Download Supporting Resources, Part C

PART C: SUPPORTING References:
Biotic Index
The biotic index works by assigning different levels of tolerance to pollution to the
different types of organisms. The types of macroinvertebrates and other organisms
found during sampling are broken into 3 (or 4) groups: Note – depending on the
index being used III and IV may be joined into one group of Pollution tolerant.
I. Pollution intolerant: These organisms are highly sensitive to pollution. (IE:
Stonefly or Alderfly Larva)
II. Semi-Pollution intolerant: These organisms are sensitive to pollution. (IE:
Dragonfly Larva or Crawfish)
III. Semi-Pollution tolerant: These organisms will be found in clean and slightly
polluted waterways. (IE: Snails or Black Fly Larva)
Pollution tolerant: These organisms will be found in polluted, as well as clean
aquatic ecosystems (IE: Leechs, Bloodworms)
Websites:
Biotic Index “A key to River Life” http://cleanwater.uwex.edu/pubs/clipart/critters.riv.htm July 16, 2015
Macroinvertebrates as indicators on Stream Health
http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/stream/Macroinvertebrate.pdf July 16, 2015
Macroinvertebrate Identification Key
http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/DIVISIONS/WaterPermits/WaterQualityAsse
ssment/TheBugSheet.aspx July 16, 2015
TOXIC Simulation Game – Environmental health concerns where you live and work
http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov July 16, 2015
Guideline to Identifying and Mitigating Threats to Species at Risk Government of
Canada, 2009. At www.sfu.ca/biology/courses/bisc309/Info/cws-ThreatInfo.doc
July 16, 2015
Biodiversity hot spots
[http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/hot_spots.php]
The following is taken from the above website
Ontario is a great, big province. It covers an area larger than France and
Spain combined. Rich in biological diversity, Ontario contains a stunning
range of habitats and wildlife. In the International Year of Biodiversity,
Ontario Nature is highlighting 10 places that are especially remarkable for
the ecosystems and species they support.
Some of these places, despite being located far from busy urban centres, are
nevertheless vulnerable to industrial interests that threaten a fragile ecology.
Other areas are safe, protected, for now, from development pressures and
reminders of this province’s magnificent landscapes. The following table
describes some of Ontario’s hot spots.
The Hudson
and James Bay
coasts
Along these coastlines are some of the world’s most
extensive northern salt marshes, which, along with fens,
bogs and mud flats, support species such as Arctic fox,
snow goose, threatened woodland caribou and wolverine.
No less than 17 globally significant Important Bird Areas
are along these coastlines. Here, the polar bear is king.
Walrus, ringed seal and bearded seal feed and rest along
the shore or on offshore shoals. Belugas frequent the
waters. Although the Hudson and James Bay lowlands are
largely undisturbed to date, mining and hydro
development threatens to harm coastal vegetation and
wildlife in this region.
Lake of the
Woods/Rainy
River
The Lake of the Woods/Rainy River area lies in a transition
zone of northern forest, southern forest and prairie,
characterized by a high diversity of plants and animals,
including endangered species such as western silvery
aster, red-headed woodpecker, short-eared owl, lake
sturgeon, American badger and gray fox. The region
includes two internationally recognized Important Bird
Areas, one that is continentally significant for endangered
piping plover and the other globally significant for
American white pelican.
The Carden Plain, which is both an Important Bird Area
and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, contains a
remarkable array of flora and fauna: 450 plant species,
238 bird species, 75 butterfly species and 67 dragonfly
species. The plain includes globally rare alvar habitats –
open areas of flat stone covered by a thin layer of soil that
give rise to unique plant communities. They produce a
stunning display of wildflowers that carpet the landscape
in spring and early summer. Many rare species inhabit the
area, including Olympia marble (a butterfly), Cooper’s
Carden Plain
milkvetch and the loggerhead shrike, as well as numerous
grassland birds.
Frontenac Axis
The Frontenac Axis, also called the Frontenac Arch,
encompasses 50 kilometres of exposed Precambrian rock
that provides habitat for a high diversity of reptiles and
amphibians, as well as many rare and endangered
species, including eastern musk turtle, fivelined skink,
least bittern, cerulean warbler, blunt-lobed woodsia,
deerberry and gray ratsnake (previously called black
ratsnake). It is also the only place in Ontario where pitch
pine grows, on the granite rocks of the St. Lawrence River
shoreline and islands.
Bruce
Peninsula
With its large expanses of forest, fens, alvars, beaches,
small lakes and wetlands, the Bruce Peninsula supports a
rich diversity of plant and animal life. Some of the rarest
ferns and flowers in Ontario can be found here, including
the threatened dwarf lake iris and lakeside daisy. The
diversity of orchids on the Bruce Peninsula is among the
highest in North America: 44 species. Seven at-risk reptile
and 17 at-risk bird species live here, and astounding
concentrations of dozens of bird species can be found at
the globally significant Cabot Head Important Bird Area
during their migration. Part of the Bruce Peninsula has
been classified as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Walpole Island First Nation, located in the delta where the
St. Clair River meets Lake St. Clair, consists of six islands:
Walpole, St. Anne, Potawatomi, Squirrel, Bassett and
Seaway. The region is called Bkejwanong, or “where the
waters divide,” and has been home to Aboriginal people
for more than 6,000 years. The islands contain diverse
natural areas, including remnants of rare tallgrass prairie
and oak savannah that support a range of endangered
plants and animals.
Leitrim Wetland is a 400-hectare provincially significant
wetland that is home to more than 500 species of plants,
roughly half of which are regionally significant. The rich
web of life the bog supports includes at least 90 species of
birds, a variety of fish and amphibians, numerous insect
species and a provincially rare snail. As well, the wetland
contains many rare and threatened species and is
bordered by a remnant old-growth forest where great blue
herons nest. Despite its ecological significance, this
wetland is currently threatened by a proposed housing
development that could destroy more than one-quarter of
it.
Walpole Island
First Nation
Leitrim
Wetland
The Lake Erie
Sand Spits:
Long Point,
Rondeau and
Point Pelee
Wainfleet Bog
Algonquin
Provincial Park
These three sand spits contain a wide variety of
ecosystems: beaches, dunes, forests, grasslands, wet
meadows, marshes and ponds. Because of the southern
locale, unique, individual climates and diversity of
habitats, a variety of unusual plant communities and rare
species live here. Tulip-tree, pawpaw, Kentucky
coffeetree, red mulberry, sassafras and chinquapin oak
grow at Rondeau and Pelee. White cedar, tamarack,
twinflower and green pyrola grow at Long Point. The spits
are the first landfall for birds crossing the lakes to the
south, and rare birds abound. Diverse reptiles and
amphibians, such as eastern fox snake, spiny softshell,
Blanding’s turtle, spotted turtle, Fowler’s toad and eastern
hognose snake, also inhabit these spits.
Wainfleet Bog is a rare ecological treasure. It is one of the
few acidic bogs left in southern Ontario and lies within one
of the largest remaining tracts of peatland in southern
Ontario. Much of the bog was once owned by a peat
extraction company, which harvested and sold peat for
fuel. As a result, the bog, once thought to have covered
20,000 hectares, has been significantly reduced and now
covers only about 1,200 hectares – about six percent of its
original size. Many rare plants and animals inhabit the bog
and depend on it for survival, including the endangered
missasauga rattlesnake.
More than 7,000 square kilometres in size, Algonquin
Provincial Park is located in an area of transition between
Ontario’s northern coniferous forest and the deciduous
forest more typical of the south. This mixture of forest
types, combined with Algonquin’s large size and wide
variety of environments, including wetlands, rocky ridges,
rivers and lakes, all contribute to the immense diversity of
plant and animal life that can be found within the park’s
borders. Logging has been ongoing in the park since its
creation in 1893 and is currently allowed in 55 percent of
the park area.
Sample KW CHART
Topic: BIODIVERSITY
K
W
Each organism has What is
a role in ecosystems …..?
Organisms interact
with each other and
with their
environment.
Aquatic ecosystems
are highly diverse,
many of the
organisms are
microscopic.
Human activity
impacts –
negatively and
positively
ecosystems.
Not all organisms
can tolerate
pollution in the
same way.
L