Grazing goats assist restore Mississauga’s wetland – Metropolis of Mississauga

Goat grazing is a low-impact technique that may assist take away invasive vegetation whereas opening house for native vegetation to develop.

The Metropolis is utilizing prescribed goat grazing, a brand new and distinctive method to managing invasive plant species, to assist restore habitats surrounding one in all Mississauga’s wetlands. On Might 25, the Metropolis grew to become the primary municipality within the Higher Toronto Space to trial prescribed grazing utilizing goats throughout the Invasive Species Consciousness Truthful. Prescribed grazing is a technique that makes use of livestock to handle varied considerations in habitats which can be suited to grazing.

The 60 goats have returned to Mississauga to graze on invasive plant species, together with non-native thistles and Frequent Reed (Phragmites australis).

Lower than one per cent of Mississauga is made up of wetland habitat, so it’s a precedence for the Metropolis to guard remaining wetlands. Managing invasive plant species will assist restore the wetland at O’Connor Park, creating a greater habitat for native wildlife, rising biodiversity, and bettering general wetland perform.

Utilizing goats to handle undesirable vegetation and invasive species has many advantages together with decreasing gas emissions from trimming gear, decreasing herbicide use and managing areas that aren’t simply accessible, like slopes.

The Metropolis will proceed to trial goat grazing in several habitat sorts and with completely different invasive species to achieve a greater understanding of how goat grazing could be built-in into the Metropolis’s suite of built-in administration instruments.

Invasive species in Mississauga

Invasive species are vegetation, animals or micro-organisms that aren’t native to Mississauga and, in massive numbers, may cause an imbalance to the Metropolis’s pure ecosystems and biodiversity. They will negatively alter Mississauga’s parks, woodlands, pure areas and wildlife habitats. Invasive vegetation can take over the house, change the soil composition and compete for vitamins, making it tougher for native vegetation to develop. Invasive bugs may cause direct hurt to timber and different native vegetation by transmitting ailments or consuming the leaves or stems.

Study extra about invasive species.