Conservation Ethics: spotted owl vs barred owl

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Preservation Through Education THE NORTHWEST WILDLIFE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

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The natural world works in a fascinating equilibrium. Human conservation management has become a necessity due to negative repercussions of our actions. British Columbia is home to an amazing range of wildlife. Unfortunately, the number of endangered and extirpated species continues to climb. Human activity is the main reason why the endangered species list is steadily growing. One endangered species in particular, the spotted owl, has been frequenting the news in the Pacific Northwest for a number of years and can be seen in headlines across the United States and Canada. Part of the controversy has been the conservation plan which prescribed the culling of barred owls. Both owls are native species and have co-existed for many years but now the barred owl is seen as a rival that is outcompeting the spotted owl.

trinsic worth. An organism has the right to exist as a separate entity.

When creating management plans it is easy to reinforce the worth of certain species based on the integral role it plays in an ecosystem or the added value that humans benefit from. Besides all of the added values a species may contribute, they also have intrinsic value. One reason some people may not believe in protection of endangered species is because extinction is a normal function of the natural world. Losing species in large numbers has occurred in the past, these events are called mass extinctions. We are currently entering a phase of mass extinction called the Holocene extinction. This is the first mass extinction to be caused by one species, Homo sapiens. The current extinction rate is around 2.5% a year whereas past extinction rates are estimated to be less than one species per year. Human activity In conservation sciences many scien- plays a large role in the accelerated tists believe that organisms have in- rate of extinction.

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Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society

720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com

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Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society

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720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com

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The main contributors to species loss are habitat destruction, pollution of the environment, and overharvesting. Habitat destruction includes fragmentation which degrades the quality of the habitat. Another factor is habitat loss which is often caused by urban encroachment and urban conversion. The more an area is polluted, direct harm can come to wildlife as well as a decrease in their food source and habitat. Overharvesting of an area also contributes to the loss of the resources a species may need to sustain a healthy population.

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David Patte/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Plans across North America cropped up to relocate and exterminate the barred owl seeing as they have similar habitat and food source needs as the spotted owl. In order for the natural oscillation between two competitive species to occur, a threshold of the resources they are competing for can’t dip below a certain level. Conservation plans that ensure there is a sufficient area of habitat and large enough food source encourages the natural oscillation to take place around the biological equilibrium of those two species. The underlying problem is not the barred owl out-competing the spotted owl, it is the lack of habitat which is leading to an insufficient food source. With the individuals in the barred owl population being targeted, this is not the first time a species quality of life and right to exist has been compromised in conservation efforts of another species.

Works Cited: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_events http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/intrinsic-value-ecology-and-conservation-25815400 http://www.npr.org/2014/01/15/262735123/to-save-threatened-owl-another-species-is-shot http://www.rug.nl/research/theoretical-biology/_pdf/hw02_ecores.pdf http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Glimmer+hope+endangered+owls/9860860/story.html

Publication by Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society and written by Anitra Paris Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society

720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com

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