Species-Specific Management

Among the various schemes for wildlife management, one common approach is species-specific management. The goal of management for a single species is usually to stabilize or increase the local population of that species. A manager selects an individual desirable species, identifies its needs, and creates conditions to meet those needs. Usually, management for wildlife involves providing suitable habitat, food, and protection. Managers must also consider reducing disturbance and preventing illegal take, especially at critical times of the year. In some cases, a manager seeks to reduce or eliminate an undesirable species using a similar process. Most of current management knowledge about single species management is based on inferences from observation and experiments.

To aid land managers and landowners in the South who want to manage wildlife species, the Southern Regionof the USDA Forest Service, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, has produced a set of guides:

• "The Land Managers Guide to the Birds of the South" (Hamel 1991).
• "The Land Managers Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the South" (Wilson 1995).
• "The Land Managers Guide to the Mammals of the South" (in press).

• Birds
• Amphibians and reptiles
• Mammals