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If you own shoreline property on Lake Simcoe, or on any lake for that matter, you might be extremely interested in the information below.
It turns out when gnarled, aging trees growing naturally along the lakeshore should be allowed to age naturally and tumble into the lake. Trees that crash naturally into the lake start a second life under the water.
And this second life may last up to 600 years!
At the bottom of the lake, the dead trees will attract crayfish, minnows, mudpuppies, tadpoles, a variety of fish, dragonfly nymphs, mayflies, wood ducks, soft-shell turtles, blue herons, diatoms, and algae. A new community of life will have been created among the multitude of forked branches on the trees.
For thousands of years, trees have fallen into lakes.
You might be surprised to learn that fish that swim around in the middle of lake need towering trees and hardy shrubs on the shoreline to survive.
Most fish, as well as other marine life, such as frogs, come to the shoreline to lay their eggs. If there is no shade to prevent the eggs from overheating from the blistering sun, the fish eggs will die along with other marine-life eggs.
When the shoreline is devoid of towering trees, a tangle of shrubbery and native flora, the natural predator-prey balance has forever been disrupted. When humans rip out and destroy natural greenery on the lakeshore, the threads connecting the web of life are shredded and all the animals in this web are negatively affected.
No longer will you enjoy watching a striking blue heron, as it will move elsewhere, where a ribbon of trees and native flora still prevails, to look for fish and fogs. (Michael A. Bozek, UWSP)
Research has actually shown that if you want to catch more fish for supper, go to the area of the lake where you observe a ribbon of life containing stands of old-growth native trees, a jungle of shrubbery, and native flora growing naturally along the shoreline.
Not only does the shade of the trees protect the eggs, but when leaves covered with insects trying to devour them, are blown into the lake, the fish will readily eat the bugs.
Here are some suggestions for all the cities that are located on Lake Simcoe or on any lake.
* When the city collects Christmas trees, rather than mulching them, drop them on the frozen ice and let them sink naturally into the lake.
* When the city needs to prune or chop down trees, let the whole tree or branches fall into the lake to start new habitats for marine life.
* Keep this in mind when planting conifers: always plant them in groups of more than three, so in the winter they can shade each other and will not dry out in the sun (moisture escapes from the needles).
* If trees and shoreline shrubbery have been removed, start a replanting program to restore the web of life to which we are all connected.
* If you own property on the lake and would like to create a sandy beach for the kids, make sure you also maintain a section of greenery that will help to maintain a healthy lake in which your kids love to swim.
* Keep in mind a manicured monoculture of static non-native lawns do not promote nor enhance the ecological health of either the shoreline or the lake.
Gwen Petreman
Barrie
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