Broad-leafed forests are the
predominant landscape with cultivated open fields
cast aside long ago to slowly return to their
original wilderness state. The islands are a
region of continuous transition with many northern
species finding their southernmost limit where
southern plants grow no farther north. Even
from island to island there is a diversity of
plant growth. Along the northern border species
common to the boreal forest, white spruce, black
spruce, white birch, jack pine and balsam fir
make up much of the forest while to the south
the deciduous sugar maple, American beech, basswood,
white elm and red maple overshadow the coniferous
species. Many species considered rare, threatened
or endangered, such as the Rue Anemone, the
small population of Deerberry and the pitch
pine are protected by the park. On Hill Island,
the pitch pine that has grown here for 4500
years is dependent on fire to burn away the
undergrowth and competing species; unhappily,
fires are traditionally suppressed in parks.
A threat also exists from
the overpopulation of white-tailed deer that
will eat the cones and tender pine shoots when
food is scarce. 90% of all life in the lake
is born, raised and/or fed in the shallow water
and first 10 - 15 metres of shoreland. This
highly valuable ecosystem is also the area found
most charming by the human population who are
apt to damage what most attracts them. Wildflowers
such as May apples, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica,
spring beauty, trout lily, white trillium, Indian
cucumber and starflower are all representative
of the Canadian Shield island habitats.
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