True Acadian mixed forest
should consist of the following tree species:
beech, red oak, sugar maple, yellow birch, white
pine, hemlock and red spruce. However from the
time of the first European settlers in 1728
until 1911, 52% of the island was cleared for
agriculture, timber export and shipbuilding.
This large-scale land clearing removed the best
quality trees leaving genetically inferior seed
sources for future regeneration. Some examples
of the remnant Acadian forest survive on the
Balsam Hollow Trail and in other areas of the
park. Coastal forests are subject to strong
winds and salt spray, but a unique association
between the small forests and tertiary dunes
can be seen in transition areas. As the dunes
become established, marram grass, the only plant
that can initially colonize the dunes under
these harsh conditions, sends down metre-long
roots which anchor the sand against the force
of wind and waves, and eventually allows other
species to take root. Fragrant bay berry, wild
rose, goldenrod, hudsonia, and beech pea appear
in shrubby patches which in turn form a shield
for white spruce. The mature spruce forests
farther inland completely cover the older dunes,
the first row of trees providing a protective
wall against searing salt wind and enabling
succeeding spruce to grow. At Blooming Point,
one of these early coniferous forests has been
buried by migrating sand dunes. Access to and
use of about 20% of the park¨s land is controlled
to protect fragile plant growth; the Cavendish
sandspit and Brackley dune systems' marram
grass and bayberry colonies, and the Covehead
Bridge and Dalvay habitats for the vulnerable
wildflower, the St. Lawrence aster are prime
examples of this conservation program.
|
