Team Number: One of the Best
Team Number: One of the Best
School Name: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Techology
Area of Science: Biology
Project Title: Herd Management Oryx At White Sands Missile Range Predator/Prey
Problem Definition: There are many variables that affect the dynamics of a herd's population. Many of these are uncontrollable by human management methods. One method that can be controlled is the number of animals taken from the herd by hunting. Can a population of game animals be managed by controlling harvest rates when no natural predator exists?
Background: This project explores the population variations of the Oryx gazella, a large African antelope, that now lives in southern New Mexico on White Sands National Monument and on the Missile Range. Recent information obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Soccoro office, is that the Orxy has migrated up as far as Bosque del Apache. Newspaper accounts tell that the animal has made in roads in the McGregor firing range, which is a part of Ft. Bliss, also in southern New Mexico.
Assumptions: Some basic assumptions that will be made are that the herd population changes almost every 9 to 10 months because the Oryx is able to reproduce year round, for as long as 18 years. The oryx is classified as an adult at the age of 2. Death rate will come from natural causes and hunting.
Math ModelThe adult oryx is affected by three factors: adult survival rate, the harvest rate, and the number of new born that mature. Of course, the largest affect on the population is going to be hunting. As in the oryx natural habitat in Africa, seasonal changes are not a factor in death rate or birth rate.
Conclusion We wanted to know if a species of animal with no natural predator can be properly managed through natural causes and hunting. We introduced a limited number of hunters into the scenario. We expect that the end results will show that human factor is not the optimal method for controlling or managing herds. There are similar scenarios is other states such as Florida, in which exotic animals have been introduce into the ecosystem that have no natural predators.