The effects of land use and cultural development on the Lake Ontario ecosystem since 1750

Abstract

Lake Ontario is the lowest in the chain of five Great Lakes which form part of the boundary between Canada and the United States. Although European exploration began as early as 1615, it was not until the mid-18th Century that permanent settlement began in the Great Lakes basin. Construction of the Erie Canal which links Buffalo with New York via the Hudson River, and its branch to Oswego, strengthened ties between settlements around the lower Great Lakes (lakes Erie and Ontario) and rapidly growing populations along the Atlantic seaboard. The coming of railroads greatly expanded these ties, and provided a direct link between Canadian settlements and the port of Montreal. Over the past 200 years, successive waves of immigrants entered the region, particularly from Europe.