Figure 13.19 A metapopulation of the California spotted owl. Along the coast of southern California, the owl lives in small fragments of forested habitat as indicated by the black regions. The lines connecting the habitat patches indicate potential dispersal paths of owls between the patches of forest. The numbers next to each patch indicate researcher estimates of how many owls could live in each of the patches.

Data from W. S. Lahaye et al., Spotted owl metapopulation dynamics in Southern California, Journal of Animal Ecology 63 (1994): 775–785; and W. D. Shuford and T. Gardali (eds.), California Bird Species of Special Concern: A ranked assessment of species, subspecies, and distinct populations of birds of immediate conservation concern in California, Studies of Western Birds 1: Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, California, and California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, 2008.