which is easily and sufficiently found in a season, is consumed in enough quantity by the animal. It can be said that plenty of food is related with its consumption. (ii) Palatability: Palatability of food for animal is related with its taste, easy availability, and digestibility etc. (iii) Physiology: Physiological regions are also responsible in the selection of food as per need of the animal. (iv) Habit: Since its evolution and habit, the animal selects its food accordingly as it is capable of digestion as well as has habitual instinct for such food. Hence, by considering all these situations, it can be said that the quantity and quality of food serve a lot in the survival and propagation of the animals. For their survival, various kinds of animals take distinct kinds of food as per their adapted habit and habitat. For example, some species survive by eating seeds of the plants which is very nutritive while some are living on grasses and leaves of the trees, some are habituated on dry grasses and leaves, some take tender leaves and grass while some prefer hard grasses and so on. Some are grazers whereas some are browsers. All these depend upon the condition of the habitat and adaptations of the animals. Climate, soil and other natural as well as bioticfactors are responsible for outcome of the condition of the habitat to which the animal adapts it accordingly. The aquatic animals have developed various adaptations morphologically as well as physiologically, terrestrial animals have also modified and adapted themselves to suit their living environment and the desert animals have likewise adaptations in all means to conserves water and reducing the loss of water less and less for their survival. In each type of environment and habitat, the animals are having adaptations to be suited and survive nicely. Selection of food, its quality and quantity, palatability etc.; all these depend upon the conditions and adaptations of the habitat and the species concerned, respectively. (ii) Water: Water is another basic requirement of the wild animals. It varies with food, weather, environment, habitat, and the animal’s ability to conserve it. Since water is essential for metabolic activities, it is required up to a certain extent by the animals for their survival, growth, and propagation. All animals preserve metabolic water.

The desert animals conserve water to exist indefinitely on metabolic water and for this they have various adaptations in their morphology as well as physiology. Water conservation is also provided for by habits, such as the nocturnal or burrowing habit that escapes from diurnal heat and low humidity by the adaptations like possession of chitin, scales as the morphological protection and excretion of dry faeces as physiological adaptations. Thus, the necessity of water is different in several types of animals. The size of the waterholes is not so important for wildlife its proper distribution in the entire habitat throughout the year is especially important. Its spatial-distribution and availability with enough have immense importance for the survival and propagation of the animals. If the number of waterholes is very few, there will be crowd and pressure of the animals around it and intense competition will arise for the survival and will not be utilized properly by them. On the other hand, if it is properly distributed throughout the area, it will sustain the total animals as per the carrying-capacity. Therefore, management of water sources or waterholes plays a significant role in the field of wildlife management. (iii) Shelter: The place or area which gives protection and serves other biological needs of the species is known as shelter. It can be divided into: (a) Cover and (b) Space. (a) Cover: Covers are those vegetation or plants which save the animals from causal-factors and provide safety, resting, shade as well as protecting from adverse environmental-effects. The cover can be classified as: (i) Escape Cover: Where, the wild animals escape themselves to protect from predators or hunters. Its shape and size depend upon the size of the animals.

(ii) Nesting Cover (Breeding-Cover): Here the birds hide themselves for breeding, laying, and nursing the eggs. Likewise, the larger animals also require such cover to deliver the litters. Its size and shape also depend upon the size and requirements of the animals. (iii) Shelter Cover: It is that cover which protects the animals from the problematic season etc. It may be bushes or the trees in accordance with the size of the animals. (iv) Roosting Cover (Resting-Cover): The cover under which, shade the animals take rest after taking the food and use as perch. This may be bush, tree or cave. (b) Space: There should be sufficient space for living of the animals. Therefore, space is the important characteristic of the habitat. Without it, the animals cannot survive. Space is multidimensional. It is not only horizontal, but also includes vertical dimension. The horizontal dimension requires sufficient space as per the need of the animals like home-range, territory etc. In vertical dimension in any field, the wild animals are living in six-seven levels such as at the peak height vulture etc. fly; then eagle, crows etc.; then other birds fly and live on the trees; below them some birds and animals like small birds, squirrels, monkeys etc. live on the branches of the trees; just above the ground, some animals dwell in the bushes and grasses; on the ground, the terrestrial animals like small and large mammals roam; and lastly inside the soil, wild soil-dwelling animals live. In lack of sufficient space, the animals come under stress and there is crowd in the habitat and leading towards the diseases, casualty, hampering in courtship and mating, improper supply of food, water and so on. Hence, proper management of the habitat is to provide proper and sufficient basic requirements of the animals (food, water, and shelter) as per the carrying-capacity is the most essential and important primary objective of wildlife management....