Subject: [Tweeters] Specialist vs generalist: Why save a doomed species?
Date: Feb 7 23:43:25 2011
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


Tweeters,

There is a serious flaw in Rob Sandelin's reasoning. He assumes that Spotted
Owls are "specialists" and that Barred Owls are "generalists". Sez who?

Whether a species is a specialist or a generalist is not an absolute-- it
depends very much on one's point of view. In terms of habitat choice, one
could argue quite strongly that Spotted Owls are generalists, and Barred
Owls are specialists, at least in terms of the original vegetation of
western Washington. Spotted Owls prefer old-growth conifer forest-- a
habitat type that probably covered half or more of western Washington prior
to European settlement. Barred Owls prefer deciduous or mixed forest,
usually close to water-- a habitat which would have covered far less area in
the old days than old growth conifers.

Spotted Owls only APPEAR to be specialists because we have destroyed 90% of
their habitat, while creating large amounts of suitable habitat for Barred
Owls. I've heard the same invalid "specialist" argument used to explain why
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have become endangered in the South. Once again,
their habitat was once very widespread, but has become much scarcer because
of logging and over-zealous fire suppression. Rob, you sound like you
borrowed your terminology and your arguments from the lumber companies.

It is true that we will likely never get back to the area of old-growth
forest, or the number of Spotted Owls, that once existed in western
Washington. However, there is enough old-growth forest left now to sustain
hundreds and hundreds of Spotted Owls in WA, IF they did not have to deal
with the additional pressure of things like competition from the alien
Barred Owl.

The arguments used by Rob are the same as those used by developers, lumber
companies, and other enemies of environmentalism and of the Endangered
Species Act. For the most part, threatened species are "doomed" only if we
continue to subject them to further habitat loss, and to new competitors,
predators, etc. Many species once thought to be "doomed" have recovered, or
are well on the road to recovery, because of concerted action taken under
the Endangered Species Act. It is disappointing to think that we have to
combat the attitudes not only of the large segment of the public that cares
little about the environment, but even of some of those within the TWEETERS
community, in order to put recovery plans into action.

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net





-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Rob
Sandelin
Sent: February-07-11 8:05 PM
To: 'WA list'
Subject: [Tweeters] Specialist vs generalist: Why save a doomed species?

We will NEVER recreate the old growth habitat that has been lost, and far
too much has been lost. If indeed, spotted owls are specialist to the point
they can only reproduce in those habitats, then they are doomed. Eventually
fires, new logging priorities, congressional removal of the endangered
species act, new forest plans, will doom the owls to the fate most
specialist species encounter in the irreversibly human changed landscape.
Fragmented old growth will not last, we are not creating any significant
additions under ANY forest management plan anywhere. So, bit by bit, the
habitat will be gone, and the generalist species will take its correct place
and the specialist will lose. This is obvious ecological reality, not just
for Spotted owls, but for any and all habitat specialist species. They will
end up, like the condor, simply with no place to go, obligate to human
support, tiny fragmented populations inbreeding until they are no longer
viable. While there are small reserves of habitat that might remain post
climate change, it is unlikely to be anything large enough to maintain a top
predator. Shooting Barred owls now only slightly delays the eventual
extinction of an owl who will have no place but a zoo to call home. Sorry if
this seems over pessimistic but the curve of human population growth and
forest habitat modification by climate change will doom any organism that
can not quickly adapt to new conditions. A few big wildfires and the core of
the remaining habitat is gone. Humans can adapt. Cockroaches can adapt.
Spotted owls? As far as we know, can not. So lets put them in the zoo now
and save their genes before they end up like the condor, a few token birds
living off human handouts and requiring capture and detoxifying every few
years.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish County

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