Landscape Ecology, Avian Information and the Rehabilitation of Wildland Complexes in the Greater Toronto Area

It is proposed that land regeneration projects should consider the total landscape or landscape ecology of a Site. This holistic approach would extend management plans that link the replacement of the vegetation component with returning habitats necessary for the faunal component. Furthermore, the pattern of land use or landscape fragmentation is important for the successful rehabilitation and ongoing management of the landscape. These concepts and their implications for planning will be addressed in this paper with specific reference to the rehabilitation of a wildland/wetland complex on the Black River, Georgina Township, located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This unique landscape includes remnant old-growth forest and vulnerable avian species but is under increasing pressure of fragmentation from exurban development. The results of a habitat fragmentation study comparing bird populations and diversity between this site and several more human-modified complexes in the GTA will be presented.