This page introduces you to Conservation Core Concept 11. There are 12 Core Concepts.
Core Concepts are fundamental ideas in fish and wildlife conservation that clearly state what every citizen should know about:
- Conservation of Florida’s fish and wildlife
- Managing Florida’s fish and wildlife resources
- Role of fish and wildlife agencies in conservation
- Role of citizens in fish and wildlife conservation
Incorporating the Core Concepts into FWC’s education and outreach programs focuses and strengthens these efforts in Florida.
11. Protecting, restoring and managing habitat is critical to managing and conserving Florida’s fish and wildlife.
Key Message: Habitat management, protection and restoration help sustain and conserve ecosystems and benefit Florida’s fish, wildlife and human populations.
Why this is important: Sustainable fish and wildlife populations depend on abundant and healthy habitat. FWC employs a variety of habitat management strategies that include techniques such as prescribed fire, invasive species removal, lake draw-downs and vegetation replanting in order to restore or maintain essential habitats for fish and wildlife. Habitat management techniques are based on determining the relationships between habitat and fish and wildlife populations, and manipulating habitats and/or fish and wildlife populations to meet a specific goal.
Some of the many tools biologists use to help wildlife thrive include:
- Species restoration
- Wildlife monitoring and management (mapping locations of species, erecting nest boxes, planting high quality forage)
- Habitat management (prescribed fire, roller chopping, mowing, timber thinning)
- Habitat restoration (replanting vegetation, restoring natural water flow)
- Invasive species management (removal or treatment)