Introduction
Forest fragmentation is a major threat to biodiversity in the Southern Ontario landscape. With settlement of the landscape, natural areas have become smaller and more disconnected over time. In the Long Point area, land clearing for agriculture and other uses has significantly reduced forest cover. Other critical ecosystems such as wetlands and prairie also have been substantially reduced. Fortunately in recent years, marginal land is being taken out of production at a greater rate than land is being cleared and forested lands are on the increase. However, the percentage of forest cover is still too low and too fragmented to provide adequate habitat for many interior forest species.
The Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation (LPWBRF) completed forest habitat restoration in critical areas of the Reserve with the support from Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation. A total of 10 acres was reforested in the spring of 2000 with 8365 trees and shrubs. The project involved several agencies, landowners and volunteers to complete the work.
Project Site Descriptions
In the spring of 2000, two sites were planted with native trees and shrubs as part of the forest restoration project with the funding from Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation. Restoration work was conducted in the zone of cooperation of the Biosphere Reserve. Both sites were strategically located to add to existing forest thereby increasing the size of forest blocks and enhancing the connectedness of these natural movement corridors.
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