Environmental History and the News
August 8, 2022 By: Mathew Semograd
History 3991 News Articles
National symbol or national pest? Abundant Canada geese populations a threat to ecosystems, research finds Social Sharing
The Canadian Goose is a national symbol but now due to increased industrialization and urbanization, the number of geese are exploding and causing problems in marsh lands along the Fraser river but also in many areas across North American due to the birds ability to eat large amounts of grass and plants and the waste they leave behind. “According to research out of the University of British Columbia, non-native Canada geese are overpopulating the banks of the Fraser River and consuming vegetation that is critical to the waterway’s ecosystem and salmon populations. It is estimated that there are at least seven million Canada Geese present in North America, according to the Canadian Wildlife Service” (CBC, 2022). This threat to salmon in the Fraser can also have affects on other species but also even people.
Geese didn’t just show up, they were brought to North America during colonization and since the building of cities geese have felt safe due to the fact there are no natural predators to control the population. I think it is possible that culling may be used to control goose populations if certain areas are more at risk for too much vegetation and habitat loss. This is something I have heard via word-of-mouth here in Vancouver.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-tree-canopy-storm-derecho-damage-climate-1.6481322
Increasingly Powerful Storms Threaten Ottawa’s Tree Cover
The city of Ottawa is trying to increase the city’s coverage of tree canopy in its new urban plan. The current tree coverage is at 31% but Ottawa is looking to increase that to a total of 40%. Unfortunately this may not be achievable soon due to the increase in powerful storms such as derecho’s and tornados which have damaged thousands of trees and uprooted many more. In comparison, Gatineau has 45% tree coverage in the city. A tree assessment is done every 5 years in the city to determine whether there is an increase or decrease in canopy coverage.
According to CBC and the City of Ottawa “an overall drop in tree canopy of even one per cent would represent “a massive number” of destroyed trees, said Paul Johanis, chair of the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital” (CBC, 2022). There are some neighbourhoods where there is a larger amount of tree damage due to storm activity so there is uneven coverage loss throughout the city. In major storms such as derecho’s the city found that coniferous spruce, eastern white pine trees and lindens tended to make up the bulk of tree and canopy loss. The city wants to change that by creating a more resilient canopy that can withstand storms and have reduced tree and canopy loss. Species diversity is something Ottawa is looking at as well as giving residents free seedlings, approx. 200,000 of them to help rebuild tree coverage in the city. The city is also offering residents free tree removal and planting of a new tree on their property as long as residents are willing to look after the new tree for the next three years.
I really enjoy how the topic of urban forestry and tree canopy cover in Otaowa is a critical issue. I was in Ottawa during the ice storm of 1998 and saw a massive amount of trees damaged due to the ice. The canopy provides welcome shade in the hot summers. I hope the city is successful with expanding the tree canopy cover soon.
I agree that the Canada Goose (although a national symbol) has become a nuisance. When a species has become so overpopulated that it begins to negatively affect other ecosystems, it is time for change. Whether culling would be the solution or not, Im not sure, but I do agree that something should be done before other species are unable to recover.
RE: Ottawa Tree Cover
I saw first hand this summer the aftermath of their June tornado. Massive trees or their limbs were still laying along the roads and in parks a month later. A family member narrowly missed having one through their roof, and every tree on their street was gone within 5 minutes. Without these large trees, the neighbourhood’s heat map is much higher. Increasingly intensity of storms, and urban street trees with weak roots due to drought are compacting the issue of neglected urban planning to replace aging trees.
Another issue to consider is that many urban trees are not native, and don’t live quite as long as where they traditionally grew. At the same time, there’s like Western Red Cedars are failing here on the west coast with the extreme heat and drought cycles we are now experiencing.