I am a landscape ecologist…

I am a landscape ecologist with 25 years of working experience in Southern Ontario for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and many other not-for-profits in Ontario. I have been working in the Rouge Urban National park area for the past three years. Please see www.eco-kare.com for more information.

The Duffins-Rouge Agricultural Preserve has been proposed to be removed from the Greenbelt designation subjecting the preserve to the threat of urbanization. The nearly 4,700 acres of primary agricultural land is situated between the Duffins Creek watershed and Rouge Urban National Park and is an important corridor for movement of wildlife and water. The preserve also contains pristine natural habitat that provides refuge for many wildlife species. There occurs a treed swamp – deciduous forest – meadow complex in the middle of the preserve that is a key east-west ‘stepping stone’ for wildlife moving from between Duffins and Rouge Creek natural riparian systems. Furthermore, the existing agriculture use of the land in the surrounding mosaic is preferred to maintain the natural ecological and connectivity processes within and surrounding the preserve.

Therefore, it is of my expert opinion that wildlife diversity and habitat connectivity in the area will not only be severely negatively impacted by urbanization, but in some cases wildlife populations will actually be lost. This will also diminish neighbouring wildlife populations in surrounding areas because there will no longer be recruitment of individuals from the preserve and these populations will be increasingly isolated and unable to move to and between intact natural habitat.