Which of the following is NOT an ecological principle of wildlife management?

Wildlife management encompasses a wide array of practices aimed at ensuring the sustainability and health of wildlife populations and their habitats. Among the principles listed, providing habitat for endangered species, preserving ecosystem integrity, and maintaining genetic diversity are all foundational to ecological management. They focus on the health and resilience of ecosystems and species populations, which are essential for long-term conservation efforts.

Providing habitat for endangered species aims to increase their chances of survival and recovery, ensuring that these populations can thrive in suitable environments. Preserving ecosystem integrity involves protecting the complex interrelationships within ecosystems, which is vital for maintaining biodiversity and the functionality of natural systems. Maintaining genetic diversity helps in resilience against diseases and environmental changes, enabling populations to adapt over time.

In contrast, providing recreation, such as hunting, while it can be part of wildlife management, does not directly fall under the ecological principles. Recreation focuses more on human enjoyment and use of wildlife resources rather than the ecological stability or the conservation of species and habitats. While regulated hunting can play a role in population control and management, it is not an ecological principle itself but rather a byproduct of management strategies aimed at achieving sustainable wildlife populations.