Superior Boreal Flashcards
What is the lake effect?
water warms and cools more slowly than land does, cool summers (also due to elevation) and moderated winters
What typical boreal forest species are present?
Spruce grouse, Boreal owl, Moose.
Why is biodiversity higher in the superior boreal than other parts?
One reason is a great variety of igneous and metamorphic rock and Due to colder conditions subarctic flora grows along superiors north shore and on islands.
Where do plants get their calcium here?
Volcanic rocks such as basalt are basic in pH and diabase sills in sutton ridges also contain calcium
What plant grows mainly on basalt islands in ON?
Ontario Goldenrod
What Maritime plants grow along the superior shoreline sand dunes?
Beach pea (also along the coast of James bay) so disjunct populations and glacial relicts
What disjunct orchid is present?
Sparrow’s egg lady slipper
What are other examples of disjunct populations
Greenland sandwort, rock polypody, Least chipmunk eating seeds of american dune grass
What is an endemic plant found along the north shore of lake superior?
Pitcher’s thistle, one of the great lakes endemics
What kind of mole can live in more southern parts of superior boreal?
Star nosed mole, due to presence of more soil
What elements of the great lakes st lawrence forest region are present in the superior boreal?
Red pine and white pine
What is pukaskwa national park known for?
remarkable geology, and a number of glacial relicts. One of the highest peaks in Ontario: tip top mountain.
what do cliffs provide?
great relief and microhabitats
Peregrine Falcons
nesting in a number of sites on these cliffs (are back now- DDT eggshells went thinner and no reproduction so they became rare but release programs helped- the hacking boxes, they were American released birds so a few genetic problems)
How could the cliffs (indirectly) assist birds (hawks) who are migrating
Provide rising thermals in the air. Allows for free energy during their migration. Vultures benefit from them too.
