State the organism's genus and species and common name if applicable
Scientific Name: Bubo blakistoni
Genus: Bubo
Common Name: Blakiston's Fish-Owl
State the area in which this organism lives
Blakiston's Fish-Owl usually prefer wooden coastlines or dense old-growth forests near waterways as their habitats. The species requires stretches of productive rivers that hardly freeze in the winter for their survival. It also requires hollow old-growth cavities in trees to provide good nest sites ( Omote et al., 2018 ). Open water can only be found where there is an upwelling of warm spring water or the current is sufficiently fast flowing in the frigid northern winters. As the baseline, Blakiston's fish owls can be categorized among the most aquatically based owls in the world.
Is this organism a producer or a consumer? Where does it or did it fit into the ecosystem?
Producers are usually the first tropical levels, while the consumers are considered the second, third, and fourth tropical levels of a food chain in an ecosystem. Producers are plants and one-celled organisms that make their food, mainly through photosynthesis. Given the above description, Blakiston's Fish-Owl is automatically a consumer since it primarily feeds on fish. The owl fits into the ecosystem as a tertiary consumer as it feeds on secondary consumers, fish and rodents.
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Discuss why it is threatened (habitat loss, change in climate, etc.)
Because of their limited habitat, the global population of Blakiston's Fish Owl is currently between 1,000 to 1,900 individuals. Climate change and habitat loss come up as the two primary threats to their existence. As their way of life, the birds hunt for lamprey, salmon, and trout in icy rivers in the winter. During the springs, the male Blakiston's Fish-Owls store amphibians, which are later used as food by their single fluffy hatchlings and mates ( Omote et al., 2018 ). On that note, climate change negatively impacts their eating and mating patterns, contributing to population decline through minimized reproduction and starvation of owlets to death.
How have humans impacted the survival of this species - both negatively and positively
Although the owls nest in tall but dead trees of no commercial value, the creation of logging roads has enabled poachers, pine nut collectors, and illegal loggers to access more distant parts of the forests, which act as habitats for Blakiston's Fish-Owl ( Omote et al., 2017 ). The continuous reduction of forest covers due to increased populations and the demand for settlement lands has also negatively affected Blakiston's Fish-Owls' habitats.
What level of effort should we expend on saving endangered species? What can be done to help them survive (and, in particular, your chosen organism)?
From my perspective, logging has significantly contributed negatively to the survival of the species. Therefore, logging prohibitions in areas identified as Blakiston's Fish-Owls' habitats can help preserve the species' way of life. Satellite monitoring in such areas can also help minimize illegal logging. Blakiston's Fish-Owl is not the only endangered bird species. Therefore, the whole world should mitigate the destruction of forests to protect world life species from extinction.
References
Omote, K., Kohyama, T. I., Nishida, C., Saito, K., Fujimoto, S., & Masuda, R. (2017). Duplication and Variation in the Major Histocompatibility Complex Genes in Blakiston's Fish Owl, Bubo blakistoni. Zoological science , 34 (6), 484-489.
Omote, K., Surmach, S. G., Kohyama, T. I., Takenaka, T., Nishida, C., & Masuda, R. (2018). Phylogeography of Continental and Island Populations Of Blakiston's Fish-Owl (Bubo blakistoni) In Northeastern Asia. Journal of Raptor Research , 52 (1), 31-41.
Response to Ashley Moye
Hi Ashley, I agree with you that the Mediterranean Monk Seal is among the endangered species in the world which need collective efforts to avoid its extinction. It is correct to state that the species has been located in Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, Albania, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia, Syria, Sardinia, and Libya. It is also correct to group the Mediterranean Monk Seal as a consumer since it feeds on a wide variety of fish. It is also evident that the species' existence is highly endangered because of the changes in their habitats and the killing by fishers ( Dayon et al., 2020 ). As stated above, humans are the primary danger to the presence of the Mediterranean Monk Seal. To save the endangered species, I agree that more awareness of their risk of becoming extinct should be made and rules that prohibit people from encroaching their habitats.
Reference
Dayon, J., Lecompte, E., Aguilar, A., de Larrinoa, P. F., Pires, R., & Gaubert, P. (2020). Development and characterization of nineteen microsatellite loci for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus. Marine Biodiversity , 50 (5), 1-7.
Response to Maxine Barrett
You made an excellent choice selecting the M. margaritifera, which are usually located in slow-moving, low calcium rivers. According to your argument, the species are considered primary consumers and the ecosystem engineers, which I can confirm to be true. The species existence is threatened because of the reduced reproduction levels caused by the declining quality of water in the rivers ( Sousa et al., 2018 ). I further agree that humans have negatively impacted the species' existence through water pollution and harvesting for pearl. It is correct that we can save the species from extinction by first keeping rivers clean, which will recreate their conducive habitats.
Reference
Sousa, R., Ferreira, A., Carvalho, F., Lopes-Lima, M., Varandas, S., & Teixeira, A. (2018). Die-offs of the endangered pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera during an extreme drought.
