Arresting the spread of invasive species in continental systems

Invasive species are a primary threat to biodiversity and are challenging to manage once populations become established. But removing them is further complicated when invasions occur in continental, mixed-ownership systems. We demonstrate a rare conservation success: the regional-scale removal of an invasive predator – the barred owl (Strix varia) – to benefit the spotted owl (S. occidentalis) in California, USA. Barred owl site occupancy declined six-fold from 0.19 to 0.03 following one year of removals, and site extinction (0.92) far exceeded colonization (0.02). Spotted owls recolonized 56% of formerly occupied territories within one year, contrasting starkly with removals conducted after barred owls achieved high densities in the Pacific Northwest. Thus, our study averted the otherwise likely extirpation of California spotted owls by barred owl competition. Collectively, leveraging technological advances in population monitoring, early intervention, targeting defensible biogeographi...