AW Water Basic Ecology Lesson

From WildWiki

In this lesson, instructors should emphasize the following "objectives":

Return to Water Curriculum

1. Students understand the history and context of land management in the area

2. Students learn the basic ecological characteristics of the northern boreal forest (taiga)

3. Students learn about fire and snow adaptation

4. Students are introduced to the most common plant and animal species, what habitat(s) they exist in, and how to identify them

History and Ecology of Wabikimi Prov. Park (based on interview with Bruce Hyer in 2003)

1977 Wabikimi Prov. Park established (interior core of park- dark green on maps)

1992-95 Expansion #1 (light green on maps)

1997-99 Expansion #2 (to current boundaries)

18% on Ontario province protected. Canadian land management designations

1. Provincial Park- highest wilderness designation. Similar to NP in the US

2. Crown land- some protections but also multi-use. Similar to national forest or BLM in the states

3. Signature site- a more protected classification of crown land (but still can allow for logging).

Some outfiiters were grandfathered into Wabikimi which explains the use of float planes and motor boats in the park. No new services may be built in the park but float planes may access the park from outside the park. Most users in the park and surrounding areas (hunters and fishermen). Canoeists are a rapidly growing user group. There is growing tension in Canada (just as in the US) over "mutiple use" designations that allow for resource extraction as well as wilderness travel and other forms of recreation. A new management plan for the park is currently being undertaken (2005) as well as the surrounding crown land (St. Rapahel Signature Site to the west was just established in 2004).

The Northern Boreal "Snow Forest"

The forest of Wabikimi is in snow 6 months of the year. Very simple forest. Low biodiversity. The forest evolved to deal with constraints. Glacial mov't removed much of the soil and left lots of water. The forest evolved with no soil, little to no nutrients, and with being frozen 6 months of the year. Its amazing that it exists at all! The entire area underfoot is either water, sand, or bedrock.

The forest also evolved to burn. On poor soil, trees are made to burn. As trees get older, systems begin to break down- not working as efficiently. The quickest and easiest way to release nutrients is to burn. The Jack Pine has evolved perfectly for this ecological niche.

Why dominated by evergreens?

Advantages with short growing season- there is a heavy price to pay for losing all your leaves in winter (nutrient loss). But there is also a proce to pay for keeping leaves (winter drought). You get a lot of water loss in the winter through evaporation. But, look at the needles- they are set up for this. Very dry structure (not a lot of wasted area). Less surface area to lose water. Also an adaptation to heavy snow loading- sloughs off snow more easily.

Common Trees of the Boreal Forest

• Jack Pine

Fast grower. Very tolerant of drought. Grows quickly and then falls or burns. Dies at about 80 years of age. You can tell the age of a forest burn by looking at the height of a jack pine (about 1 foot per year). The cones of the Jack Pine open when exposed to extreme heat. This is a fire adaptation. Has leaves of two (think 2 words- Jack Pine). Tend to be in pure stands without competitors.

• Red Pine

Not distributed very well in Wabikimi. Grows bigger than other conifers. Leaves of two (again- think two words, two leaves). Red Pine has a heavy seed that falls straight down, therefore it moves more slower in distribution. Red Pine is also dry tolerant and fire resistant.

• Black Spruce

Shade tolerant- Jack Pine often serves as a nurse tree for slower growing balck spruce. You can find black spruce seedlings poking up underneath Jack Pines- classic successional process. Leaves spread in all directions (unlike pines which come in packets). Black spruce has a shallow, spreading root system to adapt to soil type of boreal forest. Often found in dense, pure stands or mixed with tamarck, balsam fir, and white spruce. You can get spruce gum from the sap of a black spruce which Indians and voyaguers often used to bide the time on long journeys.

• Tamarack (eastern Larch)

A smaller evergreen seldom over 60 feet. Slender horizontal branches with bright blue/green leaves in clusters. Red-brown, scaly trunk. This is a bog plant in Wabikimi. Shallow root system.

• Paper Birch

70-80 foot tree when mature. Serrated leaves with cream white bark that separates into classica papery layers. Short-lived with spreading roots. Can take over extensive areas after fires. Prefer rich or sandy soils. Birch bark traditional used in canoes as well as "backcountry paper." Can make a neat handmade postcard.

Woodland Caribou

Two types of Caribou- Tundra Caribou (found above tree-line. Smaller but with bigger rack). Woodland Caribou (found in southern Boreal forest. This is a larger animal with a smaller rack). They can interbreed. The Tundra "boo" move more in herds while the woodland are in smaller bands and often solitary. Part of the deer family with Mooose (biggest), Elk (bigger), and Caribou (big).

Caribou calf in May, June, and July on small islands (1/4-3/4 mile big). Avoid these during this time. In summertime, they eat similar to deer. In wintertime, they eat Usnea (old man's beard) and lichen (white, springy, fluffy stuff that grows on bedrock). Lichen grows very slowly on poor soils such as those found in Wabikimi. Caribou have adapted to use these sites in winters. It takes 40-60 years to grow significant lichen. As a forest matures, the crown closes in and blocks out the sun. Lichen do not do as well without sun- in these areas you get more moss. This is why you are more likely to see caribou in the intermediate succession forests (50-150 years old).

You can often see the line in the cedar along the lake shores where they have been feeding. The cedars will have a neat, linear line anout 4-6 feet off the water line.

Other animals of the taiga you may sbe lucky to see

Wolf, pine marten, lynx, river otter, bald eagle, grey jay, merlins, white throated sparrow, northern grey owl, black bear.