Most of the Hamilton area outside our towns and cities is rural. Like urban areas, rural areas are mainly human environments and both fragment the natural landscape. Our local rural landscapes are much more variable than in other parts of Ontario because of the moderate local climate and local topography.

These landscapes are a mixture of natural areas, farms and towns. The major crops grown locally include corn, soybeans and grains but also fruits and vegetables such as apples, strawberries and squash. There are specialty crops like wine grapes and ginseng being grown locally and Hamilton is also home to dairy and cattle farms. All of these farms have one thing in common: rural habitats are not very diverse; in many cases they are monocultures, like the tomato field below.

Tomato field. Photo by Alan Ernst.

They do not make very good wildlife habitat for this reason. Actively farmed rural areas do not attract very many species and those that are attracted to them are considered undesirable. These plants and animals are actively discouraged or prevented because they will damage the crop. Often there is considerable pesticide and fertiliser use in rural environments, however, there are more pesticide-free (usually called 'organic') farms every year. So how do rural landscapes provide habitat for wildlife?

Non-actively farmed areas are habitats in use by wildlife because rural areas include both farms and natural features, and because fields are not always being used.