Friday, June 19, 2009
Loss of Genetic Diversity in Northern Spotted Owls
USGS scientists and collaborators have documented a recent genetic signature of decline in several populations of northern spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest. The study tested for a population bottleneck, which is a reduction in population size that results in a significant loss of genetic diversity, in combination with demographic information to determine bottleneck timing. The owl population in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State exhibited the strongest evidence for a recent bottleneck, particularly in birds that hatched in the year 2000 or later. This study adds to accumulating information about declines and threats to northern spotted owl populations. The northern spotted owl was listed in 1990 as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act based primarily on threats to its old-growth forest habitat. A key collaborator in the study was the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service.
Funk, W., Forsman, E.D., Johnson, J.M., Mullins, T.D., Haig, S.M., 2009, Evidence for recent population bottlenecks in northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina): Conservation Genetics, p. online. [Abs] [FullText] Catalog No: 1931
Contact:
Susan
Haig,
FRESC,
541-750-7482,
susan_haig@usgs.gov
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