Showing search results for: “species”

Endangered Species in the GTA: Can We Ensure Their Survival?(news)

Pollution, pathogens, invasive species, and the loss of habitat due to urban sprawl: all of these pose a threat to wildlife, tree and plant species in big cities. The Greater Toronto Area is no exception to this rule. When a species has been outpaced by these challenges, its numbers may dwindle — sometimes so drastically that... Read more

Species Spotlight: Coyotes in Urban Areas(news)

Reposted from the TRCA’s Shorelines newsletter. The coyote (Canis latrans) are not a new species in Ontario, having migrated here over a century ago; however, their sightings in urban areas have been on the rise over the past few years. As urban sprawl has increased and humans have impeded on natural habitats, coyotes have learned... Read more

Ecological Interlopers – Understanding Invasive Species(news)

Second to habitat loss, invasive species pose the greatest threat to biodiversity. Invasives crowd out native plants and fish. They take over our woodlands, our wetlands and our waters. And because they’re survivors, they are both difficult and costly to get rid of. Invasive Species Resources Terrestrial Habitat and Species Aquatic Habitat and Species A... Read more

A Benchmark for Biodiversity Quality: The Indicator Species Score(news)

A new article in the journal Ecological Indicators highlights the Indicator Species Score (ISS), a new metric for tracking biodiversity quality. Biodiversity quality is high if a large number of the native species that were historically common and well-distributed in the region remain so. If many previously common and well-distributed species are absent or reduced... Read more

Existing Conditions: Fish and Other Species(page)

Toronto and Region Conservation has been monitoring waterfront fish communities since 1982, with continuous programs since 1989. Electrofishing is the principal method, supplemented by seine and index netting. QUICK LINKS   Waterfront Fish Communities Over the past two decades, the monitoring program has demonstrated gradual improvements in the fish communities, as measured by the proportions... Read more

Species Spotlight: How TRCA Ranks Flora and Fauna(news)

Toronto and Region Conservation’s (TRCA) Environmental Monitoring team has a unique approach to the protection of natural heritage within its regional watersheds. All flora and fauna species, as well as vegetation communities, are assigned a local rank from L1 to L5, based on ecological criteria collected by TRCA and other agencies. Based on this usage of... Read more

Baseline beginnings: Surveying species and spaces for the Scarborough Waterfront Project(news)

The popular saying “You don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been” is a guiding principle for Toronto and Region Conservation’s (TRCA) Environmental Monitoring and Data Management section. Collecting baseline data is the foundation for sound decision-making aimed at protecting and enhancing the natural spaces and species in Toronto and region. The Scarborough Waterfront Project... Read more

Terrestrial Habitat & Species(page)

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) monitors plants and animals in forests, wetlands and meadows across our regional watersheds by conducting biological inventories and assessments and surveying long-term fixed plots. LONG-TERM MONITORING TRCA has set up long-term monitoring plots in forest, wetland and meadow habitats region-wide to measure how species and vegetation communities are changing over time in response to surrounding land use activities.   With climate... Read more

Aquatic Habitat and Species(page)

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) monitors fish communities, aquatic insects, habitat features, and temperatures within local streams as well as in Lake Ontario. TRCA offers a number of technical training workshops related to these topics. What Do We Monitor and Why? TRCA monitors the following key indicators to assess the aquatic health of our regional... Read more

Monitoring Sensitive Fish Species on Seaton Development Lands(news)

The Seaton development lands are home to important local populations of the provincially endangered Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) as well as the sensitive Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), which is the only remaining native Salmonid fish species naturally occurring in Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) tributaries. In early November, field staff from Toronto and Region... Read more