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Index of Subjects Some of the larger native species are incompatible with dense human population: black bear, for example, can be a real nuisance in a metropolitan region, and people demand controls when the bear population becomes dangerous. In many places, black bears are greatly increasing in numbers, and we have that experience to go by. Moose were virtually eliminated in the Chebucto Peninsula by poaching during the Great Depression. They also can be a nuisance where they are too numerous, as in Maine and Newfoundland. Deer are overpopulated already in the Halifax area, as they thrive on disturbed vegetation, and the variety of plantings in suburban yards. In the absence of their normal predators, deer must be controlled by humans: it is the only way. All those large land mammals must be managed, if they are to coexist with humans. As for native trees, I really wish that the public would do something about this. When one visits almost any nursery in this area, all one finds are alien trees and various strange, unnatural hybrids. No nursery in the Halifax area specializes in native plants. (Please correct me if I am wrong about that!) Try buying a Red Oak, for example. A change in public taste could alter this situation, as it has in other places. Native plants have real, practical advantages: for one thing, they usually require less care. Nursery-grown native plants can be inexpensive, and they succeed better than those transplanted from the wild. They also can be propagated locally, and do not need to be trucked in from afar. There is a real opportunity here, I would think, for marketing nursery-grown native plants, derived from local, native stock. The biggest, single change in our environment is probably the huge number of alien plant species now established here. I once did a census of all the wildflowers on my property (as a way of trying to teach myself plants), and found that over half the species (including most of the most abundant ones) were alien introductions, almost all from Europe. This is astounding. Even the commonest spider on my property is an alien invader, first seen here in the 1880s. The commonest crab along our shores is also an alien introduction. I would argue that the introduction of this Green Crab has probably altered the shoreline ecosystem more than all the seawalls ever built. On 3 Oct 2011, at 4:05 PM, soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca wrote: > Less abundant flora? How about large specimens of all the local native tree species, all local freshwater marsh and saltmarsh species.... Almost all of the local wetlands have been filled in and much of the coastline is now seawalls, rock rubble (what's the correct word for that?) or wharves. > Dusan Soudek > > ---- David&Jane Schlosberg <dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: >> Yes, these are perfect examples, of course. Thanks. >> Now, how about some flora? Smaller critters? >> Jane >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca> >> To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> >> Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 2:02 PM >> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] older flora and fauna species for HRM >> >> >>> Extinct, extirpated or nearly extirpated animals in and around Halifax >>> Harbour? How about the woodland caribou, moose, black bear, Atlantic >>> salmon, Atlantic gray whale, etc.? >>> Dusan Soudek >>> >>> ---- David&Jane Schlosberg <dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: >>>> What species of plants and/or animals used to be commonplace in and >>>> around Halifax Harbour, but which are now rare or absent? >>>> I'm thinking of doing an art project about this aspect of our changing >>>> environment. Any help will be greatly appreciated. >>>> Jane Schlosberg >>> >> >
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Index of Subjects