The Natural Treasures of Carolinian Canada: Discovering the rich natural diversity of Ontario's Southwestern heartland

Sweeping from Toronto to Lake Huron and Lake Erie is a region of biological richness unmatched in Canada. Here the native trees have unusual names -- Sassafras, Cucumber Magnolia, Tulip-tree, Black Walnut, Pawpaw -- evoking the distinctly southern character for which the region is named. The zone is also home to dozens of species of plants, grasses and wildflowers, as well as animals, birds, fishes and mussels, amphibians and reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects not found elsewhere in Canada. The Carolinian region is only a quarter of a percent of the country's total land area, but close to one-third of Canada's rare and endangered plants and animals live here. So does more than a quarter of the country's population. Many unique species depend on the region's distinctive habitats, many of them also in jeopardy. The Carolinian landscape is one of the most threatened in North America. This book is a labour of love for the contributors, naturalists and scientists who share their knowledge of the diverse richness and rarity of the species and spaces in Carolinian Canada through engaging and informative text.Johnson, Lorraine is the author of 'The Natural Treasures of Carolinian Canada: Discovering the rich natural diversity of Ontario's Southwestern heartland', published 2007 under ISBN 9781550289909 and ISBN 155028990X.