Journal of Wildlife Management

Journal of Wildlife Management
Title	Journal of Wildlife Management
Discipline	Wildlife biology; Conservation
Abbreviation	J. Wildl. Manag.
Publisher	Wiley on behalf of The Wildlife Society
Country	United States
History	1937–present
Frequency	Bimonthly
Openaccess	Hybrid
Issn	0022-541X

Journal of Wildlife Management is a peer-reviewed scientific periodical focusing on the ecology, conservation, and management of wild vertebrates and their habitats. It is published by Wiley on behalf of The Wildlife Society and serves as a principal venue for research by practitioners affiliated with institutions such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and universities including University of California, Davis, Texas A&M University, and University of Florida. The journal interfaces with policy communities linked to agencies like the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and organizations such as Conservation International and World Wildlife Fund.

History

The journal was established in 1937 during a period of institutional consolidation among conservation organizations including the American Game Protective and Propagation Association and predecessors of The Wildlife Society. Early editors and contributors were connected with landmark efforts at the North American Wildlife Conference and agencies like the Bureau of Biological Survey and later the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Over decades the journal reflected shifts initiated by events and programs such as the Dust Bowl recovery, the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, and the rise of academic ecology at institutions like Yale University, Cornell University, and University of Michigan. Influential figures who published in its pages included researchers associated with the Smithsonian Institution, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Science Foundation’s early ecology programs.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes original research on vertebrate ecology, population dynamics, habitat management, wildlife diseases, human–wildlife interactions, and applied conservation. Typical subject matter intersects with studies from departments at Colorado State University, Oregon State University, and University of Montana and draws on methods used in disciplines represented at centers such as the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Division and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The scope includes applied management experiments, long-term monitoring datasets from places like Yellowstone National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Denali National Park and Preserve, and synthesis work relevant to policy instruments such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity. Contributors are often affiliated with conservation NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Publication and Editorial Information

The journal is issued bimonthly and operates under an editorial structure tied to The Wildlife Society, whose governance overlaps with committees such as the TWS Certification Review Board and regional sections in states like California, Montana, and Alaska. Editors and associate editors have historically come from academic programs at Michigan State University, University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, and agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The publisher, Wiley, manages production, digital access, and subscription services used by libraries at institutions like the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and university consortia. The journal uses a peer-review process common to scholarly outlets including best practices from organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic services and databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and BIOSIS Previews, and is discoverable via catalogues at academic libraries of Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and Oxford University. It is included in citation repositories used by funders such as the National Science Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada), and archives like the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Abstracting coverage supports researchers in fields represented by the Society for Conservation Biology, the American Society of Mammalogists, and the Ecological Society of America.

Impact and Reception

Over its history the journal has influenced wildlife policy debates and management practices applied by agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife departments in Minnesota, Montana, and Wyoming. Highly cited articles have shaped guidance adopted by NGOs including The Nature Conservancy and international programs run by BirdLife International and IUCN. The journal’s impact factor and citation metrics are tracked in services such as Journal Citation Reports and have been discussed at professional meetings like the annual conference of The Wildlife Society and symposia hosted by universities such as Colorado State University and University of Idaho.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Notable contributions include long-term population studies of species managed in places like Yellowstone National Park (wolf–prey dynamics), habitat-selection research for waterfowl tied to the Prairie Pothole Region, disease ecology studies relevant to Chronic Wasting Disease and avian influenza, and methodological advances in capture–recapture pioneered by researchers affiliated with University of Florida, University of Georgia, and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Seminal papers have informed restoration projects in regions such as the Everglades, management frameworks for species like the American black bear and white-tailed deer, and conservation planning for migratory birds covered under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and international collaborations involving Ramsar Convention sites.

Category:Wildlife management journals Category:Publications established in 1937