Special Places: The Changing Ecosystems of the Toronto Region

By Betty I. Roots

Book Overview

High Park, Scarborough Bluffs, the Humber Valley, the Port Lands.These are among the special places of Toronto. Each is a uniqueecosystem within the busy urban region. Even though Torontonians thinkof the city as almost entirely built up, savannah or wetlands are onlya subway ride away. Special Places explores the changingecosystems of the Toronto area over this century, looking at theenvironmental conditions that influence the whole region and at thesurprising range of plants and animals you can still find in many ofits natural spaces. Special Places explores the changing ecosystems of theToronto area over this century, looking at the environmental conditionsthat influence the whole region and at the surprising range of plantsand animals you can still find in many of its natural spaces. In Special Places, a group of science professionals showhow actions in one location produce ripples in every direction. Changesin forest cover, for example, affect not only the organisms that livein the forest but also those that use it from time to time, such asmigrating birds and those that live in watersheds fed by waterhusbanded by forest cover. Changes in bird populations cause changes inthe populations of insects on which they feed; changes in insectpopulations affect the plants on which they feed; and so on. As a new millennium arrives, it is time to take stock of our effecton the world around us and to consider the consequences. SpecialPlaces assesses how we can minimize the impact of human activityon the environment and even remedy some of the harm we have alreadydone. One way is to bridge the gap between scientists and decisionmakers by making the natural sciences more accessible to everyone. Special Places was written at the initiative of the RoyalCanadian Institute, which is the oldest active scientific society inCanada and is dedicated to bringing the natural sciences to the public.Richly illustrated and written for a general audience, this bookcelebrates the glory and fragility of these interlocking ecosystems andhelps us appreciate the uniqueness of the "specialplaces."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0774807369
• ISBN13: 9780774807364
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Age Range: 22 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher