CPES (2009)- The Case of the Missing Hawks – 1.4 (pg. 17)

1. In one year, left unchecked by limiting factors, one pair of meadow mice could have over a million offspring! List at least two reasons explaining this rapid exponential growth.

2. What animals did the game warden kill?

3. Why did the game warden kill the hawks

4. What scientific evidence demonstrated that hawks are a key limiting population for the mice?

5. What role did the mice play in the food chain?

6. What role did the hawk play the food chain?

7. What is a bounty?

8. Based on what you read about great horned owls (pg. 20) do you think the protection from hunting should be removed (one comment – it is extremely rare that they would eat a small dog or kitten)?

Questions 9 to 12 – Use the Internet and class discussion to answer these questions.

9. What is a raptor?

10. List two kinds of hawks, one falcon, and two owls that are seen or heard in this part of PA.

11. What kind of hawk is most likely to see along roads and highways near Emmaus?

12. What two raptors (also called birds of prey) are listed in PA as endangered? http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=150321

13. What two raptors (also called birds of prey) are listed in PA as threatened? http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=150321

14. Where is Hawk Mountain? Describe the route to Hawk Mountain from Allentown. About how long would it take to drive there? http://www.hawkmountain.org/

15. Why was Hawk Mountain established as a wildlife sanctuary? http://www.hawkmountain.org/index.php?pr=History

16. When was it established?

17. What is the main reason people visit Hawk Mountain? http://www.hawkmountain.org/index.php?pr=Raptor_Migration

18. Why are so many migrating raptors seen at Hawk Mountain? http://www.hawkmountain.org/index.php?pr=Raptor_Migration Coyotes – Opportunistic Omnivores - 1.5 - (pg. 21) 1. Before settlement by Europeans, what were the two largest predator in the Northeast (including PA)? Were coyotes found in PA?

2. What does this mean: “The coyote is filling an ecological niche that was left vacant in areas where the wolf and the mountain lion were eliminated.” ?

3. What habitat changes have resulted in the increased numbers of coyotes in PA?

4. How do we know that coyotes are omnivores?

5. What may be key limiting factor for coyotes, especially in northern PA?

6. What is the relationship be the deer population and the coyote population in northern PA?

7. Many millions of tax dollars has been spent to reduce or eradicate coyotes in Western states. What is the reason for this?

8. Has the “war on coyotes” been successful? ______Explain why or why not:

9. In many cases predators (such as coyotes) are “blamed” for killing game animals (such as deer) and livestock that they may have eaten, but not actually killed. Explain this.

10. Rather than extensive eradication programs (poisoning, shooting, bounties, etc) what other approaches can be used to decrease coyote problems in Western U.S.?

Use these sites for the remaining questions: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=163663 http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/browse.asp?a=458&bc=0&c=70036

11. About how many coyotes are thought to be in PA?

12. Where in PA are coyotes found?

13. About how large is a coyote?

14. Is it legal to hunt or trap coyotes in PA?

15. Why do we seldom see coyotes?

16. What are the two major remaining predators on PA white-tailed deer?