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by SantaFeJoe on Fri Dec 11, 2015 4:20 pm
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The Northern Spotted Owl is now facing another threat from the Barred Owl:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... re-losing/

Joe
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by WDCarrier on Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:14 pm
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Interesting subject without much science infused in it, only speculation. Why is the barred owl (a native NA species) invading spotted owl territory? Human alteration of habitats making it more suitable for barred owls? Climate change allowing barred owls to occupy habitats formerly only suited to spotted owls? Natural progression of “survival of the fittest” that has happened time and time again? None of these? All of these? The forested ecosystem doesn’t care about the color of the owl. It seeks a top nocturnal avian predator that preys on mid-sized mostly arboreal mammals.

Shooting barred owls is an insane non-scientific effort to forestall the inevitable. Do we permanently post guards armed with shotguns at the Washington/Oregon/California borders with orders to shoot any barred owl that tries to cross? Maybe only until we reverse the global warming trends…right? The scientists involved forget that ecosystems are not static…never have been. They have always changed although in some cases with help from inept human intervention, either accidental or purposeful. Today’s single species-focused biologists have forgotten to key word to ecosystem stability…Function.
[font=Helvetica, sans-serif]“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK[/font]
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by SantaFeJoe on Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:28 pm
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Interesting questions and points! Not much different topic from what you posted here:

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=259759

Does it really matter if a species is native to NA or other parts of the world? We really don't know where anything was originated or formerly occupied other that speculation. Just like wild horses. Are they just repopulating former ranges or truly invasive? What does concern me is the fact that a more populous species might contribute to the extinction of another species. The same might happen in the future between Mourning and White-winged Doves and the Eurasian Doves that will soon spread out of the cities to other habitat because of overpopulation and their seemingly great propensity for procreation.

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
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by WDCarrier on Wed Dec 16, 2015 1:27 pm
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SantaFeJoe wrote:Interesting questions and points! Not much different topic from what you posted here:

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=259759

Does it really matter if a species is native to NA or other parts of the world? We really don't know where anything was originated or formerly occupied other that speculation. Just like wild horses. Are they just repopulating former ranges or truly invasive? What does concern me is the fact that a more populous species might contribute to the extinction of another species. The same might happen in the future between Mourning and White-winged Doves and the Eurasian Doves that will soon spread out of the cities to other habitat because of overpopulation and their seemingly great propensity for procreation.

Joe
True...but again, FUNCTION!   The solution isn't shooting the species we "think" are invading because of human intervention.  First...it just won't work.  Second, who gets to decide?  Canada geese have invaded golf courses and parks nation-wide but there's little effort to do much about it...even the feds haven't increased the hunting season on them significantly.  I posted about Eurasian doves in the past.  I could shoot every one of them at my feeders but I expect more would show up.  Everyone seems happy as Hell with the introduction of turkeys into non-native habitats but Mike O indicated they have had a detrimental effect on small reptile and amphibians in Oregon.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) the system readjusts to these changes...to a degree.  The real danger is in the simplification of ecosystems as opposed to changes in speciation.  As far as I'm concerned, none of it's good but I fear we've been on that road too long to change our course at this point.  Remember...the Paris climate change agreements are VOLUNTARY!!!  Just wait until their application begins to affect the economy in Texas and see how effective they are.  I don't hold out much hope.
[font=Helvetica, sans-serif]“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK[/font]
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by Paul Fusco on Thu Dec 17, 2015 12:43 pm
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I would imagine that the FWS is acting on the option of shooting barreds because it is the cheapest and easiest way to attempt to address the situation. They know the real problem is habitat loss and poor forest management by the timber companies and other federal agencies. They just won't address the situation properly maybe because the right thing to do is to stop clear cutting old growth forest habitat. That means it's a money issue. And since greed is pervasive when it comes to any conflict between wildlife/habitat and economic special interests guess who wins?
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