This years poster animal,by all odds,is the northern spotted owl. In attaining star status,the bird offers a glimpse into the reasons human selects one species over another for survival. Facing possible extinction,the northern spotted owl gained partial protection when the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently listed it as No. 599 on the endangered species list of animals and plants. Experts say there are between five and 100 million animal and plant species on Earth,of which only two percent have been inventoried. One to three species disappear every day,according to the Nature Conservancy. At this rate,why all the hype about one spotted owl? 'People respond to larger animals that we see or are part of our experience,like owl,' say Daniel Taylor,a National Audubon Society biologist. 'People know owls. People may not know spotted owls,but owls occupy an important place in our cultural psyche. ' In a media age,conservationists have grown savvy about choosing simple and endearing symbols. Known as flagship species,symbols like the spotted owl tend to be things that are large,things that are cute and cuddly,according to John Cart,research biologist at Conservation International at Washington D. C. 'Large vertebrates are important to us as a society than small vertebrates,' says Daniel Taylor. He says that this fact reflects our preoccupation with the animals we eat or that eat us,or used to. Size is also a factor,because a species has to be seen to be saved. Strategically,Cart says,size is key because the larger the species protected,the larger its range is,and thus,the larger the habitat to protect it. Making the cover of Time magazine and garnering plenty of media attention,the northern spotted owl has also saved a flock of equally endangered, but less endearing species that share its forest habitat. Media images of the handsome spotted owl spurred a national audience into sympathizing with the rare bird. Often the more human traits an animal appears to have,the stronger its candidacy for stardom. A recent tuna commercial likened a dolphin group to a wholesome American family. Dolphins are seen as loyal, playful geniuses. Owls are,of course,wise. Other factors carry weight in piquing a public response. 'We seem to have a fascination with black and white,'says Bill Konstant,executive director of Wildlife Preservation Trust International,pointing to the popular panda and killer whale. Ultimately,the most important thing for many conservationists is creating a new kind of symbiosis,using spotted owls and their attractive ilk to save a broader range of living things. When we save the spotted owl,what we are really doing is to preserve biological diversity. The main idea of this article is that____.