Although stand-replacing fire is currently cited as a main threat to Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) populations, there remains uncertainty surrounding how the threatened species responds to fire. We are investigating how Mexican Spotted Owl nesting habitat is impacted by forest structure resulting from varying burn severity and time since fire.

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By measuring forest structure, dating tree ring samples, and analyzing past nest locations of Mexican Spotted Owls in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, we are testing how conditions for nesting habitat change over time in a dynamic mosaic of forested land, including areas that have burned at different levels of severity or undergone insect outbreak. This will inform land managers as they attempt to restore the fire regimes of these forests while also protecting this threatened owl species. 

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This project is being led by MS Candidate Tara Durboraw