The Carolinian Forest Region Flashcards
The Carolinian forest region is the ______ most zone in Canada
Southern
What is the northern boundary?
The isotherm (+8 degrees celsius)
What is one major area of relief?
The niagara escarpment
What are 6 characteristics of the Carolinian forest region?
1) Tiny size
2) 87% underlain by sand or clay
3) The deciduous forest region in the extreme south of Ontario is dominated by broad leave trees. Which is why many southern plants reach their northern limit here
4) This forest region has the greatest number of cosewic designated threatened, rare or endangered species in Canada. >30% of all listed species.
5) most of the carolinian forest is gone
6) extremely rich biodiversity
how did the thick sand and clay deposits get here
Left by lake whittlesey
What are some of the endangered species?
Prothonotary warbler is endangered, Acadian flycatcher is endangered, Spiny softshell is endangered, Small whorled pogonia is endangered, Badgers are endangered as well
What type of forest dominates?
The Carolinian forest is mostly deciduous (hardwood or broadleaf forest
What trees are present?
Shag Bark hickory(Compound leaves: leaves that are broken up into smaller leaves and joined together to form one giant leave)
Sassafras (lemon scent)
Hackberry (another common Carolinian tree) Hackberry butterfly (only feeds on hackberry)
Tulip tree are found In a few places including rondeau provincial park (the flowers are gigantic)
Rich array of trees, and very few coniferous trees
What vines are present here?
Virginia creeper
Riverbank (wild) grape
Poison Ivy
What is the shrub layer like?
Very well developed shrub layer (boreal forest lacks a shrub layer), Witch hazel
What hares are present?
Eastern cottontail (common in Carolinian, Snowshoe hares are virtually absent), European hare are also here (non-native)
Whats the difference between Hares and rabbits
Rabbits are altricial and hares are precocial
What animal is plentiful and expanding northward?
Opossums
Herps are greatly represented here, name some
Eastern foxsnake are not confined to the Carolinian region but are considered endangered there, they also occur along the east of Georgian bay and Perry sound
Massaugas also occur along Georgian bay and Windsor
Hog nosed snakes
Five lined skinks (endangered here)
More plants are _____ to the carolinian region than any other forest region
Confined
Tall grass prairie habitat
This Habitat is endangered and rare but found in: Walpole island and Ojibway prairie provincial natural reserve. Prairie cord grass, big bluestem and Indian crass can be 3-4 metres tall
What is another extremely rare and endangered habitat found in walpole island?
short grass prairie too, called oak Savannah (oak trees are scattered through it)
what are 3 prairie orchids found in Oak Savannah’s?
The small white Lady’s slipper is present (endangered species). Prairie orchid not confined but found here: Eastern prairie fringed orchid (also endangered)
Great plains ladies tresses is another prairie orchid
What is an important aspect of all prairies?
Fire is an important part of all prairie habitats. Grass regenerates through fire. Trees can withstand it. Use controlled burns to regenerate the habitat over time
When did Prairie Habitats arrive?
Prairie habitats arrived in Ontario between 7000 and 5000 years ago during the Hypsithermal
What is the northern limit of the prairie habitat?
Pinery provincial park
What is an example of a shrub in pinery park?
Orange milkweed
What is an indicator species for oak savannahs and found in pinery park?
the northern pine barrens tiger beetle (its endangered). found in exposed soil and likes sunshine
What lake greatly modifies Pinery park?
Lake Huron greatly modifies Pinery climatically and physically. Modifies it physically by sorting and depositing material
large coastal Sand dunes
What grasses colonize sand?
American beachgrass
Puccoon is a prairie species and Bearberry
What are coastal sand dunes habitat for?
Pitcher’s thistle, great lakes endemic (found also in Bruce peninsula and manitoulin island)
Hog nosed snakes occur here
what physiography is typical of areas in the C.F.R.?
Ridges and trough physiography (troughs are often water filled=woodland sloughs)
What is important about long point?
Long point is a UNESCO world biosphere and it is the 2nd largest freshwater peninsula in the world
Why is long point important to birds?
Its important for migration, especially the beaches for sand pipers
What toad lives in long point but is not confined to it?
Fowler’s toad
What are the 4 UNESCO world biosphere reserves in ON?
The Georgian bay, Niagara escarpment, Long point, and Frontenac arch
What are some of the habitats in Rondeau provincial park?
Coastal marshes, Sandy beaches, Ridge trough physiography
Drier carolinian habitat
What trees are common in Rondeau Provincial park?
tulip trees, white pine
What does Rondeau park has the largest population of?
Prothonotary warblers (only warbler that adopts cavities)
What bird is in rondeau park?
Wood thrush
what is Point pelee ?
National park and is the southernmost part of mainland Canada. The tip has been eroded , the park itself is shifting through erosion. Same latitude as Barcelona and Northern California
What are 2 Southern trees?
Hackberry, red bud tree
Mammals in Point pelee
grey squirrel, raccoons
What kind of owl is found here?
Eastern screech owl
What is a threatened Marsh plant found here?
Swamp rose mallow (threatened species)
Where are eastern moles found?
Only in Essex county
What southern birds nest in point pelee?
white eyed vireo and carolina wren
What is point pelee world famous for?
Bird migration. Popular in the spring, when birds are flying north in the spring and because the leaves on the trees are not open yet, so people can see all of the birds in the trees. The lake effect moderates the seasons. Also famous for autumn monarch migration
What is special about Hillmans marsh?
Lots of migrating sandbirds, lots of rare birds to be spotted here.
What land transformation is occurring around Hillman’s marsh?
Succession from open farmland back to forest
Prickly pear cactus
Needs lots of sunlight, does not tolerate the shade. Needs fire to keep its habitat open, more trees mean more shade so they use controlled burns.
Why does the autumn migration not attract as many people?
There are leaves on the trees
Blue racer
Found only on pelee island(in Canada) and is another endangered species.
Why is the blue racer population endangered?
More roads=more roadkill, people also introduced wild turkeys on the island and they eat the baby snakes
What mammal is only found on pelee island?
Fox squirrels
What are the 9 Leading causes of Bird Deaths in Ontario?
Communication towers, Commercial forestry, Agricultural harvesting (ground nesters), Agricultural pesticides (Neonicotinoids), Hunting, Collisions with vehicles, Collisions with Buildings, Collisions with power lines, Cats
How do Neonicotinoid pesticides affect Bird populations?
They reduce insect populations like bees (pollinators), hover flies, and others and thus means a lack of food for certain birds
How does forest fragmentation affect Scarlet tanagers?
They are canopy gleaners, thus if there are only fragments of forest remaining, there is less food around
How does forest fragmentation affect Eastern Wolves?
They require complete forests, so their habitat is changed
What animals benefit from fragmented forests?
White tail deer, Wild Turkeys, Cowbirds (can cover more forest and no bird can escape their brood parasitism)
What specific bird population has declined because of high speed roads?
Loggerhead Shrikes
What is Eutrophication?
The over enrichment of nutrients in waterways
Why is there a fear of Carp in the great lakes? and what issues have they caused?
Asian carp are an invasive species which can grow exponentially in population. In an attempt to prevent them from entering the great lakes, many native fish are also blocked from leaving or returning to the lakes
How does the Dog-strangling vine kill other shrubs?
It grows over it and steals all of its sunlight, making it nutrient deprived
What native species benefits from a non-native plant?
Wild Indigo Duskywing benefits from the Crown vetch
Wind turbines in wrong locations are problematic for what animals?
Birds and also bats
What is white nose syndrome?
A fungus (geqmyces destructans) infects the bats and makes them restless and more active in winter, burning their energy reserves and slowly killing them
What species will likely be most seriously affected by climate change?
Northern species, Decline of Grey-Jays (food defrosting and spoiling), Freeze tolerant frogs (too many freeze-thaw cycles)
What phenomenon are the Red-bellied woodpecker currently experiencing?
A northward range expansion
What other animal is expanding its range northward?
Giant swallowtail
