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Modeling the Effects of Harvesting on Virginia's Black Bear Population
Gould, David William
Gould, David William
Abstract
In 1999 the Virginia Department of Game and Inland fisheries developed a long term plan to manage the black bear population in Virginia; in 2001, the VDGIF published a 10 year management plan. Though the plan contained many ideas to manage the bear population - including fertility control, kill permits, regulated hunting, etc., the management proposal lacks any concrete insight as to the ramifications of these options. The models included in this paper aim to analyze the population dynamics of the Black Bear population in Virginia by using a non-linear discrete model which separates bears not only by age, but also by gender. Analysis on the models provide a great deal of insight as to the dynamics of the Black Bears. Additionally, initial data and model simulations suggest that the preservation of the male population is an important factor in maintaining the Black Bear species due to their increased harvest rates, something which is not accounted for in most of the literature concerning the preservation of the Black Bears.
Description
Thesis is part of Honors ETD pilot project, 2008-2013. Migrated from Dspace in 2016.
Date
2009-05-15
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Department
Mathematics