Article written by Rebecca C. Rooney with contributors: Andrea Kirkwood and Nandita B. Basu
Driving through the Greater Toronto Area, you probably wouldn’t recognize the value of the wetlands you are passing. You might even consider them an eyesore. Sure, they have their warts. Invasive plants, scattered trash — urban development exerts stress on ecosystems.
But urban wetlands are valuable; they are our workhorses. Maybe they are not as awe-inspiring as wetlands in our provincial parks, but they are doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to flood protection and water-quality improvement. They save us millions by retaining storm waters and removing nutrients that cause noxious algae blooms. They also serve as frontline workers against climate change, sucking carbon out of the air. Our urban wetlands work around the clock for us, performing what we scientists call “ecosystem services.”
Read the entire article in the Toronto Star here.
