The Canadian Field-Naturalist (E-Journal)
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A review of the historical and current status of American Beaver (Castor canadensis) on Prince Edward Island, Canada
Get PDFEvidence supporting the native status of American Beaver (Castor canadensis) on Prince Edward Island (PEI) before European contact in 1534 has yet to be established; however, the postglacial and archaeological records have not previously been reviewed in this context. We demonstrate the coincidence of a land bridge between the mainland and PEI and the occurrence of beavers in the region dating between 9500 and 5000 BP (before present, with present defined as 1950). We provide an archaeological record of 14 beaver incisors in six locations, deposited between 500 and 1650 AD and also show that beavers could swim to PEI. Based on this evidence, we conclude that beavers were native to the province. The current population, originating via reintroductions from New Brunswick, has populated much of the available habitat and engendered considerable controversy
First record of Crithidia expoeki (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) from native Canadian bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus)
Get PDFBumble bees (Bombus Latrielle: Apidae) are important pollinators; however, declines of several species have been documented worldwide. Although pathogens have been linked to some declines, the biology, distribution, and impacts of most pathogens are poorly understood. Here, we report the first record of a recently characterized protozoan pathogen, Crithidia expoeki Schmid-Hempel & Tognazzo (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae), from bumble bees in Canada. This provides further insight on its global distribution and importance as a threat to bumble bees in Canada
"The North Atlantic Right Whale: Disappearing Giants. Revised and Updated Edition" by Scott Kraus, Marilyn Marx, Heather Pettis, Amy Knowlton, and Kenneth Mallory, 2019. [book review]
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First records of two freshwater mussel Species at Risk, Mapleleaf (Quadrula quadrula) and Lilliput (Toxolasma parvum), in the Canard River, Ontario, with implications for freshwater mussel recovery in the Detroit River
Get PDFFreshwater mussels of the family Unionidae are among the world’s most imperilled animals. A third of Canadian species have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern, with losses attributed to natural system modifications such as damming, pollution, exploitation for buttons and pearls, urbanization, and the introduction and subsequent effects of aquatic invasive species. In the Great Lakes basin, the introduction of dreissenid mussels in the 1980s caused catastrophic declines, with remnant populations restricted to lotic riverine habitats. In southwestern Ontario, the Canard River is the largest remaining direct tributary of the Detroit River that could provide a source of mussels to aid natural recovery. In 2019, nine sites in the Canard River were sampled using a timed-search approach (4.5 person-hours/site) with a combination of tactile searching by hand and mussel scoops (7-mm mesh) or underwater viewers. The search yielded 362 individuals of eight species, including two Species at Risk, Mapleleaf (Quadrula quadrula) and Lilliput (Toxolasma parvum), which had never been previously recorded in the Canard River
Lichens and allied fungi of Sandbar Lake Provincial Park, Ontario
Get PDFSandbar Lake Provincial Park (Sandbar Lake) covers 8053 ha in the boreal forest in northwestern Ontario. Within the park boundary are natural forests representative of those in the region, as well as forests that are heavily disturbed from resource extraction activities, which are prevalent in northwestern Ontario. The lichen biota in this part of the boreal forest is known to be rich and abundant, but lichen diversity is also known to be negatively impacted by disturbances (e.g., timber harvesting, mining, and climate change). Therefore, lichens can be used to monitor the effects of these disturbances, but baseline data are required. Here, we present the results of the first detailed inventory of the lichens and allied fungi of Sandbar Lake. We report 139 species in 69 genera from 16 sites that represent all macrohabitats present in the park. Seven species have a provincial conservation status rank from S1 to S3 (critically imperilled to vulnerable), and one species, Arthrosporum populorum, has previously been collected only once in northwestern Ontario. Our results fill biogeographic gaps for many species and allow lichens to be used as biomonitors during further study at Sandbar Lake. We show that Sandbar Lake has important conservation value, and our data provide an opportunity for further study in an area with no previous research on lichens