The spotted owl in southern California: ecology and special concerns for maintaining a forest-dwelling species in a human-dominated desert landscape

Abstract

The California spotted owl is an uncommon forest-dwelling resident of southern California, found in most of the major mountain ranges in the region. We studied this species from 1987 to 1998 in the San Bernardino Mountains and collected empirical and demographic evidence that the population declined during this period. Numerous factors may affect the long-term viability of spotted owls in this region. Key factors include a naturally fragmented distribution, loss and degradation of nesting habitat, loss and degradation of dispersal habitat, severe drought, and (potentially) air pollution. Our insight into the persistence of this owl is limited because we do not know the cause of the population decline we observed in the San Bernardino Mountains. However, it is likely that the decline has resulted from a complex interaction among weather, habitat changes, prey dynamics, and other factors. We provide a regional update on this owl and discuss the problems that may be affecting the species in southern California.

Parent Publication

• Planning for biodiversity: bringing research and management together; Proceedings of a Symposium for the South Coast Ecoregion

Citation

LaHayne, William S.; Gutiérrez, R. J. 2005. The spotted owl in southern California: ecology and special concerns for maintaining a forest-dwelling species in a human-dominated desert landscape. In: Kus, Barbara E., and Beyers, Jan L., technical coordinators. Planning for Biodiversity: Bringing Research and Management Together. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-195. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 199-209