Hmmm, if we do not fight for it now, will this unique quilt of nature be lost forever?
I was recently reminded that I live in what is known as the Carolinian Zone of Southern Ontario. The term is used to refer to the northern limit of the deciduous forest region which spans much of the U.S.A. from North Carolina into Southern Ontario.
The Carolinian forest of Southern Ontario has the warmest average annual temperatures, the longest frost-free seasons and the mildest winters of any region in Ontario and of Canada in general. This unique climate is due in large part to the Great Lakes which moderate the temperature of the surrounding land. Winters here are still cold with lots of snow but much less so than regions further north.
This unique climate makes the Carolinian Zone a relative hotspot for biodiversity with more species of rare plants and animals – over 500 – than anywhere else in Canada.
For example, these butterflies on my life list are Carolinian specialities: Giant Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, American Snout, Hackberry Emperor.
These dragonflies and damselflies on my life list are also Carolinian specialties: American Rubyspot, Arrowhead Spiketail (example at the head of this post) and Spatterdock Darner.
However, there is a flip side to the equation: human density. The Carolinian Zone is home to fully 25% of Canada’s total population with the region’s population steadily increasing. Large urban areas, along with extensive land cleared for agriculture, and biodiversity are an uneasy mix creating challenges for maintaining a balance.
Deforestation in the Carolinian Zone has led to significant habit loss and fragmentation. It is estimated that forest cover has been reduced from 80% to 11% while wetlands have reduced from 28% to 5%.
Parcels of land have been preserved as conservation areas or national parks. But these disconnected parcels of land reduce ecological connectivity. This in turn limits dispersal of species between forest patches irreversibly altering ecosystems.
The read bad news is that Doug Ford’s Conservative government in Ontario is no friend of the environment.
Bill 5 is a blatant attempt to bypass environmental assessments and expedite infrastructure development. Cuts to Conservation Authorities, use of Ministerial Zoning Orders to fast-track development on environmentally sensitive land and reductions in funding to environmental organizations are all threats to biodiversity.
The Carolinian Zone is the best example we have of the delicate quilt of nature stitched together by threads of interdependence and natural balance. We need to fight Ford’s attack on the environment before it permanently damages this unique and precious ecological hotspot in our province. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. What a shame that would be.
~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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