The rapid rate of large-scale human change to the forest landscape endangers the survival of some species, while promoting a destabilizing population explosion in others. White-tailed deer, for example, were once confined to a small area in southern Ontario. Because deer do relatively well in disturbed areas, their numbers have mushroomed in response to land clearing, widespread logging and road building into wilderness areas. They now range as far north as Thunder Bay and beyond. This spiralling population has serious impacts on other forest inhabitants, both animal and plant.
Deer carry a brainworm that is potentially fatal to moose.
As the numbers of formerly rare deer expanded in areas such as Algonquin Park, moose populations became infected and suffered severe dieback. In response to the declining availability of certain forest habitats, many plant and animal species are undergoing similarly profound changes in their populations. However, work has barely begun on identifying and monitoring many of the organisms affected. As Ontario residents, our economic well-being depends on the forests for far more than timber. Healthy forest ecosystems purify our air and water.