We in the Port Perry/Uxbridge area reside in the Mixedwood Plains Ecosystem. (See map) It is one of the smallest, but one of the most heavily populated and industrialized ecozones in Canada. As we continue to commandeer more and more of the natural environment for our own personal requirements, we are putting this system under enormous stress. This has made it one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the country.

Before our intervention, this ecosystem had evolved into a heavily forested area dominated by deciduous and coniferous trees. This protective mature overstory supported a diverse community of plant material, wildlife, fungi, soil organisms and bacteria - all essential organisms to our ecosystem.

It’s obvious then that a forest cover is of significant importance to the well being of the Mixedwood Plains Ecosystem. What do trees contribute that would designate them as the predominant vegetation? Individually and more so as a forest cover, trees have a tremendous positive influence on the water, carbon, nitrogen and atmospheric cycles of our ecosystem. Trees protect soil from erosion, filter our air and water, prevent rapid evaporation and provide food, shelter and protection for other living organisms. Trees in turn depend on many of these organisms for their survival.

We as guardians of our small patch of this ecosystem can do so much by landscaping for ecology rather than just for our own personal requirements. If homeowners can do only one thing for the environment, it should be to increase the number of native trees on private properties. These plantings will help maintain the biological and genetic diversity within our ecosystem. Trees will increase wildlife habitat and begin to create essential vegetation corridors connecting the many isolated pockets of forested land. They will increase the amount of precipitation that permeates our soils that eventually replenishes aquifers (our drinking water). On a more personal basis, plantings can improve the aesthetics of our properties, provide shade, attract wildlife, provide privacy and act as living screens to block unsightly views.

Trees can also provide an economic benefit to homeowners. Treed lots versus those without, have always increased the value of residential properties. Strategically placed deciduous plant material near your home will perform as natural air conditioners during hot summer days. Groves or hedges of coniferous trees can act as windbreaks that block frigid winter winds, helping to lower heating costs. These same plantings can create natural snow fencing.

Trees are not a stand alone entity of our environment. But they are an important feature in the complex workings of nature within our ecosystem. We need to protect our remaining forested lands, allow abandoned or unutilized areas to slowly revert back to their natural state and re-establish trees as a key element in urban and rural property landscapes.