My name is Krzysztof Maksyminko and I will be exploring the non-native isopods of Pomona Mills Park located in Thornhill, Ontario.
Although, terrestrial isopods are almost never said to be bad for the environment, the amount of invasive species originated in Europe on this land is astounding and seemed to be outcompeting native species.
Pomona Mills City Park spreads over 47 acres of mudland, grassland and Don Valley River riverbank.
The pictures were taken on a site-vistit on Monday the 7th of August at 16:33. The park was visited on a cloudy, post rained day with 24 degree Celcius and 76% humidity with Wind at 18km/h.
Few questions to consider:
Are non-native isopods outcompeting native isopods in Pomona MIll City Park?
Are there any ecological advantages of non-native isopods that allow them to thrive in Pomona Mill City Park? Are their diets varied from native isopods? Are their reproduction rates higher?
How do the non-native isopods deal with hybernation? Although, many times non-native isopods come from regions of Europe where the temperature is not as extreme in Canada, they seem to thrive here. Many of the species seen on those pictures come from the United Kingdom wherein the snow is scarce and temperature considerebly higher in winter than those in Southern Ontario.
Although, observing these animals in order to hypothesize about their survival in winter is very limited now, I will observe them during different weather conditions and record their speed, number and activity level where possible under the same log of wood I originally found them.
