Preservation Through Education
THE NORTHWEST WILDLIFE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
C O N S E R V A T I O N E T H I C S S P O T T E D O W L V S B A R R E D O W L
The natural world works in a fasci-
nating equilibrium. Human conser-
vation management has become a
necessity due to negative repercus-
sions of our actions. British Colum-
bia is home to an amazing range of
wildlife. Unfortunately, the number
of endangered and extirpated spe-
cies continues to climb. Human ac-
tivity is the main reason why the en-
dangered 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 con-
servation 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 out-
competing the spotted owl.
In conservation sciences many scien-
tists believe that organisms have in-
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 cer-
tain 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 pro-
tection of endangered species is be-
cause 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 enter-
ing a phase of mass extinction called
the Holocene extinction. This is the
first mass extinction to be caused by
one species, Homo sapiens. The cur-
rent extinction rate is around 2.5% a
year whereas past extinction rates
are estimated to be less than one
species per year. Human activity
plays a large role in the accelerated
rate of extinction.
C O N S E R V A T I O N E T H I C S S P O T T E D O W L V S B A R R E D O W L
Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society 720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com 1
S P O T T E D O W L
Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society 720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com 2
The main contributors to species loss are habitat destruction, pollution of
the environment, and overharvesting. Habitat destruction includes frag-
mentation which degrades the quality of the habitat. Another factor is habi-
tat loss which is often caused by urban encroachment and urban conver-
sion. 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 al-
so contributes to the loss of the resources a species may need to sustain a
healthy population.
B A R R E D O W L
Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society 720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com 3
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 competi-
tive 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 nat-
ural 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
David Patte/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society 720-1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC, V6E 3W1 t 604.568.4907 f 604-568-6152 w www.northwestwildlife.com 4
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