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Qui est tu, jiiweganaabii, libellule, dragonfly? GLOM 2006 Wetlands • Occupy 6% of the earth's land and freshwater surface. • Some wetlands have been reduced by as much as 50% worldwide. • 40% of the world’s human populations experience serious water shortages. • Wetlands: store water, reduce flooding, purifying process, provide habitat. Facts about Wetlands in Canada • Approx. 14% of Canada is covered by wetlands. • ON, MB and the NWT contain the largest area of wetlands. • Conflicts between wetland conservation and wetland utilization are concentrated in southern Ontario • Agricultural expansion is the major cause of 85% of Canada's wetland losses. Facts about Wetlands in Canada • Since European settlement, wetland conversion to agriculture is estimated at over 20 million hectares • Over 80% of the wetlands near major urban centres have been converted to agricultural use or urban expansion. • Less than 0.2% of Canada's wetlands lie within 40 kilometres of major urban centres (the 23 largest urban areas which contain 55% of Canada's pop. Wetlands • The productive ecosystem on Earth. • Carbon sinks - The natural kidneys • Flood barriers - Critical habitat What Are Wetlands? Bog Peatland Fen Swamp The Value of Wetlands • Commercial harvesting (muskrat) • Commercial fisheries • Forestry (peatlands softwood and wetlands hardwood) • Aquaculture • Market gardens or managed peatlands • Energy production (peat) • Agricultural activities (wild rice, cranberries) • • • • • • $93.2 billion (2002) Habitat Recreation and cultural use Irrigation Flooding Water purification and sinks for pollutants Carbon sink Flood control and water filtering by peatlands $77.0 billion Pest control services $5.4 billion “ ” by non-peatland wetlands $3.4 billion Net carbon sequestration $1.85 billion Nature related activities $4.5 billion The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Iran, 1971) • Intergovernmental treaty providing the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. • 147 Contracting Parties to the Convention • 1524 wetland sites, totaling 129.2 million hectares. Canada: 36 sites covering 13,051,501 ha How many kinds are there? • About 5000 species of Odonata are presently formally described. • Expert 'guesses' put the total number of species at between 5500 and 6500. What's the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly? • Generally larger, more robust animals. • In most species the eyes touch, or almost touch, at the top of the head • The fore and hind wings differ in shape (the base of the hindwings being broader) and the wingbases are quite broad. • Wings are usually held spread when at rest. Does Size Matter? • How big do they get? – The Central American Megaloprepus coerulatus, (wingspan of 19 cm). – The Permian Meganeuropsis permiana with a reconstructed wingspan of about 70-75 cm. • How small do they get? – The smallest adult Zygoptera (damselflies) are in the genus Agriocnemis with wingspans of 17-18 mm. – The smallest dragonfly - Nannophyopsis chalcosoma from Borneo, (wingspan of about 25mm). Life-History – Temperate species live less than a month as adults. – Some as much as 6 months. – No dragonfly is known which lives a year as an adult. – Larval life spans can approach a decade in alpine and high arctic habitats. • What is the shortest life-history? – Egg to adult durations of about 40 days are recorded from small tropical damselflies Who Eats Them? • Fish, birds • Other insects (wasp, spiders) • Other dragonflies • Black Bears • Humans (curry soup) The Birds, The Bees and Charismatic Micro-Fauna What’s The Attraction? What’s The Attraction? • Power, predatory • Engineering • Science – The North American Dragonfly Migration Project What’s The Attraction? • • • • Flight, power, beauty Poetry Food source Leisure, recreation – Dragon hunting – Dragon ponds – Engineering • Science – Green darner migration – The North American Dragonfly Migration Project Why The Sudden Interest? National Geographic, April 2005 Odonata In The News: The Rainham Marshes, England • The Emeral Damselfy (Lestes dryas) and the Rainham Marshes Development project (Harrison & Burgess, 1994). – No go land – Why declare it a special site if you’re not going to manage it? – What’s that thing? I’ve never seen it. Protected Areas • Sanctuaries (Britain, Japan) • Dragonfly Trails (SA) • Khao Phanom Bencha NP, Thailand • Siribhum waterfalls – flower gardens • Tourism (Thailand) Method • Inductive analysis • Participant observations • Interviews (20) Natureworks HUMANITY Humanistic View Nature is a resource Protectionist: View Rights and responsibilities Organic View We are nature NATURE Field-based Education Natureworks HUMANITY Humanistic View Nature is a resource Protectionist: View Rights and responsibilities Organic View We are nature NATURE Protecting the Guardians of the Watershed Wetlands • 6% of the earth's land and freshwater surface • 14% of Canada's total land area. • Some wetlands have been reduced by as much as 50% worldwide. • Urbanization and agricultural expansion is the major cause of 85% of Canada's wetland losses. Future Outlook • Sanctuaries • Protection • Research – Multi and interdisciplinary – National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation • Education © Morgenstern, 2004 – – – – Management Politicians ENGOs Citizens • Responsibility Action Research? • Research and education • Community Activism (citizen science) • Dragonfly Symposium (July 10, 2007) hosted by the Ozhaawashko-giizhig Traditional Teaching Lodge & the Métis Nation of Ontario http://www.blueskyteachinglodge.ca/ • Knowledge exchanges • Cultural exchanges • Story telling • Artisans • Signing • Dancing © 2004, Bill Morgenstern