U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Date of this Version
2013
Citation
Anderson, A., K.Gebhardt, W.T. Cross, and S.A. Shwiff. 2013. Spillover benefits of wildlife management to support pheasant populations. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37(2):278-280. doi 10.1002/wsb.280.
Abstract
Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and other upland game populations in Wyoming, USA, have been declining due to changes in agricultural practices, urban development, and predation. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have been implicated as one of the main predators of pheasant nests. Management of raccoons to support pheasant populations has the direct benefit of increasing pheasant populations and additional spillover benefits to corn producers in the region may occur. We conducted a field study in southeastern Wyoming from July to October 2009 to estimate the increase in corn yield associated with raccoon trapping. Although the primary purpose of the raccoon trapping was the support of upland game bird populations, the added benefit of increased revenue for corn producers is an important consideration. We tracked corn damage in 10 study plots over 6 weeks and estimated that trapping raccoons yields a revenue increase of US$10.75/ha. This type of spillover benefit is rarely considered when raccoon management decisions are made but is significant and should be included in any explicit or implicit benefit–cost analysis of the management action. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Comments
U.S. government work.