|
Barely bigger than the size of two golf tees, the spotted turtle lives around Georgian Bay and along the north shore of Lake Erie. It sports a smooth black shell covered in yellow-orange markings. And one day in the future, Emma McIntosh reports, it could disappear from Ontario’s wetlands.
That’s because the provincial government’s 2019 decision to weaken protections for endangered species could cause some at-risk creatures to become locally extinct, according to a peer-reviewed analytical essay, published this month in the scientific journal Facets.
And though Ontario isn’t the spotted turtle’s only home — it’s also found in the eastern United States — northern animal populations are particularly valuable in a world shaped by climate change, says Nico Muñoz, one of the essay’s co-authors. By allowing these at-risk creatures to disappear from their northern habitats, we could be lessening the species’ overall chances of survival.
"If (the provincial government) decides to not protect species in Ontario, this can ultimately affect the overall global resilience of the species and increase the overall likelihood of extinction," Muñoz says.
As governments, organizations and individuals around the world aim to build a more sustainable future, information plays a crucial role in navigating the challenges ahead.
If you like what you read, you can become a regular reader with full access to Canada’s National Observer through a monthly or annual subscription. Only 3 days left to subscribe at the special holiday rate of $45.99 (reg. $139.99).
Thank you for reading Canada’s National Observer.
And now, for today’s top stories:
|
