Wildfire activity in the Pacific Northwest has been increasing over the past several decades and is projected to continue to increase under a changing climate. This has led to concern about the impact this may have on the long-term viability for species like northern spotted owl, which is closely associated with older forests for nesting and roosting throughout the Pacific Northwest. Previous research on spotted owls and wildfire has been mixed. Some research indicates spotted owls are not negatively affected by severely burned post-fire landscapes, while other research suggests that the effects of wildfire are more nuanced, such that a continuum of effects exist. On one end of this continuum, spotted owls appear not to be affected by lower severity wildfire, while on the other end of this continuum, owls do appear to be negatively affected by higher severity wildfire.

This research intends to address this disparity by examining wildfire effects on northern spotted owl survival and recruitment rates throughout the fire-prone portions of owl’s range by utilizing the most comprehensive dataset involving northern spotted owls and wildfire to date. When completed, the results of this research will help inform federal, state and local land managers about how burn severity influences northern spotted owl vital rates and their long-term viability. By coupling pre-fire forest conditions with burn severity maps, this research will also shed light on whether post-fire forest conditions may still provide suitable nesting and roosting cover for spotted owls.