I've been thinking about Northern Spotted Owls (SPOW) and Barred Owls. Yesterday, when Jonathan (my husband), was driving to Seaside, he saw and photographed a dead Barred Owl (BADO) which had been struck and was laying just off the road on HWY 26 in the Coast Range. He sent me a photo and I identified the poor bird as a BADO by the size, a bright yellow/orange beak and the striking vertical brown streaks on the breast.
In the Smithsonian article, Craig Welch revisits the status of the SPOW and travels with biologist Eric Forsman through old growth south of Corvallis. Eric Forsman was among the very first to document a SPOW nest and his research findings on the owl fueled the battle over logging of Ancient Forests on federal lands in the PNW. This is a good read, with great photos. We meet a few birds Eric has long studied. Eric's reflections on his past work and the NSOWs current condition are poignant.
The article is interesting on another level too, because it points to a bigger, hard truth: Climate change is changing landscapes and biological communities very quickly. Conserving imperiled species is increasingly complex and more challenging than ever.
"As climate chaos disrupts migration patterns, wind, weather, vegetation and river flows, unexpected conflicts will arise between species, confounding efforts to halt or slow extinctions. If the spotted owl is any guide, such conflicts could come on quickly, upend the way we save rare plants and animals, and create pressure to act before the science is clear."
One wonders, what if we hadn't reduced our Ancient Forests to a mere five percent of their former extent, would the BADO would be pushing the SPOW to the brink? Perhaps we'll never know. In any case, protecting ALL remaining Ancient Forests as SPOW habitat is fast becoming the SPOW's last, best hope. And, in the bigger picture, protecting the biggest and the best of remaining native habitats and processes is where the action will be for imperiled wildlife. Read more
Meg Ruby
Northern Spotted Owl by Glen Tepke
ReplyDeletehttp://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/110928.html
(Washington, D.C., September 28, 2011) The U.S. Forest Service has proposed eliminating reserves in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington State protecting the threatened Northern Spotted Owl. It has also weakened management standards that could increase logging in owl habitat. The proposal is the first for a National Forest following completion of the Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.