Creating Mini Habitats for Declining Species

Creating Unique Ecosystems That Support Declining Species
Pollinators are declining due to habitat destruction, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. Creating pollinator gardens is a method to reduce the impact of habitat fragmentation, resulting in improved biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and food production. Pollinators play a big role in agricultural productivity and conserving these species is essential.
In this video we explore creating small pollinator gardens that have a big impact.
Part 1 of the Small Scale Big Impact Series: • This Unique Forest has...
More Information:
Oakvillegreen Pollinator Gardens: www.oakvillegreen.org/pollina...
The Importance fo Pollinators: www.usda.gov/peoples-garden/p...
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© David Bysouth

[@justinciallella4724]

I have a creek and wetlands, on my land, but I never heard any frogs, until I put in a 4ft x 7ft pond, only 6 inches deep. I now have three species of frog and at least one species of salamander breeding in it. My garden is full of native plants, so my garden is full of pollinators and birds feeding an all the seeds and insects. The pond was the easiest way to instantly expand the diversity of life on my land.

[@DavidBysouth]

Thanks for sharing! I am curious why you think you saw frogs in your pond but not the wetlands on your property? Why do you think the habitat was more desirable for them in a created pond than a nearby wetland?

[@justinciallella4724]

@@DavidBysouth There's no open, still water in the wetlands. It's either flowing quickly, or there's saturated soil.

[@DavidBysouth]

Makes sense. I appreciate you sharing how effective creating that small pond was!

[@monad3448]

Yesss!!!!! More biodiversity!!!! Love to see butterflies and native perennials out and about whenever possible. Awesome vid thanks for sharing

[@DavidBysouth]

Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching the video!

[@nancynesytofreske]

It's so important to use native plants and not ornamental imported plants. Native to the area. Just because a plant attracts pollinators, doesn't necessarily mean that they are healthy for the pollinators. Also, host plants are vital.

[@neonice]

If they attract them, they are healthy. The only problem is that the non-native plants have a potential to be invasive. If they're not poisonous and don't spread uncontrollably, then there's absolutely no problem.

[@souljahaden6184]

@@neonicemore research needs to be done on that actually

[@murderyourlawn]

@neonice Not true. Different plant nectars offer different nutritional components. Exotic plants can also spread disease and harm migratory species, such as tropical milkweed in monarch butterflies.​

[@DrawThatFox-rq5sx]

Awesome video, I have a small pollinator garden(200m2) in a big city and its awesome to see the diversity over the year, they are not just useful they can be really beautiful.

[@DavidBysouth]

Appreciate your comment and I’m glad your pollinator garden is a success so far! Thanks for watching!

[@neonice]

I've noticed that the issue of fragmented agricultural landscapes is very severe in the US. In Germany, every field plot has to have a tree/shrub border to allow refuge for animals whereas in the US it's often pure agricultural desert for as far as the eye can see.

[@DavidBysouth]

That’s great that in Germany there’s regulations in place to create habitats in agricultural systems. I’m not 100% sure what the rules are here in Canada when it comes to agricultural areas but from what I can tell it would likely vary highly by province/region/farm. But great to hear there’s countries that are integrating natural and agricultural areas. Thanks for watching!

[@ethicalgamer9786]

Great work man ✌🏻

[@DavidBysouth]

Appreciate it!

[@DeathsGarden-oz9gg]

You should visit a desert native ecosystem someone made to produce food and help wild life.

[@artbyadrienne6812]

Nice video. We added a bee hive last year and we've really seen a difference in the amount of fruit and nuts our trees have set. 🌸🐝

[@DavidBysouth]

That’s awesome! Glad you are noticing a difference. Thanks for your comment and for checking out the video!

[@justinciallella4724]

Honey bees are an invasive species in North America. They compete with native pollinators for resources. Plant more native species, to up your diversity of native bee species. There are over 4000 bees species native to North America.

[@artbyadrienne6812]

@@justinciallella4724 At 6,000 ft. elevation in the desert, there wasn't much pollinating going on. We had one very tired Bumblebee. 🌸🐝

[@badpad96]

Hey there! Been seeing these kind of gardens a lot here in germany. My observation though is they are usually placed in urban spaces or maintaned spaces like golf courses. So the question im currently chasing is there some sort of design that works in forest areas, with low maintance input required? Also is there a way to design those with the goal to produce as much as possible vegetative and insect biomass for birds to consume?

[@alicequayle4625]

Id say mixed hedges. With some flowering tree species in. Maybe some open areas for wildflowers on ground. Some species of tree have more species living on them. Eg in uk oak and willow. Birch seems to have a lot of caterpillars on in spring. Rowan and hawthorn are good for winter berries etc.

[@DavidBysouth]

I think the point of these types of gardens in more urban spaces is 1) to provide habitat in areas where these kinds of plants have been lost 2) to provide 'stop over sites' so pollinators and insects can move around more freely. In terms of improving insect biomass, I think creating complexity and heterogeneity with grasses, flowers, etc. that are native to the area should attract various insects and pollinators. I would recommend looking to see if there are similarly documented projects in more natural spaces online that align with what you are looking for. Thanks for watching!

[@samajier2566]

Nice video,,,,,,...

[@uggali]

Have you heard of a lizard lounge or a wētā hotel?

[@DavidBysouth]

No I haven't heard of either of those! Looked them up though, and both look super interesting!

[@kaczynski2333]

I'm always disappointed when people don't mention mosquitoes as pollinators. That aside, love your work :)

[@DavidBysouth]

I will definitely make sure mosquitoes are top of mind when I think about pollinators going forward! Thanks for watching!

[@brentsullivant3596]

I love how when he says improving crop yields it cuts to wheat, a wind pollinated plant.

[@DavidBysouth]

Realized this after I posted the video. Definitely my mistake!

[@storyhubcorner7190]

Nice

[@everythingmatters6308]

There are more than human centric reasons to be doing this. Insects are dying off in droves.

[@DavidBysouth]

You’re right there’s a lot of important ecology behind the importance of insects and pollinators that I didn’t explicitly talk about here. My goal with this video was to highlight on a more human level why projects like this are important, but I take your point on the importance of providing ecological/biological story to balance things out. Thanks for watching!

[@andrewrivera4609]

Hi David, also raised honey bees for 3 years , now I would like to share a simple instrument we can use to reproduce Tons of earthworms to make Solid & liquid Humus 4 all type of plants, and as a good source of protein for birds, fish, reptiles, cattle. This comes from a vídeo that a young farmer did in México a few years ago. You first get 2 blue 55 gln plastic containers one aside the other horizontally and put 2 wooden or metal supports in the bottom close to the lids and other 2 supports a bit shorter in height at the rear end, so that the liquid fertilizer can evacuate. Both containers must have a 1 feet x 32 inches window on top and are connected by 2 plastic 2" diameter in the middle plus both containers need a 1" hole in the rear end for venting. Once You have your 2 Windows & drilled the holes in your containers, You put your supports or stools underneath You are ready to fill your first tank with soaken woodchips, clean manure, ws,soaken cardboard & paper, manure, leafs, manure, kitchen wastes, manure,soaken woodchips, etc. Then You add earthworms, so far I've heard California earthworms are among the Best, in about 3 months your first tank Will be full of humus and the worms Will go instinctively to the 2 nd tank through the middle 2" tubes to the 2 nd tank where You repeat the operation. Even though the ideal temperature 4 earthworms is 83F it is unconvenient to put the Tanks directly to the sun, better in a shade and not directly exposed to the wind either. Well, I hope You get the idea, plastic retains humidity & heat pretty good therefore it's ideal 4 worms to grow in. Hope You enjoy it and help in growing plants for the polinators.

[@DavidBysouth]

@@andrewrivera4609 Thanks for sharing this! Sounds like a really interesting technique to build organic matter for a soil amendment. I think it's great you're interested in creative ways of improving soil/biodiversity/environmental conditions!

[@andrewrivera4609]

I am glad You got this usefull information, and hope it can be spread for people who would like to live homestead. Nowadays in the USA they are reintroducing the Chestnut tree and have a Center in Virginia where they have brought a Chestnut from China and been working in crossing it with the native one, this tree has polen & nectar and is also a great source of Acorns full of protein and good fat, Excelent for us and animals. Let me know in the future how are You doing with the earthworms, so we can share some experience, Best regards & wishes

[@souljahaden6184]

I think a bat box would work well in the garden to reduce the amount of mosquitoes and create a functional ecosystem

[@DavidBysouth]

Bat boxes are really amazing additions to a lot of ecosystems! There's a balance to be struck with mosquitoes though as they are important pollinators as well. Thanks for watching!

[@Greenmahn333]

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