Synthesis and interpretation of California spotted owl research within the context of public forest management

Abstract

In this chapter, we synthesize the information presented in the preceding chapters of this assessment of the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and provide a scientific appraisal of its implications for forest management and owl conservation. We focus on the key scientific findings since the 1992 California spotted owl technical assessment (CASPO) (Verner et. al. 1992) and discuss priorities for future research that could enhance the successful conservation of California spotted owls and their habitat. Throughout this chapter, we acknowledge when uncertainty limits well-founded conclusions and articulate differences in interpretation of the scientific literature, where such differences exist. The development of a spotted owl conservation strategy will require additional, careful analysis and deliberation to arrive at specific and scientifically defensible management guidelines (sensu CASPO; Verner et al. 1992).

Parent Publication

• The California spotted owl: current state of knowledge

Citation

Peery, M. Zachariah; Gutiérrez, R.J.; Manley, Patricia N.; Stine, Peter; North, Malcolm P. 2017. Synthesis and interpretation of California spotted owl research within the context of public forest management. In: Gutiérrez, R.J.; Manley, Patricia N.; Stine, Peter A., tech. eds. The California spotted owl: current state of knowledge. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-254. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 263-291. Chapter 9.