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for ending small-game hunting . The arguments will go that squirrels bury seeds and nuts , which become trees and shrubs , contributing to the fight against habitat loss . Raccoons help the soil by not only spreading seeds , but by digging it up and also killing pest populations like wasp larvae , which , of course , helps protect another species of concern , pollinator bees . The abandoned burrows of groundhogs provide shelter for other small animals , amphibians and lizards while also aerating and irrigating the soil . Beavers , of course , create wetlands , preserving water during this time of climate change and drought , and are the backbone of our wetland systems . So , of course , all hunting and trapping of these biological lynchpins must cease .
Waterfowl : Speaking of wetlands , waterfowl hunting could easily face calls for severe regulation or outright stoppage in some areas . These complex ecosystems are home to a menagerie of wildlife , including endangered species , and once again , the argument will go , we must consider the effects of climate change and the loss of wetlands for migrating ducks and geese to layover unmolested . Likewise , endangered whooping cranes could be mistaken for sandhill cranes , which are also still recovering from low numbers , and dusky geese could be mistaken for other Canada goose species . A simple identification course won ’ t be enough to appease extremists , only the closing of a season . And if waterfowl populations don ’ t necessitate it , other endangered species could . Consider a post by the Center for Biological Diversity that touts seven species of freshwater mussels , and their habitat , were just protected under the Endangered Species Act in Texas . If one of those mussels is found along the shoreline of your local duck blind , a legal argument exists for closing the area .
CONTEXT MATTERS
We used biodiversity as a leverage word throughout this article , but that doesn ’ t mean that it ’ s not an issue . Of course , we ’ re facing issues related to biodiversity loss — hunters and anglers aren ’ t arguing that point . But the context of biodiversity and the resulting actions taken in its name matter .
Activists who claim biodiversity as reason to end hunting of black bears , mountain lions , coyotes or any other plentiful species are participating in the associative sleight of hand we mentioned . Biodiversity refers to the diversity of biological species within a landscape . It does not increase simply by adding more of any one species to that landscape .
Adding more black bears to Washington ’ s population of 25,000 or more wolves to Idaho ’ s population of 1,500 doesn ’ t increase biodiversity at all . It means there are more animals the habitat must support , but it doesn ’ t mean biodiversity has increased . And it does nothing to remedy the biodiversity loss on the other side of the globe .
Consider the fact that biodiversity loss is a very , very small issue in North America and has almost nothing to do with hunting . Largely , it ’ s a global issue taking place in very specific areas . A recent study found that protecting 1.2 percent of the earth ’ s surface would head off the “ sixth great extinction ” you ’ ve likely heard about .
The paper found that 61 percent of the sites needing protection are in the tropics , with 76 percent found specifically in tropical rainforests . Moreover , Brazil and the Philippines represent more than one-third of these sites .
As hunters and anglers , we ’ re happy to discuss biodiversity , habitat loss , ecosystems , keystone species and any other loaded verbiage used , but we need to do it honestly and in context — not as a catch-all panacea for global issues far removed and wholly unrelated to the scientific and legal hunting of North American species .
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