by Art Jones
Saskatchewan's grasslands once covered a vast area of the province; roughly 215,000 square kilometres or 90 per cent of what is known as the Prairie Ecozone. These grasslands were home to thousands of plant, mammal, bird and insect species. Millions of grazers, such as bison and elk, roamed the grasslands.
By the 1900's, however, The Homestead Act, the construction of the railway and The Crowsnest Pass Act, made the prairie grasslands look like the place to be. Settlers rushed in to plough up the land and grow crops for their families and their fellow Canadians.
The once diverse expanse of native grassland has dwindled to less than 20 per cent of its original size. As the expanse of native grassland declined, so did the diversity of species and the special services and goods the grassland provided. These include such things as: processes that help to clean water; flood control; insects that help with pollination; forage; wildlife; and carbon sequestration.
After nearly 150 years of annual crop production the fertility of the soil in much of the prairie grassland region has declined by up to one-third. The prairie grassland that is left is under pressure from tillage, urban expansion, industrial activity and invasion by exotic species.
"This reduction concerns a lot of people including members of environmental groups, outdoor enthusiasts and agricultural producers," says Ann Gerry, Senior Terrestrial Ecologist with Saskatchewan Environment.
"The remaining native prairie supports 730 animal species, 1378 plant species and 15,000 insect species. The prairie also still provides many of the goods and services we depend on, thanks in large part to its value as a grazing resource. For decades, Saskatchewan ranchers have been caring for and conserving the grasslands they depend on for their livelihood."
The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is one of the founding members of the Prairie Conservation Action Plan, a coalition of 25 groups representing industry, governments, non-government organizations and the province's two universities.
The goals of the Prairie Conservation Action are to maintain a healthy prairie grazing resource, conserve the remaining prairie, maintain native biological diversity, promote complementary, sustainable uses of the native prairie and to increase awareness and understanding of the native prairie and its value.
"The Prairie Conservation Action Plan works because it promotes win-win benefits for livestock producers and everyone else in Saskatchewan," says rancher Chair of the Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Michael Burgess.
"Ranchers, in partnership with conservation organizations, are continually working to maintain and restore grasslands to provide habitat for wildlife, goods and services for you and me, and a sustainable grazing resource. We all win by having healthy grasslands and clean water and we can address these issues more effectively when we work on them together."
"We don't yet know the full value of the prairie's biodiversity," says Environment's Gerry. "This makes it even more important to conserve and maintain what's left of the native prairie for the use and enjoyment of ourselves and generations to come."
If you would like to learn more about the Prairie Conservation Action Plan check out their website at www.pcap-sk.org
For more information contact:
Ann Gerry
Senior Terrestrial Ecologist
Saskatchewan Environment
(306) 787-1835
agerry@serm.gov.sk.ca
Karyn Scalise
Manager
Prairie Conservation Action Plan
(306) 352-0472
Or
Art Jones
Communications Consultant
Saskatchewan Environment
(306) 787-5796
(306) 536-8452 (cell)
ajones@serm.gov.sk.ca
Saskatchewan's grasslands once covered a vast area of the province; roughly 215,000 square kilometres or 90 per cent of what is known as the Prairie Ecozone. These grasslands were home to thousands of plant, mammal, bird and insect species. Millions of grazers, such as bison and elk, roamed the grasslands.
By the 1900's, however, The Homestead Act, the construction of the railway and The Crowsnest Pass Act, made the prairie grasslands look like the place to be. Settlers rushed in to plough up the land and grow crops for their families and their fellow Canadians.
The once diverse expanse of native grassland has dwindled to less than 20 per cent of its original size. As the expanse of native grassland declined, so did the diversity of species and the special services and goods the grassland provided. These include such things as: processes that help to clean water; flood control; insects that help with pollination; forage; wildlife; and carbon sequestration.
After nearly 150 years of annual crop production the fertility of the soil in much of the prairie grassland region has declined by up to one-third. The prairie grassland that is left is under pressure from tillage, urban expansion, industrial activity and invasion by exotic species.
"This reduction concerns a lot of people including members of environmental groups, outdoor enthusiasts and agricultural producers," says Ann Gerry, Senior Terrestrial Ecologist with Saskatchewan Environment.
"The remaining native prairie supports 730 animal species, 1378 plant species and 15,000 insect species. The prairie also still provides many of the goods and services we depend on, thanks in large part to its value as a grazing resource. For decades, Saskatchewan ranchers have been caring for and conserving the grasslands they depend on for their livelihood."
The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is one of the founding members of the Prairie Conservation Action Plan, a coalition of 25 groups representing industry, governments, non-government organizations and the province's two universities.
The goals of the Prairie Conservation Action are to maintain a healthy prairie grazing resource, conserve the remaining prairie, maintain native biological diversity, promote complementary, sustainable uses of the native prairie and to increase awareness and understanding of the native prairie and its value.
"The Prairie Conservation Action Plan works because it promotes win-win benefits for livestock producers and everyone else in Saskatchewan," says rancher Chair of the Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Michael Burgess.
"Ranchers, in partnership with conservation organizations, are continually working to maintain and restore grasslands to provide habitat for wildlife, goods and services for you and me, and a sustainable grazing resource. We all win by having healthy grasslands and clean water and we can address these issues more effectively when we work on them together."
"We don't yet know the full value of the prairie's biodiversity," says Environment's Gerry. "This makes it even more important to conserve and maintain what's left of the native prairie for the use and enjoyment of ourselves and generations to come."
If you would like to learn more about the Prairie Conservation Action Plan check out their website at www.pcap-sk.org
For more information contact:
Ann Gerry
Senior Terrestrial Ecologist
Saskatchewan Environment
(306) 787-1835
agerry@serm.gov.sk.ca
Karyn Scalise
Manager
Prairie Conservation Action Plan
(306) 352-0472
Or
Art Jones
Communications Consultant
Saskatchewan Environment
(306) 787-5796
(306) 536-8452 (cell)
ajones@serm.gov.sk.ca
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