Laurel outlook., 1947-08-06
Wildlife Fares
I'll in Canada
Scant Soil Resources. Bitter
Cold in North Among
adverse Factors.

its huge territory embraces extern
sive wildlife resources, Canada has
not had particularly favorable wild
life conditions for centuries, it is
pointed out by DR.. Harrison F.
Lewis, superintendent of wildlife
protection in the dominion. Princi-
pal factors affecting wildlife, how
ever, are in part favorable, he
added.
Of Canada's total land area Of
1852, 900 square miles, less than 8
per cent is occupied for agricultural
purposes, less than 3 per cent is
privately owned forest land, and
most of the remaining SO per cent is
publicly owned land, either forested
or open.
Not Enough Heat.
A great deal of Canada, espe-
cially the more northern part, has
not been favorable to wildlife since
it was uncovered by the recession
of it's last great ice cap. This is
principally due to two things-insuf-
ficient heat and extremely scanty
soil resources. Good crops, whether
of wildlife or of other produce, re-
quire adequate warmth and fertile
soil, but northern Canada does not
receive enough heat from the sun
for such crops and, because of the
character of much of its bedrock
and the intensive securing that the
great ice-sheets gave it, its areas OF
good soil are relatively very small.
With the growth and extension of
settlement in Canada, especially
since development of the prairies,
other adverse factors have power
fully affected wildlife. One great
group of such influences, including
fires, agriculture and, in some
cases, the cutting of forests, has
produced environmental changes
unfavorable to wildlife, or to some
kinds of it.
One condition that, though a
negative one, has had much to do
with reduction of wildlife in Can
ada, as elsewhere, is a lack Of gen.
eral public awareness of the basic
value of wildlife and of what has
been happening and continues to
happen to this This seri-
Gus flaw in mans adjustment to an
important part of his world seems
to be as prevalent in rural areas as
in the city.
Often Favorable.
However, both the cutting of for
ests and fire, if the latter is not too
severe and thoroughly destruc-
tive, initiate a series of geological
changes that are often very favor
able, for a number of years, to valu-
able wild creatures.
The young growth, whether suck
ers or seedlings, that springs up
SOC reaches a state of development
in which it provides much more
browse for deer and zoe than did
the mature forest that was re-
moved. In some places and at some
stages the second growth provides
excellent habitat for woodcock. The
extent of forest edge also may be
increased, to the benefit of ruffed
grouse and insectivorous birds.
1t often is possible to control the
of forests in such a way as I
to produce these effects intention !
ally. Fires in marshes may, if con-
ditions are right, destroy vegetation
of little value to wildlife and permit 6
more useful plants to replace it. 7
Agriculture may be very helpful t
to ~pheasants, mallards and some
other game birds if it is carried on 7
such a way as to make available 9
much waste of rich foods, such as n
and soy beans. .
One of the important tools of the 6
government movement to maintain /
adequate stocks of wildlife is the ,
aside of various kinds of :
'eserved areas, such as nature Z
,arks, sanctuaries, game preserves ;
md native hunting preserves. Can o
ida has more than a million square
in reserved areas.
Another tool that has been devel- C
ped to aid wildlife in recent years "
S water manipulation by engineer :
ng, in regions where the natural