Description

Nestled along the eastern shoreline of Pelee Island, Middle Point Woods is a rich deciduous wood-lot that has one of the best floral displays on the island. The entire property (38.5-ha) is privately owned, and has been maintained in a virtually natural state for decades. Its maturity, lack of disturbance, and high number of rare species combine to make it an outstanding place. Rare species of flora and fauna here include Hop-tree, Wild Hyacinth, Small-mouthed Salamander, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Pelee Island is the largest island in the Western Lake Erie Archipelago (a chain of Canadian and US islands linking Ohio's Marblehead Peninsula with Ontario's Point Pelee), and is the southernmost inhabited landmass in Canada. The Blue Racer is one of Ontario's largest snakes -- adults can reach up to 1.5m. Restricted to Pelee Island, this endangered reptile (protected under Ontario's Endangered Species Act) is found in grasslands, old fields, hedgerows, thickets, and open woods (taken from the Carolinian Canada Signature Sites Guide by Lorraine Johnson 2005).

Vegetation

A mature deciduous forest dominates the site. It grows on old, low sand dunes parallel to the shoreline, with wet hollows between successive dunes. Along the shoreline are areas of both limestone shingle beach and a narrow sand beach. Much of the Point's interior is damp, shaded, and densely vegetated. Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) is dominant in many areas. Middle Point has one of the best floral displays on the Pelee Island (Oldham, 1983 in Eagles & Beechey, 1985).

References

* Allen, G.M., P.F.J. Eagles and S.D. Price (eds.) 1990. Conserving Carolinian Canada: Conservation Biology in the Deciduous Forest Region. University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo. 346 pp.

* Eagles, P.F.J. and T.J. Beechey (eds.) 1985. Critical Unprotected Natural Areas in the Carolinian Life Zone of Canada. Final Report, Identification Subcommittee, Carolinian Canada. The Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Ontario Heritage Foundation and World Wildlife Fund (Canada). 400 pp.

* Oldham, M.J. 1983. Environmentally Significant Areas of the Essex Region: A Background Report to the Essex Region Conservation Plan. Essex Region Conservation Authority, Essex, Ontario. viii + 426 pp.

© Natural Heritage Information Centre, 1998

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