Scientists say northern spotted owl is now functionally extinct in many areas
A new study from Oregon State University indicates that the northern spotted owl is now functionally extinct across large portions of its historic range. This decline highlights the failure of long-term conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest forests.
Why it matters
The status of the owl serves as a critical indicator of the health of old-growth forest ecosystems and the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act.
In 1990, a small bird became an unlikely symbol of one of America’s fiercest environmental battles. The northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the future of vast stretches of old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest at the centre of a bitter fight between environmentalists and the logging industry.Thirty-six years later, scientists say the species has reached a far more alarming point. The northern spotted owl is already functionally extinct, or close to it, across large portions of its historic range, according to a new study from Oregon State University.Functional extinction does not necessarily mean that every individual bird has disappeared.
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