100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future

ABSTRACT This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon's (Ectopistes migratorius) extinction. Our goal is to review the bird's abundance and extinction along with several valuable lessons. The tragic extinction of the passenger pigeon helped launch the modern conservation e...

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Main Authors: John H. Schulz, David L. Otis, Stanley A. Temple
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-09-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.453
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author John H. Schulz
David L. Otis
Stanley A. Temple
author_facet John H. Schulz
David L. Otis
Stanley A. Temple
author_sort John H. Schulz
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon's (Ectopistes migratorius) extinction. Our goal is to review the bird's abundance and extinction along with several valuable lessons. The tragic extinction of the passenger pigeon helped launch the modern conservation era, and it is a story providing a stark reminder of potential consequences of reactionary and ineffective management decision processes. Similar to the extinction of passenger pigeons, we suggest multiple complex and polarized issues provide modern examples of pending ecological challenges that are effectively being ignored. Using climate change as an example, it is just as easy for people today to ignore emerging environmental system changes as it was for people in the late 19th century to ignore the implications of their actions. Although we have successfully recovered many wildlife species in the past 100 years, we have important work ahead of us requiring a more comprehensive problem‐solving paradigm if we are to have a meaningful effect. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
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spelling doaj-art-7873880588c14cb081bf3136d6d0b00c2025-08-20T02:49:19ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402014-09-0138344545010.1002/wsb.453100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain futureJohn H. Schulz0David L. Otis1Stanley A. Temple2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Missouri302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources BuildingColumbiaMO65211USADepartment of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USADepartment of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWI53706USAABSTRACT This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon's (Ectopistes migratorius) extinction. Our goal is to review the bird's abundance and extinction along with several valuable lessons. The tragic extinction of the passenger pigeon helped launch the modern conservation era, and it is a story providing a stark reminder of potential consequences of reactionary and ineffective management decision processes. Similar to the extinction of passenger pigeons, we suggest multiple complex and polarized issues provide modern examples of pending ecological challenges that are effectively being ignored. Using climate change as an example, it is just as easy for people today to ignore emerging environmental system changes as it was for people in the late 19th century to ignore the implications of their actions. Although we have successfully recovered many wildlife species in the past 100 years, we have important work ahead of us requiring a more comprehensive problem‐solving paradigm if we are to have a meaningful effect. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.453climate changeEctopistes migratoriusextinctionpassenger pigeonproblem‐solving
spellingShingle John H. Schulz
David L. Otis
Stanley A. Temple
100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
Wildlife Society Bulletin
climate change
Ectopistes migratorius
extinction
passenger pigeon
problem‐solving
title 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
title_full 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
title_fullStr 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
title_full_unstemmed 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
title_short 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction: Lessons for a complex and uncertain future
title_sort 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon extinction lessons for a complex and uncertain future
topic climate change
Ectopistes migratorius
extinction
passenger pigeon
problem‐solving
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.453
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AT stanleyatemple 100thanniversaryofthepassengerpigeonextinctionlessonsforacomplexanduncertainfuture