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The past and future roles of competition and habitat in the range‐wide occupancy dynamics of Northern Spotted Owls
Author(s) -
Yackulic Charles B.,
Bailey Larissa L.,
Dugger Katie M.,
Davis Raymond J.,
Franklin Alan B.,
Forsman Eric D.,
Ackers Steven H.,
Andrews Lawrence S.,
Diller Lowell V.,
Gremel Scott A.,
Hamm Keith A.,
Herter Dale R.,
Higley J. Mark,
Horn Rob B.,
McCafferty Christopher,
Reid Janice A.,
Rockweit Jeremy T.,
Sovern Stan G.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.1002/eap.1861
Subject(s) - occupancy , habitat , ecology , competition (biology) , range (aeronautics) , geography , extinction (optical mineralogy) , biology , paleontology , materials science , composite material
Slow ecological processes challenge conservation. Short‐term variability can obscure the importance of slower processes that may ultimately determine the state of a system. Furthermore, management actions with slow responses can be hard to justify. One response to slow processes is to explicitly concentrate analysis on state dynamics. Here, we focus on identifying drivers of Northern Spotted Owl ( Strix occidentalis caurina ) territorial occupancy dynamics across 11 study areas spanning their geographic range and forecasting response to potential management actions. Competition with Barred Owls ( Strix varia ) has increased Spotted Owl territory extinction probabilities across all study areas and driven recent declines in Spotted Owl populations. Without management intervention, the Northern Spotted Owl subspecies will be extirpated from parts of its current range within decades. In the short term, Barred Owl removal can be effective. Over longer time spans, however, maintaining or improving habitat conditions can help promote the persistence of northern spotted owl populations. In most study areas, habitat effects on expected Northern Spotted Owl territorial occupancy are actually greater than the effects of competition from Barred Owls. This study suggests how intensive management actions (removal of a competitor) with rapid results can complement a slower management action (i.e., promoting forest succession).