Alex Erwin, Florida International University – Predator in the Crosshairs – and on the Ballot

The Academic Minute

How does hunting affect the population of a species?

Alex Erwin, assistant professor of law at Florida International University, explores this.

Professor John (Alex) Erwin is an Assistant Professor of Law at Florida International University College of Law. Combining his legal training with his background as a wildlife biologist, his research is situated at the intersection of environmental law, genetics, and conservation biology. His legal scholarship covers topics such as federal endangered species law, genetic engineering for conservation, and state management of predators. His scientific work, on the other hand, involves the application of genomic methods for game management and endangered species protection. He earned both a Ph.D. in Genetics and a J.D. at the University of Arizona.

Predator in the Crosshairs – and on the Ballot

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Establishing cause and effect in wildlife science is difficult. Many studies on the effect of hunting on wildlife populations are observational, especially when it comes to predators such as wolves, mountain lions and bears.

As a law professor and biologist who looks at how we can use science to improve law and policy, I was able to research the effect of hunting on mountain lions by controlling hunting as a variable.

Working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, we looked at an area in the state where mountain lion hunting was suspended for five years, followed by a five-year period where hunting was reinstated.

Our research found that hunting affected the age class of the mountain lion population. In natural populations, a few older males do the majority of breeding, while in the hunted population, males did not live long enough to become fully established. We also found that hunting reduced genetic diversity in the population.

We hope that that this study design – working with state agencies to experimentally manipulate hunting regulations to better understand cause and effect in wildlife management – can serve as a model.

These experiments could better inform policy decisions. This fall, for example, Coloradans might vote on whether to make the trophy hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx illegal. In Florida, there will be a ballot initiative to introduce a “right to hunt and fish” into the Florida constitution. If passed, it would codify hunting as the preferred way to responsibly manage wildlife in the state.

Through our work, we’ve shown that science and law can mutually benefit each other in wildlife management. Wildlife science can be used to develop management policy. Meanwhile, law can help improve the scientific framework for obtaining the necessary knowledge to make important wildlife management decisions.

Read More:
[Wiley] – Effects of hunting on mating, relatedness, and genetic diversity in a puma population

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