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Mallards protection and conservation

Published on Nov 18, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Mallards

  • Conservation & Protection

Mallards are threatened everyday by Avian Cholera.

Here we have some Mallards that have been killed by Avian Cholera.

Avian Cholera is caused by catching the bacteria  Pasteurella multocida.

Pasteurella multocida kills in 6-48 hours.

Here we have a Mallard being affected by Avian Cholera.

Mallards are effected by Avian Cholera by dieing in masses.

The Mallard's competition starts forming when they migrate and move to a new ecosystem.

Mallards respond in two different ways to competition.

Those two ways are.

it will move to a different feeding ground and establish a niche.

A Mallard will viciously defend its favorite feeding grounds, or

Mallard's competition can be other ducks, Geese, or other birds.

as seen above Mallards will fight other birds for territory.

Mallards will also go from feeding spot to feeding spot to avoid competition. If enough food is available.

Mallards have a mutualistic relationship with young rice.

Photo by paulhami

Mallards have this relationship with young rice ,so the plant will live

and grow up. Then the mallards will eat the full grown stalk.

Mallards also have this relationship ,so they will have

more food when competition comes around. 

Mallards will provide fertilizer for the young plants.

Photo by cj berry

Also mallards will eat the algae, weeds, and the insects that will kill the young plant.

Mallard's commensalistic relationships are they nest in tall grasses, the base of trees, fallen trees, thick shrubs, and tree trunks.

Mallards have this relationship because predators have driven them to

camouflage and protect themselves by hiding and nesting in these places.

The mallard benefits by having protection and shelter, and

the trees, grasses, or shrubs are not affected.

Mallard's have a parasitic relationship with the northern fowl mite

The Mites have this relationship because we as humans

stopped them from feeding on their original host the chicken.
Photo by blmiers2

The Northern Fowl Mite lives off the mallard's blood for 6 months then it dies.

The Northern Fowl Mite goes through its life cycle in less than a week.

The way the infestation stops is for the mites to run out of hosts.

If their are to many mites on one mallard it will die.

Mallards might have developed the adaptation of webbed feet

to swim faster, escape predators, and catch prey.

Mallards might have developed this adaptation because the

coyote came into their ecosystem and started chasing them on land.

The Mallards with Webbed feet survived and reproduced because they could make it to
the water and swim away to safety.

Secondary succession occurs in a mallard's ecosystem after a hurricane.

Typical hurricane recover time is 2-10 years depending on the destruction.

The ecosystem recovers by the knocked down trees, shrubs, and bushes

beginning to decompose, clearing out fertile soil for new plants to grow.

That allows the herbivores and decomposers to return,

causing their predators to return, restoring the ecosystem.

Now that you have seen the Mallards naturally, it's time to see how they are affected by humans and how we change their ecosystems for better or worse.

Over hunting is a serious problem

for Mallards in some places.

I am not saying that all duck hunting is bad.

All I am saying is when over hunting occurs in an ecosystem it can be bad.

The effects of over hunting can be

that Mallards are driven away from an area.

The reason that is so bad is because the Mallards move to a new area., causing

there to be an overpopulation of Mallards there or hybrid breeding between species.

This can also cause removal of local species through interbreeding or them being chased off.

This can be prevented by

wildlife refuges being created.

This allows the birds to have a resting area in their

local ecosystem instead of having to fly to a new ecosystem or area.

To make sure wildlife refuges are created donate to

Ducks Unlimited.

To donate click here

Think of the ducklings.