Current Projects

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is at immanent risk of extirpation from its historic range in Washington. This charismatic owl species requires old growth forest to persist, and its numbers have been declining due to habitat loss and competition with invading Barred owls (Strix varia). Increasing wildfire frequency, resource extraction, and low genetic diversity in small, isolated populations, are increasing the risk of losing northern spotted owls in Washington and throughout the species’ range.  

The Computational Ecology Group, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and partners are developing a conservation translocation feasibility assessment to compare strategies for conserving northern spotted owl populations in the coming decades. We are assembling experts, datasets, and models to explore the viability of conservation translocations in Washington through population augmentation and captive breeding programs. We are developing a decision support framework in the form of a spatial-population simulation model that synthesizes empirical information on species’ life history, movement, habitat, competitors, and genetics. We’re comparing management strategies to assess the ecological feasibility of translocation strategies.