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The Environment

Species Identification Part 2

Part 1: Identifying Common Species

Species Identification:

• The best way to become familiar with identifying various species is through observation and practice.

• Spending as much time as possible in the field, taking good notes and using field guides is a great way to become familiar with the biodiversity you come across.

• The following slides will introduce you to some common species you may encounter.

Common Trees

• When identifying trees, we often look at the leaves or needles of a tree.

• It is also useful to become familiar with the bark of a tree as leaves are not present year round.

• Other useful characteristics are flowers, buds, thorns etc. that a tree may have.

• Some useful field guides are:

• Trees of Ontario by Linda Kershew

• Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America by Michael D. Williams

Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)

Black Cherry(Prunus serotina)

Yellow Birch(Betula alleghaniensis)

American Beech(Fagus grandifolia)

Staghorn Sumac(Rhus typhina)

Paper Birch (white birch)(Betula papyrifera)

Eastern White Pine(Pinus strobus)

Red Pine(Pinus resinosa)

Red Oak(Quercus rubra)

White Ash(Fraxinus americana)

Common Wildflowers

• Review the key things to look for when describing wildflowers, ie arrangement of the flower petals, type of flower, number of petals, leaf arrangement, leaf type etc.

• Some excellent field guides for identifying wildflowers are:

• Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb

• The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario by Timothy Dickinson et al.

Bloodroot(Sanguinaria canadensis)

Jack in the Pulpit(Arisaema triphyllum)

Skunk Cabbage(Symplocarpus foetidus)

Trout Lily(Erythronium americanum

Poison Ivy(Rhus radicans)

Wild Ginger(Asarum canadense)

Common Milkweed(Asclepias syriaca)

Wild Leek(Allium tricoccum)

May-apple(Podophyllum eltatum)

White Trillium(Trillium grandiflorum)

Ontario’s Provincial flower White trillium infected with a mycoplasma-like organism

Common Birds• Birds are one of the most

common forms of wildlife that we encounter on a day-to-day basis.

• Even in a city, there is a tremendous diversity of bird life found in parks and backyards.

• The male bird tends to be much more colourful than the female bird of a species.

• As you look at each slide, remember the acronymn GISS (General Impression Size Shape) to make notes of the characteristics of the birds you are seeing.

• An excellent field guides for identifying birds is:

• Birds of Eastern and Central North America by Roger Tory Peterson

• Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by David Sibley

Blue Jay (male) Northern Cardinal (male)

Song Sparrow (male) Black-capped Chickadee (male)

Common Grackle (male) American Goldfinch (male)

House finch (male) Downy Woodpecker (male)

Mourning Dove (male) Red-winged Blackbird (male)

American Robin Brown-headed Cowbird

White-breasted Nuthatch White-throated Sparrow

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male)

House Sparrow (male)

Common Exotic Species

• An Exotic species is a one that migrates into or is introduced into an ecosystem deliberately or accidently by humans.

• Many exotic species can have a negative impact on endemic (native) species by competing for food, nesting spaces and habitat.

European Starling House Sparrow

Glossy buckthorn European Barberry

Garlic Mustard Purple Loosestrife

Giant Hogweed Dames Rocket

Norway Maple