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Page - - Mississauga News, Nov. 22/95 Letter - One-sided This letter is in response to the article, "Do we go for the natural look?," from Sunday, Nov. 12., 1995. I was not impressed by the article and found it as a whole to be one-sided in the City's favor, concerning the woodlot management plan. However, what really bothered me about the article was the comments made by our own Mayor Hazel McCallion, who questioned the appearance of the Cawthra Bush. She said that when she drives by the bush she sees many trees leaning over in an unsightly manner. McCallion is quoted as saying, "It looks like we're not maintaining it." Although our city is ran by a mayor who is fiscally responsible, it is clear she has no idea how a forest ecosystem works. When a tree dies, it has only partially fulfilled its potential ecological function. A dead tree is often more valuable to the forest than when it was alive. Dead trees store nutrients that enrich the soil and foster new growth. In a forest where the trees are repeatedly cut and removed, the soil quality becomes poor, diversity decreases and the forest loses its resilience for stress. The Cawthra Bush and other forested areas of the city need its trees, dead or alive, and it's time the City left its natural areas alone and stopped trying to manage them. Peter M. Phillips
[COMMENTS BY DON B. - ]
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