Positive Benefits and Negative Impacts of Canada Geese

1 Positive Benefits and NegativeImpacts of Canada GeeseJoseph B. Paulin, Program Associate in Wildlife Management & David Drake, , Extension Specialist inWildlife ManagementWildlife populations, including Canadageese (Branta canadensis), provide avariety of social and economic benefitsfor New Jersey residents. Among these Benefits arerecreational opportunities for viewing and harvest-ing Geese . Although Canada Geese provide enjoy-ment to many, they sometimes come into conflictwith human land use practices, raise concerns abouthuman health and safety, and negatively impactnatural resources. This publication will addresspositive Benefits and Negative Impacts of Canadageese in New distinct populations of Canada Geese can befound in New Jersey and throughout the continentalUnited States. 1) Migratory Canada Geese nest inlocalized areas throughout Canada , Newfoundland,Labrador, and Alaska and migrate annually to win-ter in the continental United States with some reach-ing as far south as northern Mexico.

2 2) ResidentCanada Geese nest and/or reside predominantlywithin the continental United States and typically donot migrate to annual wintering grounds. As thename suggests, they are usually permanent residentsof the area in which they are found. In New Jersey, Negative Impacts are often attributed primarily to theresident Canada goose population. Both migratoryand resident Canada Geese are legally consideredmigratory waterfowl and are afforded protectionunder the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. (For moreinformation consult: Drake, D. and 1024. 2002. A goose is a goose? Differencesbetween migratory and resident Canada Geese . Rutgers Cooperative Extension). Positive BENEFITSC anada Geese provide many Positive Benefits for NewJersey residents. Annually, recreational opportunitiessuch as wildlife-watching and sport hunting contributea significant amount of money to the New Jerseyeconomy.

3 Canada Geese also provide ecologicalbenefits that aid in the survival of other plants andanimals. Many New Jerseyans take pleasure inknowing that Canada Geese are present in the GardenState. Some of the recreational, economic, aesthetic,and ecological Benefits of Canada Geese include:Recreational and Economic: Canada Geese are often enjoyed for the recreationalopportunities they provide New Jerseyans. Birdwatching and sport hunting are two categories thatinclude Canada Geese and are among the most popu-lar recreational opportunities in the Garden StateBird WatchingFor a comprehensive list of our publications visit sheetFS10272and nationally. For example, in 1996, New Jerseybirders spent in excess of $153 million on binocu-lars, spotting scopes and other associated costs. Thenumber of people participating in birding activitieswithin New Jersey, including watching, photo-graphing, and feeding, exceeded 18 million peoplein 2001.

4 Total wildlife-watching expenditures forNew Jersey in 2001 were greater than $ to 1996 statistics, sport hunters spent$ billion nationally on migratory bird hunting. Itwas estimated in 1997 that as these funds flowedthrough the national economy, they generated $ in economic output and 95,700 jobs. As thenumber of migratory bird hunters reached nearly 3million in 2001, national expenditures increased to$ billion. Total hunting expenditures for NewJersey in 2001 amounted to nearly $151 on information from 1991, the New JerseyDivision of Fish and Wildlife estimated that migra-tory bird hunting alone contributed $12 millionannually to the New Jersey :Aesthetics is a philosophy that deals with the natureand appreciation of things considered to be beauti-ful. It is subjective and therefore dependent upon theobserver. Many people find Canada Geese to bebeautiful, enjoy watching them, and take pleasure inknowing that they : Canada Geese provide several ecological benefitsthat may aid other plants and animals.

5 They canserve as seed dispersers by eating plants in one areaand then depositing seeds in another area whendefecating. Goose feces, in moderation, can contrib-ute to soil fertility by adding nutrients. As part of thefood chain, adult Geese , goslings, and eggs providefood for animals such as fox, snakes, raccoons, IMPACTSC ommon landscaping practices of maintaining openareas of short grass, often near bodies of water, havecontributed to resident Canada goose populationsbecoming established in many suburban and urbanareas around the state. Abundant habitat availabil-ity, combined with the loss of natural predators,absence of hunting in many areas, and free hand-outsfrom people, have led to a significant increase in theresident Canada goose population in New Jersey andelsewhere. Resident Geese have been known tonegatively impact agricultural crops, raise concernsabout human health and safety issues, and damageresidential, commercial, and public Damage: Canada Geese have benefited from the agriculturalproducts of humans more than any other waterfowlspecies.

6 Agricultural damage caused by Canadageese includes the grazing and trampling of graincrops, pastures, and spring seedlings. Crops typi-cally affected are alfalfa, barley, corn, soybeans, Canada Geese provide many ecological common New Jersey , rye, and oats. Grazing can result in reducedcrop yields and in some instances the loss of an entirecrop. In addition, although no direct links have beenmade to support the transmission of pathogens (mi-cro-organisms that can cause disease or illness) fromgeese to livestock, the possible affects of goosedroppings on water quality in and around livestockponds, as well as in grazing areas where feces can beingested by livestock, have raised concerns of live-stock Health and Safety:Many New Jersey residents are concerned thatCanada Geese pose a potential threat to human healthand safety. There has been speculation from publicresource managers, citizens, and the media thatCanada Geese can transmit diseases to humansthrough direct contact with feces or through water-borne disease transmission.

7 Although scientificstudies have shown Canada goose feces to possesshuman pathogens such as Cryptosporidium species,Giardia species, Salmonella species, and E. coli, thepotential risk of transmission to humans is not wellunderstood. However, drinking water reservoirsand swimming areas have been temporarily closeddue to high levels of E. coli attributed to goose a precautionary measure people are encouragedto minimize direct contact with goose feces, removeshoes prior to entering the home following contact,and wash hands thoroughly with an antibacterialsoap. Additional examples of safety concerns in-clude goose/aircraft collisions, traffic hazards, slip-ping on goose droppings, and being attacked byaggressive Geese (which often occurs when peopleget too close to nests or goslings).Residential, Commercial, andPublic Property Damage:Resident Canada Geese are often responsible forgrazing damage to turf grass or intolerable levels ofdefecation at public parks and beaches, airports,water treatment reservoirs, corporate business ar-eas, golf courses, schools, college campuses, privatelawns, cemeteries, and community dwellings.

8 Over-grazing and trampling of turf grasses as well as othergrassy areas are common complaints fromgroundskeepers of golf courses and athletic labor and re-seeding costs can be veryexpensive. Additionally, goose droppings haveproven to be a nuisance in recreational sports such asgolf and soccer. Parents whose children play onfields littered with goose feces have become con-cerned about the increased chances of slipping-relatedinjuries. In parks and elsewhere the costs for employ-ees cleaning-up goose droppings have added to theoverall expense of managing resident Canada Resource Damage:Frequently cited examples of natural resource dam-age caused by Canada Geese include grazing andtrampling damage to restored and native wetlands,degraded water quality from fecal contamination,and erosion that occurs when Geese eat and tramplevegetation on slopes adjacent to bodies of amounts of goose feces in water bodies canalso lead to algal blooms that cause oxygen deple-tion.

9 This reduces the amount of oxygen availablefor, and can result in the exclusion or reduction of,aquatic plants and insects, fish, and wildlife speciesthat would normally be Geese feces along bike and pedestrian Geese can be : Canada Geese in New Jersey and elsewhere providea range of economic, recreational, aesthetic, andecological Benefits . However, these Positive ben-efits are often overlooked because of Negative im-pacts to agricultural crops and damage to residential,commercial and public property, and natural re-sources. Concerns raised by citizens, natural re-source managers, and the media about possible hu-man health and safety issues have also had an effecton the way Canada Geese are now perceived by thegeneral :Bellrose, F. C. 1980. Ducks, Geese and Swans ofNorth America, 3rd Edition. Wildlife Manage-ment Institute. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, , D. and J. B. Paulin.

10 FS1024. 2003. A Gooseis a Goose? Differences Between Migratoryand Resident Canada Geese . Rutgers Coopera-tive , H., Coles, M., Rhyan, J. and L. Clark. of Escherichia Coli Serogroups andHuman Virulence Factors in Faeces of UrbanCanada Geese (Branta Canadensis). Interna-tional Journal of Environmental Health Re-search 12, , J. B. and D. Drake. 2002. FS1010. Birdingin the Garden State. Rutgers Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Draft Environ-mental impact Statement, Resident CanadaGoose Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. 2001 NationalSurvey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Asso-ciated Courtesy of Joseph B. Paulin 2004 by Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, NJAES, Rutgers, The State University of New publishing by Rutgers-Cook College Resource Center Published: October 2003 RUTGERS COOPERATIVE RESEARCH & AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONRUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEYNEW BRUNSWICKD istributed in cooperation with Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of Congress on May 8 and June 30, 1914.