Illegal wildlife trade in the Himalayan region of China

The Himalayan region of China, with its rich biodiversity, used to be important for hunting and collecting of medicinal plants. In the past decades, conservation attitudes and legislation for wildlife conservation have developed rapidly in China. Increasing numbers of species are listed in the state protection list and local protection lists. In the Himalayan region, the area of natural reserves is high accounting for 70% of total area of natural reserves in China. However, wildlife in Himalayan region is suffering from illegal hunting and trade even after China has enforced the China Wildlife Protection Law (CWPL). The illegal wildlife trade and smuggling across Sino-neighbouring country borders and illegal wildlife trade related to domestic use flourish in the region. Although domestic illegal trade has declined in the past ten years, international illegal trade and smuggling continue, and are even expanding, thereby threatening survival of many endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni), Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug). Illegal wildlife trade in the region is attributed to four factors. First, the CWPL is still imperfect, especially concerning illegal trade and smuggling across borders. Second, CWPL is not fully enforced. Third, infrastructure in many nature reserves is undeveloped and human resources are lacking. Fourth, protection is hampered by differences in the laws of neighbouring countries, differences in penalties and in degrees of protection. Furthermore, national legislation is often not fully enforced in areas that are inhabited mainly by tribal and minority communities.     

The practice and principles of community-based wildlife management in Zimbabwe: the CAMPFIRE programme

This paper describes Zimbabwe's wildlife-based CAMPFIRE programme. It suggests that community-based natural resource management is a potential solution to the inter-linked problems of poverty and conservation if it is based on sound management principles that also incorporate transparency, accountability and democracy because the unit of management is a community.This first section suggests that many of the causes of these natural resource problems in communal lands are a result of the failure of mechanisms to price and allocate resources efficiently. The second section describes the evolution of CAMPFIRE, while the third section summarizes the principles that underpin the programme. The fourth section discusses the governance of natural resources and describes the process by which rights to wildlife have been devolved. This emphasizes how important political and administrative systems are to wildlife conservation. CAMPFIRE can be viewed as a five-step process: getting an enabling political, legal, administrative and economic environment; creating awareness and a demand for the programme; generating revenues; using these revenues effectively; and, finally, setting in place the institutions and capacity for locally-based natural resource management. The first four sections of the paper deal with step on — the enabling environment, what it is and how it came about. The final section describes the actual implementation of the programme and is rather brief.     

A stakeholder perspective into wildlife policy in India

We investigated perceptions of wildlife policy and issues through questionnaires (n = 148) administered to policy makers, conservation scientists, individuals representing non-government organizations (NGOs), and field officials, who implemented government policies and enforced laws. We found significant differences among attitudes of stakeholders identifying major threats to wildlife, the use of science, the role of poaching in conservation, and the composition of species illegally traded. Policy makers and field officials differed in their views with NGOs and scientists on community response to wildlife policies and the varying threat perceptions to different species due to poaching and illegal trade. We noted ambiguity among stakeholders about sustainable use principles in India. Policies must be more effective in conservation and the process of making policy must be broad-based and participatory if wildlife conservation is to advance on the subcontinent. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

广西恩城国家级自然保护区兽类和鸟类多样性红外相机监测初报

2019年12月—2021年1月,利用红外相机技术在广西恩城国家级自然保护区内布设了58个红外相机监测位点,对保护区内的兽类及地栖性鸟类多样性开展监测。本次监测共完成17 332个相机工作日,累计获得独立有效照片6 680张。共鉴定出兽类5目13科20种,鸟类9目20科61种,其中黑叶猴(Trachypithecus francoisi)为国家一级重点保护野生动物,26种为国家二级重点保护野生动物。被中国脊椎动物红色名录评估为濒危(EN)的有2种,易危(VU) 6种,近危(NT) 19种。物种相对多度指数(RAI)最高的兽类是小泡巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsi),鸟类是白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)。本次监测初步掌握了广西恩城国家级自然保护区内的兽类及地栖性鸟类的种类组成和相对多度指数,为后续开展野生动物研究与保护管理工作提供基础资料。     

秦岭保护区群存在的主要问题和管理对策

本文作者根据秦岭保护区群内７个自然保护区（保护站）存在的主要问题,提出了解决问题的办法。主要问题：一、牛背梁自然保护区的形状、大小、边界区划不合理;二、各自然保护区由于投资和建立时间不同,发展不平衡。三、周边地区商业采伐严重;四、农业蚕食,非法利用自然资源现象得不到制止;五、交通道路穿越保护区,影响动物基因交流;六、旅游开发缺乏统一管理。采取的对策主要是：一、在主要动物活动地带建立联合管理区和生物走廊带;二、加强对老县城自然保护区的管理和投资;三、加强对穿越保护区公路沿线的管理;四、解决对资源的过度利用,开展社区共管工作;五、对旅游实行规范化管理;六、开展多种经营创收。     

Trends and values of ‘Land for Wildlife’ programs for private land conservation

The Land for Wildlife program started in Victoria in 1981 as a voluntary program with the broad aim of supporting landholders in providing habitat for wildlife on their property. The program has since spread across Australia and is implemented in a range of guises, through a variety of governance approaches. This research collected qualitative and quantitative data on Land for Wildlife programs across Australia to conduct the first national review. Data were gathered on changes in program membership to assess different participation trends. In addition, phone interviews with Land for Wildlife coordinators throughout Australia were conducted to explore how the programs are positioned in delivering biodiversity outcomes in a range of different regions. Over 14,000 properties covering 2.3 million ha are currently registered under Land for Wildlife programs. with at least 500,000 ha of habitat managed for conservation. Limited resources present a large challenge faced by a number of programs, with generally low funding and staffing resulting in restricted biodiversity focus and conservation outcomes. We suggest options to enhance the programs and propose future research directions.     

Impact of livestock grazing on biodiversity and giant panda habitat

Livestock grazing occurs in many protected areas for wildlife and has become a threat to wildlife worldwide. Livestock grazing within protected areas causes negative effects to rare wildlife (e.g., giant panda [Ailuropoda melanoleuca]) and their habitat. We used the 2,000-km² Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, southwestern China, to document the effects of livestock on the giant panda and its habitat. We monitored arrow bamboo (Bashania fangiana), wildlife sign (i.e., feces and tracks), and characteristics of plant communities in intact habitat (IH; limited livestock grazing) and disturbed habitat (DH; with grazing disturbance) to assess the effects of livestock grazing and the responses of giant pandas and sympatric species across spatial and temporal scales. Bamboo coverage and the height and basal diameter of bamboo in IH were greater than those in DH, whereas the number of herbaceous species and herbaceous coverage in IH were lower than those in DH. Wildlife signs in IH were greater than those in DH; specifically, giant panda and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) signs were greater, whereas signs of sambar (Rusa unicolor) and tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) in IH were similar to those in DH. Livestock grazing reduced bamboo, which may threaten the long-term survival of the giant panda. Our results have implications for understanding and management of livestock grazing in the Wolong National Nature Reserve and elsewhere. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

Public–private partnership wetland restoration programs benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need and other wetland-associated wildlife

US federal conservation programs, including the National Resource Conservation Service’s Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP), partner with private landowners to conserve and restore wetland habitats. Despite the success of these programs in terms of wetland area enrolled, uncertainties exist as to whether they are meeting their stated goals, including the restoration of wildlife habitat. In the St. Lawrence Valley of New York State, we investigated two questions related to WRP and PFWP wetland restorations. First, was whether restorations provide habitat for wetland-associated wildlife, including Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) prioritized by the New York State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Second, was whether restorations support wildlife assemblages that are comparable to natural reference wetlands. Bird, anuran, turtle, snake, and fish species assemblages were surveyed at 47 WRP and PFWP restorations, and 18 natural reference wetlands. We detected 31 SGCN at restorations, including SGCN from each assemblage surveyed. Assemblage metrics, including species richness and relative abundance, did not differ between restored and reference wetlands for any of the assemblages surveyed. These results indicate that restorations provide habitat for SGCN and other wetland-associated wildlife, and that assemblages at restorations are similar to those at natural reference wetlands. We conclude that WRP and PFWP wetland restorations in this region are meeting federal program-level goals related to the restoration of wildlife habitat, and are contributing to the recovery of SGCN.     

The scientific value of the largest remaining old-growth red pine forests in North America

Old growth red pine forests (Pinus resinosa) cover less than 1% of their original range in North America and are essential for maintaining biodiversity at stand and landscape scales. Despite this, the largest remaining old-growth red pine forest in the world, the Wolf Lake Forest Reserve, is currently threatened by mining claims in Northern Ontario and has been receiving considerable media and public attention in recent months. We provide a timely review of how large old growth red pine forests maintain biodiversity at several taxonomic levels (with a focus on trees and plants) through heterogeneous partitioning of limiting resources such as light and nitrogen, formation of complex habitats through increased accumulation of coarse woody debris, and the maintenance of natural disturbance-driven succession. These processes shape the overstory community, allowing for the regeneration of pines, coexistence of early-mid successional shade intolerant species and cross-ecotonal establishment of late successional tree species in response to regional warming over the past three decades. Using Wolf Lake as a case study, we review legislation and policy complexities around this issue and provide scientific arguments for the preservation of this forest. We invoke recent insights into the ecological role of refugia, the development of criteria for assessing endangered ecosystems, and the challenges of conservation in the face of climate change and disturbance regimes. These forests are ecologically important and provide a scientifically irreplaceable system for assessing baseline ecosystem function, processes and services. As the largest remaining old-growth red pine forest in the world, Wolf Lake Forest Reserve deserves intensive study, monitoring and full protection from future development.     

Breaking Dawn: Factors influencing mammalian habitat usage in western Assam following socio-political instability

The impacts of conflict on nature are devastatingly adverse but differ widely in different socio-economic-political regimes. Armed conflict often facilitates illegal plunder and unsustainable use of natural resources. We studied the response of mammals in Ripu (605.27 sq.km, westernmost part of Manas Tiger Reserve) Reserved Forest (RF) in Assam, India that suffers prolonged anthropogenic pressures due to armed conflict instigated by social unrest. We used standard single-season occupancy models using sign survey to assess factors affecting the space use of mammals. Our study revealed that Ripu RF has a high proportion of area occupied by prey species of large carnivores. Asian elephant, barking deer, and wild pig occupied most of the habitat, whereas gaur, sambar and spotted deer restricted themselves to selected patches. The probability of a site being occupied by the majority of ungulates declines with an increase in anthropogenic activities, including distance to human settlement (measure of prolonged disturbance) and an increase in the proportion of secondary degraded forest. Common leopard was found to be positively associated with prey occupancy and increase in semievergreen and moist-mixed deciduous forest. Our ground efforts to strengthen community patrolling and operational execution of various alternative livelihoods has helped to improve the economic condition of patrolling staff. Strategic implementation of law enforcement could support dispersal of tigers from Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (Bhutan), potentially linked to the larger tiger and elephant landscape far west (Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal) in the Terai region of India. Various community-based conservation initiatives and strategies with sustained support from various agencies, including national, international, and local bodies, is required to restore this critical habitat.     

Wildlife harvesting guidelines for community-based wildlife management: a southern African perspective

African wildlife populations and their habitats are dwindling outside ofstate-protected areas due to escalating human demands on natural resources,while the effective enforcement of conservation legislation is impracticableacross most of the continent. A particular conservation crisis is looming insouthern Africa, where extensive wildlife areas are rapidly giving way tosubsistence agropastoralism. The concept of community-based wildlife management(CBWM) has been embraced by donor agencies as a hopeful solution in areas whereadequate wildlife resources persist and agricultural potential is marginal. Theconservation value of CBWM depends, however, on communities having specificinformation to evaluate the sustainable benefits of wildlife in comparison withalternative landuse options. Furthermore, simple but scientifically soundmonitoring procedures are required to ensure that the offtake from wildlifepopulations is kept within sustainable limits. This paper draws together keyecological issues of relevance to CBWM in southern African savannas andidentifies topics requiring further attention from ecologists. The aim is toassist conservation and development agencies in providing prompt and appropriatetechnical support to communities in areas where opportunities for CBWM stillexist but could soon be foreclosed.     

Human and natural impacts on forests along lower Tana river,Kenya: implications towards conservation and management of endemic primate species and their habitat

Seventy-three forest patches were assessed to determine the effects of human and natural impact on native forests along the Lower Tana River flood plains in Kenya between January and March 2001. Seventeen of these forests were within the Tana River Primate National Reserve (TRPNR) while 56 were outside the protected area. Cultivation and dyke construction had the most devastating human impact, which involved partial or complete forest clearing resulting in further fragmentation of forest patches [Suleman MA, Wahungu GM, Mouria PK, Karere GM, Oguge N, Moinde NN (2001) Tana River primate census and forest evaluation. A report to Kenya Wildlife Services]. Natural impacts were either die back or flooding, which appeared to cause progressive degradation of forest structure and biodiversity. Overall, forest area in the Lower Tana significantly reduced by 34.5% (P < 0.001) over a 21-year period. Forest loss was greater outside the reserve (38%) than inside (29.2%) reiterating the significant role played by this protected area in habitat and species conservation. Continued forest loss increases extinction risks for the endemic primate species the Tana River Red Colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus) and the Crested Mangabey sub-species (Cercocebus galeritus galeritus). Initiation of community conservation programmes outside the reserve and introduction of sustainable micro-economic projects were recommended to enhance sustainable livelihoods and the environment.     

Dogs and Disease Threats to Giant Pandas in China

The potential threat of domestic dogs to wildlife habitat in China is not widely recognized, despite their large population, lack of regulations regarding their control, and threat they pose to native species. In a case study in 2017, we surveyed villages surrounding Liziping Nature Reserve, the primary site for the release of captive-born giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) into the wild. We conducted surveys of dog owners to assess the population size, demographics, free-roaming status, and vaccination and sterilization history of their dogs. We collected blood and fecal samples to assess the prevalence of viral and parasite disease threats. At least 370 owned dogs lived near the core giant panda habitat; 64% were free-roaming, 21% had positive antibody titers for ≥1 of the 4 viruses we tested (canine distemper, parvovirus, rotavirus, rabies), and 67% were positive for gastrointestinal parasites. The high proportion of free-roaming dogs, uninhibited access to the reserve, and high prevalence of infectious diseases indicate that dogs pose a serious threat to wildlife within Liziping. The extent of this threat throughout the giant panda nature reserve network is unknown and should be assessed. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.     

Grass greenness and grass height promote the resource partitioning among reintroduced Burchell's zebra and blue wildebeest in southern Mozambique

Differences in the selection of habitat and specific dietary items support resource partitioning and coexistence of sympatric African grazing herbivores, such as zebra and wildebeest. In Maputo Special Reserve (MSR), southern Mozambique, these two species were extirpated during the civil war (1977–1992); since 2010, they have been reintroduced into the Reserve. Identifying the resource selection by reintroduced species and how these species coexist, while utilising the same resources, is both of ecological interest and important for the management of wildlife communities and parks. This is a key application of our research. Therefore, the present study investigated resource partitioning between Burchell's zebra (Equus burchelli, Smuts 1832) and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus, Burchell 1823) in the MSR. We conducted the study from July 2016 to June 2017. The data were collected by direct observation, driving the vehicle along the reserve's roads that covered the vegetation communities where zebras and wildebeest are known to commonly occur. The composition of the diet and specific features of the grass grazed by the two species, including greenness, height, and the number of stems, were assessed. The widely available grass, Aristida barbicollis, contributed most to the diet of both herbivores. The dietary overlap between the two herbivores was higher during the dry season (95%) than wet season (86%). Resources partitioning appears to be determined, principally, by the height and greenness of the grass, with the zebra grazing taller grass, which may facilitate the access of the wildebeest to the greener, lower proportion of the forage. That results follow the expectation that, among native herbivores, overlap in resource use is not expected based on evolutionary segregation.     

Wildlife Abundance and Diversity as Indicators of Tourism Potential in Northern Botswana

Wildlife tourism can provide economic incentives for conservation. Due to the abundance of wildlife and the presence of charismatic species some areas are better suited to wildlife tourism. Our first objective was to develop criteria based on wildlife abundance and diversity to evaluate tourism potential in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana. Secondly we wanted to quantify and compare tourism experiences in areas with high and low tourism potential. We used aerial survey data to estimate wildlife biomass and diversity to determine tourism potential, while data from ground surveys quantified the tourist experience. Areas used for High Paying Low Volume tourism had significantly higher mean wildlife biomass and wildlife diversity than the areas avoided for this type of tourism. Only 22% of the Northern Conservation Zone has intermediate to high tourism potential. The areas with high tourism potential, as determined from the aerial survey data, provided tourists with significantly better wildlife sightings (ground surveys) than the low tourism potential areas. Even Low Paying tourism may not be economically viable in concessions that lack areas with intermediate to high tourism potential. The largest part of the Northern Conservation Zone has low tourism potential, but low tourism potential is not equal to low conservation value. Alternative conservation strategies should be developed to complement the economic incentive provided by wildlife-based tourism in Botswana.     

Multicriteria Evaluation of Wildlife Management Units in Campeche,Mexico

Abstract: Since 1997 the Mexican government has promoted Management Units for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife (UMAs) on private and community lands as an economically attractive mean for the conservation of biodiversity. To date, compliance of UMAs with stated sustainability goals has not been evaluated. Thus, we designed multicriteria evaluation framework based on the stated objectives of the national UMA program and applied it to a sample of 6 UMAs operating in peasant communities near or in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico. Evaluation criteria covered thematic areas of environment, economy, social development, and laws and rules. We formulated 15 criteria with 29 indicators, and 133 verifiers. Data for the verifiers were based on direct observation, interviews with key actors in the peasant communities, participation in regional meetings, scrutiny of government reports, and databases. We calculated sustainability indexes by weighting, summing, and standardizing verifiers to percentage scales, and aggregating to the successive higher hierarchical levels of the evaluation framework. We found an average overall sustainability index of 45.7% for the UMAs evaluated. Scores were highest for the environment thematic area (55.2%), followed by economy (43.4%), social development (42.3%), and laws and rules (41.7%). We observed particularly low indicators for management strategies, habitat monitoring, environmental education, and knowledge of wildlife laws. We conclude that the contribution of UMAs to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity could be improved by a number of actions. These include developing wildlife management educational programs with a strong environmental legislation component, the correct enforcement of wildlife laws, and creating country-wise links among academic and governmental institutions promoting the work with regional and national wildlife experts.     

Using DNA Barcodes to Identify Road-Killed Animals in Two Atlantic Forest Nature Reserves,Brazil

Road mortality is the leading source of biodiversity loss in the world, especially due to fragmentation of natural habitats and loss of wildlife. The survey of the main species victims of roadkill is of fundamental importance for the better understanding of the problem, being necessary, for this, the correct species identification. The aim of this study was to verify if DNA barcodes can be applied to identify road-killed samples that often cannot be determined morphologically. For this purpose, 222 vertebrate samples were collected in a stretch of the BR-101 highway that crosses two Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Natural Reserves, the Sooretama Biological Reserve and the Vale Natural Reserve, in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The mitochondrial COI gene was amplified, sequenced and confronted with the BOLD database. It was possible to identify 62.16% of samples, totaling 62 different species, including Pyrrhura cruentata, Chaetomys subspinosus, Puma yagouaroundi and Leopardus wiedii considered Vulnerable in the National Official List of Species of Endangered Wildlife. The most commonly identified animals were a bat (Molossus molossus), an opossum (Didelphis aurita) and a frog (Trachycephalus mesophaeus) species. Only one reptile was identified using the technique, probably due to lack of reference sequences in BOLD. These data may contribute to a better understanding of the impact of roads on species biodiversity loss and to introduce the DNA barcode technique to road ecology scenarios.     

Representation of herpetofauna in wildlife research journals

Two groups of wildlife species that are critical for the maintenance of biological diversity in a variety of habitats and who fill a number of functional roles in these habitats are reptiles (Gibbons et al. 2000, Ernst and Lovich 2009) and amphibians (Semlitsch 2003). Globally, reptiles and amphibians (i.e., herpetofauna) make up 46% of species richness of terrestrial vertebrates, but the prevalence of herpetofauna investigations in wildlife research and management journals has not been explored. Our objective was to review representation of herpetofauna in 6 wildlife research journals from 1980 to 2009 to examine whether their representation parallels their contribution to global terrestrial vertebrate species richness, whether their representation has changed over time and how, and whether subsets of herpetofauna garner disproportionate coverage relative to one another. We ran a keyword search in Web of Science database (formerly ISI Web of Science) within the Web of Knowledge search engine published by Thomson Reuters (2010) on 6 wildlife research journals (European Journal of Wildlife Research [formerly Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft], Journal of Wildlife Management, South African Journal of Wildlife Research, Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Research, and Wildlife Society Bulletin) from 1980 to 2009. We searched for 17 terms relevant to herpetofauna (e.g., toad, tortoise). Our search yielded 315 articles that focused on herpetofauna. Over the 30-year period, we found the number of articles and pages and percentage of journal space devoted to herpetofauna increased. However, at best, <6% of journal space was devoted to herpetofauna, indicating that these species are greatly under-represented in wildlife literature given their contributions to species richness and diversity and ecosystem function. Although absolute number of articles and pages has increased, little progress has been made in terms of relative representation of herpetofauna as compared to birds and mammals. Although percentage of pages in wildlife journals dedicated to herpetofauna has increased in the past 30 years, they must garner greater representation to enable us to adequately manage for biological diversity and ecosystem function and integrity. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

An initial assessment of mangrove resources and human activities at Mahout Island,Arabian Sea,Oman

This study was initiated to provide information on mangrove structure, communities, wildlife, socio-economics and human impacts on one of the most important areas of mangroves in Oman at Mahout Island, located on the Arabian Sea coast. The island is fringed with a luxuriant vegetation of mangroves formed by Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. Tree height, diameter at breast-height (dbh) and basal area (m²) show progressive increases from the upper to the lower level of the shore. Density (number of stems/0.1 ha) is variable, showing three peaks in transects across western and southern mangroves. The northern mangroves are the most developed, characterized by muddy substrate, followed by the western on a sandy bottom, and the southern surrounded by rock-flat. The mangroves support a large number of fishes, shrimps, crabs and molluscs. Wildlife are represented by shorebirds, waterfowls, turtles and dolphins.The Mahout population consists of bedouins, mostly supported by fishing. It is semi-settled with seasonal migration in summer to large towns. Fishing activities are usually between September and May. Shrimps and fish are the main natural resources. Human impacts were identified and qualitatively assessed: overutilization of mangroves by woodcutting or livestock grazing; litter and pollution; killing of turtle and other wildlife; removal of benthic marine organisms; the proposed construction of a fishery harbor; and the potential of mariculture and tourism. Management, based on sustainable development, should be undertaken to protect Mahout resources.     

Reconciling Wildlife Management's Conflicted Purpose With a Land Community Worldview

ABSTRACT To reach its potential wildlife management needs a coherent purpose. Traditional divisions between science, society, and nature, however, create conflicts between responsibility to science, the public, and nature. These divisions emerged as early as Plato's (400 BC) allegory of the cave. In Plato's allegory human society existed inside a cave formed by its own delusions, and a philosopher or scientist could leave the cave and apprehend reality in nature. Wildlife management's simultaneous responsibility to public preferences, objective truth, and biotic integrity provides the foundation for a conservation worldview capable of transcending the divisions embodied in Plato's allegory. In this paper we deconstruct the conflicted worldview standing on that foundation and describe a land community-based worldview for wildlife management that could replace it. The transition from traditional views of science, society, and nature to a land community worldview requires 1) changing scientific stewardship from seeking objective truth to seeking credible truth, 2) changing political stewardship from following societal dictates to representing wildlife within the land community, and 3) changing ethical stewardship from protecting biotic integrity to fighting permanent closure of land community boundaries. Adopting a land community worldview for wildlife management requires relinquishing the illusion of absolute objectivity and a fall from status as neutral arbiters of knowledge but provides a means for honorably seeking reliable knowledge, serving the public and respecting the land community.