College of Forestry and Conservation

Wildlife Biology

Daniel H. Pletscher, Professor, Wildlife Biology Director

Wildlife Biology is the study of wild animals, their habitats, and their conservation. The Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology degree constitutes the preprofessional training for future employment in wildlife biology and management, and provides an excellent background in general ecology. The educational requirements for certification by The Wildlife Society can be met within the framework of the undergraduate program.

While employment opportunities do exist in wildlife conservation for students with the baccalaureate degree, many students plan to continue their education through the master’s degree to qualify for wildlife management or research positions.

Three optional curricula are offered in the Wildlife Biology Program: terrestrial, aquatic, and honors. All three options follow the same schedule of courses for the freshman and most of the sophomore year, then pursue different curricula for the last two years. Each leads to a B.S. in Wildlife Biology.

The University is well suited for instruction in wildlife biology because of the excellent opportunities for field instruction and research, and the presence of such facilities as the Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Yellow Bay Biological Station at Flathead Lake, the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Bandy ranches.

High School Preparation: In addition to general University admission requirements, the student should elect four years of mathematics and three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics.

Special Degree Requirements

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.

The Upper-division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing BIOL 341 and two courses selected from BIOL 304, 306, 316, 366, WBIO 470, 497 (senior thesis).

The student must complete the requirements for one of the options indicated below. A reading knowledge of a modern foreign language is suggested for students electing preparation for graduate work leading to a doctorate.

To obtain the B.S. in Wildlife Biology, the student must have a 2.5 grade point average or higher in all courses taken at The University of Montana.

Suggested sequence subject to frequent change. Some courses are offered more than one semester/year.

Terrestrial and Aquatic Options

Terrestrial Option

Aquatic Option

Wildlife Biology Honors Emphasis

The honors curriculum is designed particularly for students with strong academic records who intend to do graduate work. Entrance into this emphasis is open only to students who, at the beginning of the junior year of the wildlife biology program, have a grade point average of 3.5 or above and who petition the faculty for entrance.

Honors students must complete either WBIO 370, 470 and 494 (terrestrial option) or BIOL 308, 366 and WBIO 494 (aquatic option). Honors students are encouraged to enroll also in WBIO 497 Senior Thesis. The balance of the coursework for the junior and senior years will be developed in consultation with the honors student’s faculty advisor and committee appointed by the director of the wildlife biology program.

All students in the honors emphasis are required to meet with their faculty advisors prior to autumn semester registration of their junior and senior years to work out their course schedules.

Requirements for a Minor

To earn a minor in wildlife biology, the student must successfully complete the following coursework: BIOL 108N, 109N, 201N, 350; FOR 275; FOR 330 or 360; WBIO 180, 270.

Courses

U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.

Wildlife Biology (WBIO)

U 105N Wildlife and People 3 cr. Offered autumn. Intended for non-wildlife majors. Interactions of wildlife and people in today’s society.

U 180 Careers in Natural Resources 2 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Same as FOR 180, RECM 180. Subject matter and fields of study within natural resources management. Topics include forestry, wildlife biology, range, water, recreation management, forest products production and other areas of opportunity for students seeking careers in natural resources.

U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 240 Introduction to Biostatistics (Honors) 3 cr. Offered autumn even-numbered years. Prereq., calculus and consent of instr. Same as BIOL 240. Introduction to statistical ecology: distributions, hypothesis testing, and fitting models to data with emphasis on problems in ecological sampling.

U 245 Science Writing 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., ENEX 101 or equiv. Discussion of different types of science writing and focus on methods to achieve more fluent prose. Includes material on logic, inference, and developing arguments that rely on data.

U 270 Wildlife Management Issues 2 cr. Offered autumn. An exploration of wildlife conservation issues and problems facing wildlife managers; suggestions for solutions. For wildlife biology majors.

U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

UG 370 Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in wildlife biology, an ecology class, or consent of instr. Application of principles of wildlife biology to conservation and management of wild bird and mammal habitats including field applications.

UG 373 Wildlife Techniques 2 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., any statistics course; one 300 level ecology or wildlife biology course. Lab and field oriented class in commonly used wildlife research and management techniques.

U 374 Hunter Check Stations 1 cr. (R-2) Offered autumn. Students learn techniques for determining species, age and sex of game animals, then work 3-5 days as volunteers at hunter check stations operated by management agencies.

U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 396 Independent Study 1 6 cr. (R 6) Offered every term.

U 398 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-15) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.

UG 410 Wildlife Policy and Biopolitics 3 cr. Offered autumn. Overview of the laws affecting wildlife and how those laws are initiated, implemented, and enforced; impact of politics, interest groups, and agency jurisdictions.

UG 441 Field Methods in Fishery Biology and Management 1 4 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., BIOL 308 or 357; consent of instr. Same as BIOL 415. Field instruction by practicing biologists in techniques for evaluating and managing aquatic habitats and fish populations.

UG 446 Wildlife Physiological Ecology 3 cr. Offered spring. Same as BIOL 446. Prereq., BIOL 221, 223 and 340. How physiological and biochemical processes in animals influence behavior and ecology. Application of physiological approaches to wildlife conservation such as assessment of animal health, nutritional condition, and physiological performance.

UG 460 International Wildlife Conservation Issues 2 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., a course in wildlife biology and/or conservation biology. Review of major international wildlife conservation issues with emphasis on the social context of the issues and applied solutions.

UG 470 Conservation of Wildlife Populations 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., 300 level animal ecology class, WBIO 370, and senior standing. Application of population ecology principles and theory to the conservation and management of wildlife populations.

UG 472 Wildlife Handling and Veterinary Perspectives 2 cr. Offered spring. Field techniques associated with wildlife capture and handling. Ethical and legal issues, field organization, animal care and handling, chemical immobilization, veterinary emergencies and human safety.

UG 475 Case Histories in Conservation Policy 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., senior or graduate standing in conservation major or consent of instr. Understanding development and primary aspects of conservation policy. Exercises in policy analysis as individuals and in team efforts.

UG 494 Senior Wildlife Seminar 1 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., senior standing in wildlife biology or consent of instr. Analysis and discussion led by students of current topics in wildlife biology.

UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 10) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Original investigations or problems not related to student’s thesis.

U 497 Senior Thesis 1 3 cr. (R 6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr.; senior standing. Preparation of major paper based on study or research of a topic selected with an advisor according to needs and objectives of student.

U 498 Cooperative Education Experience 1 6 cr. (R 6) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.

G 540 Experimental Design 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., introductory statistics course or consent of instr. Examination of study designs for experiments, quasi-experiments, observational studies, and sampling surveys with an emphasis on application.

G 542 Current Issues in Biometrics 1 cr. (R-3) Offered every term. Prereq., introductory statistics course or consent of instr. Exploration of current topics in biometrics through discussions, student presentations, and analysis.

G 560 Wildlife Landscape Ecology 3 cr. Offered spring. Examination of how various spatial and temporal scales influence wildlife and their habitats.

G 562 Wildlife Habitat, Structure and Function 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., For 330, 360; WBIO 370; or consent of instr. Study of selected topics in habitat classification and analysis, and animal habitat interactions.

G 570 Applied Population Ecology 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., courses in ecology, statistics, and calculus. Application of advanced population ecology tools and concepts to the evaluation of human perturbations on wildlife populations. Topics include methods to detect declining trends, the interacting components of population viability analysis, and identification of strategies to reverse declines.

G 572 Model Selection and Inference 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years. Prereq., one semester of 400-level statistics/biometry or consent of instr. Comparison and overview of statistical approaches commonly used in applied ecology, including frequentist/ANOVA models, information theoretic and Bayesian methods.

G 575 Frontiers in Conservation Research 2 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn. Prereq., upper-level course in conservation genetics or populations genetics. Same as BIOL 575. Exploration of current topics in conservation biology with emphasis on genetic issues in conservation.

G 576 Ecological Modeling and Analysis 2-3 cr. Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Investigation of mathematical and statistical problems in ecology and wildlife biology. Specific material each semester is determined by student interest.

G 580 Readings in Population Dynamics 1 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. Discussion of recent papers on interface of population dynamics, ecological interactions, and wildlife management.

G 594 Graduate Seminar in Wildlife Biology 1 cr. (R 3) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology or consent of instr. Analysis of selected problems in wildlife biology and conservation.

G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 10) Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing and consent of instr. Original investigations or problems not related to student’s thesis.

G 597 Research Variable cr. Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology or consent of instr. Graded pass/not pass only.

G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R 6) Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology and consent of instr. Professional paper written in the area of the student’s major interest based on either primary or secondary research. Subject matter must be approved by graduate committee. Graded pass/not pass only.

G 697 Research 1 15 cr. (R 15) Offered every term.

G 699 Thesis Variable cr. (R 10) Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology. Preparation of thesis.

Faculty

Professors

Donald J. Bedunah, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1982

Jill M. Belsky, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1991

Perry J. Brown, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971 (Dean)

James A. Burchfield, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1991 (Associate Dean)

Edwin J. Burke, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1978

Thomas H. DeLuca, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1993

Carl Fiedler, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1990 (Research)

Wayne A. Freimund, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1993 (Chair of Society and Conservation)

Stephen F. McCool, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1970

L. Scott Mills, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1993

Kelsey Milner, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1987

Norma Nickerson, Ph.D., University of Utah, 1989 (Research)

Daniel H. Pletscher, Ph.D., Yale University, 1982 (Director, Wildlife Biology Program and Chair of Ecosystem Conservation and Sciences)

Donald F. Potts, Ph.D., State University of New York, 1979

LLoyd Queen, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1988

Steven W. Running, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1979

Stephen F. Siebert, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1990

Jack Ward Thomas, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1972

Ronald H. Wakimoto, Ph.D., University of California, 1978

E. Earl Willard, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971

Hans R. Zuuring, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1975 (Chair of Forest Management)

Associate Professors

Paul B. Alaback, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1980

William T. Borrie, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995

R. Neil Moisey, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1997

David Naugle, Ph.D., South Dakota State University, 1998

Martin Nie, Ph.D., Northern Arizona, 1998

Mike Patterson, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993

Diana Six, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, 1997

Assistant Professors

Woodam Chung, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 2002

Elizabeth Crone, Ph.D., Duke University, 1995

Lisa A. Eby, Ph.D., Duke University, 2001

John M. Goodburn, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999

Tyron Venn, Ph.D., University of Queensland, 2004

Scott Woods, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 2001

Emeritus Professors

David H. Jackson, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1975

Alan McQuillan, Ph.D., University of Montana, 1981

Thomas J. Nimlos, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1959

Robert D. Pfister, Ph.D., Washington State University, 1972

Robert R. Ream, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1963

Robert W. Steele, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1975