Maps of forest cover type show where the composition and structure of the forest is sufficient for the threatened species to nest and roost.
In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, you can still occasionally hear the hoot of the northern spotted owl or see its camouflaged plumage. But after three decades of conservation efforts, the survival of this species continues to be challenged. Satellites have been helping researchers understand why.
On the surface the reason seems simple: there has been robust competition for limited resources. Economic demand for wood and paper products led companies to harvest timber from old-growth forests—important spotted owl habitat. Within the habitat that remained, the barred owl moved in. This invasive, competing owl species has further depleted the spotted owl’s food supply and nesting space.
Even before barred owls were recognized as a serious threat, habitat loss appeared grim enough in 1990 for the spotted owl to be listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Today, the owls are still threatened and populations are still declining.
Over those three decades, satellite- and ground-based data have been collected and incorporated into new computer models and studies. And across the spotted owl’s geographical range within 25 million acres of federal forests, a nuanced picture of habitat has emerged.
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