Newfoundland's Ecological Reserves - Part II
15 Regions of Ecological Bliss!
Special Thanks to Amazing Adventures
for contributions on Newfoundland Parks.
Table Point
Table Point, located in northwestern Newfoundland, is a unique rock locality of international importance. It contains excellent exposures of a complete section of ancient limestone (approximately 470 million years old) known as the Table Head Group. Besides illustrating the ancient environment, the limestones contain exceptionally well preserved fossils. This section now forms the standard to which other rock sequences are compared in other parts of the world.
The rocks of Table Point were laid down in a shallow, warm sea, like that around Florida and the Bahamas. At least nine different marine animal groups are represented by the well preserved fossils.
Fortune Head
Fortune Head is a rugged headland located along Newfoundland's south coast. A portion of the rock section exposed along the cliffs at Fortune Head has been designated by the International Union of Geological Scientists (IUGS) as a global stratotype representing the boundary between the Precambrian and Cambrian period. It is approximately 530 million years old. This boundary reflects a fundamental change in the earth's history - the first appearance of skeletal organisms.
A group of local volunteers is working on a development plan which includes a system of hiking trails and interpretative signage for this site.
Watt's Point Calcareous Barrens
Unlike most other parts of the province, Watts Point contains a unique rock and soil material consisting of limestone.
These barrens are a unique landscape restricted to a narrow strip of coastline featuring large flat areas with a thin vegetation cover overlying limestone gravels and bedrock. Stretches of cobble beach with patches of salt-tolerant plants are interrupted by outcrops of limestone. The area next to the beach is covered with a few inches of rich soil which supports low shrubs. A steep slope separates the shoreline area from the main coastal plain. Here, strong winds and frost action prevent the vegetation from forming a continuous mat.
Although the barrens appear to be without much plant life, a surprising number of rare plants exist. The surface of the main terrace is covered with patches of herbs and severely wind-pruned shrubs. Many species of herbs such as Purple Mountain Saxifrage are unique to this limestone habitat. This area also supports many plants such as the Greenland Primrose, which is normally found only in arctic regions.
Hawke Hill
Hawke Hill was established as an ecological reserve in 1990. This 2.1 square kilometer site is located only 35 kilometers west of St. John's and is the most easterly alpine barrens site in North America. Visitors to the site are intrigued by the patterned ground, a common geomorphological feature associated with arctic-alpine environments.
West Brook
Newfoundland is at the northern limit of the range of red pine. As with many species at the extremity of their range, its very existence here is precarious. Red pine, the rarest indigenous conifer in Newfoundland, is located primarily in several isolated stands across the province. In order to help preserve this species, the island's largest stands near West Brook have been protected by the establishment of this reserve.
Kapitagas Channel-Redfir Lake
Located in southwestern Labrador, this site marks the only known natural stands of jack pine in the province. The reserve was officially declared on June 30, 1995. The site is significant since it marks the most easterly occurence of jack pine in North America.
King George IV Lake
The King George IV reserve is situated within the Central Newfoundland Forest Ecoregion. The area of greatest ecological significance is the delta with its deposit of nutrient rich alluvial soils. It is one of the largest and most diverse undisturbed delta sites on the island. The alluvial soils support a rich floral community which in turn attracts a diverse array of fauna.
The reserve acts as an oasis for wildlife in a high altitude, sub-alpine environment. It is an important site for a large number of breeding, migrating and staging waterfowl. Large populations of mammals such as moose and caribou also frequent this area. The potential of the reserve to support other wildlife species is very high. These species are supported by a diverse spectrum of plant communities, ranging from barren and forest communities, to diverse freshwater marsh communities. In fact the habitat provided by the freshwater marsh is rare for the Province of Newfoundland.
Burnt Point
The province's newest provisional ecological reserve, Burnt Island, has had its botanical significance cited in a number of natural history journals. The province is currently collaborating with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect this site.
Burnt Island is a prominent limestone peninsula, consisting of an island that emerged from the sea following the last ice age and later became connected to the mainland by an isthmus of sand. The island consists largely of 470 to 480 million year old limestone that was part of an ancient tropical, shallow water shelf. The limestone was thrust westward over sandstone and shale of the same age. Both the limestone and sandstone/shale are fossil-bearing and contain about 40 species of trilobites, many of which were previously undocumented
In 1997, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada added Fernald's braya, a plant species known to Burnt Island, to its list of threatened species in Canada. The site also possesses other significant characteristics, including a southern example of an arctic environment, a number of accessible limestone caves, and a good viewing point for whales and icebergs.
For more information on any of these sites, please contact:Department of Tourism, Culture, & Recreation
Province of Newfoundland & Labrador
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NF
Canada A1B 4J6
Telephone: (709) 729-2830
Fax: (709) 729-0057
Special Thanks to Amazing Adventures for contributions on Newfoundland Parks.
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