Description
An exceptionally diverse, well developed, extensive and species-rich representation of the Lake Erie coastal shoreline. Contains backshore dune ridges, basin wetland landforms and other significant communities that are very sensitive to disturbance (Eagles & Beechey, 1985).
This large, privately owned area comprises the most extensive and spectacular expanse of naturally forested sandland hills, wetland basins and undisturbed shorelines along the north coast of Lake Erie in this region. Its landform consists of an extensive peninsula of lacustrine and aeolian sands, shallowly overlying a gently sloping limestone plain that outcrops only a shelving beach pavement around the headland. The aeolian sands form a spectacular series of undisturbed forest stabilized sand dune ridges at the headland and along the peninsula's western edge. Northeastwards and inland is an extensive, poorly drained wetland forest and scrub mosaic (MacDonald, 1980 in Eagles & Beechey, 1985).
Vegetation
The sand ridge forests are generally submature in age and present a series of well developed, species rich community patterns.
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The southwesterly facing slopes and backshore fringes tend to support a dry forest of red oak, red maple, white pine and others, while the more mesic slopes support communities of sugar maple, red oak, American beech, tulip tree, black walnut and many understory species indicative of a rich, southerly site. Moist intraridge basins support deciduous forests of silver maple, yellow birch, red maple and others, or coniferous groves of eastern hemlock and Canada Yew. Nowhere else in the region are the sand hill landforms and associated community patterns better developed.The backshore wetlands present a somewhat more disturbed but equally diverse series of vegetation patterns. Occupying over half the area are sub-intermediate age deciduous swamp forests of silver maple, white elm, black and green ash, spicebush, and arrow wood. Almost as common are swamp scrublands of dogwood, speckled alder, sedges, and cattail. The general cutting practices in the past have created several open areas of successional wetland communities and a general state of disturbance to their community structures (MacDonald, 1980 in Eagles & Beechey, 1985).
Landform
The complement and condition of shoreline features is quite diverse and, at least on the western side, is relatively undisturbed. Active, naturally eroding sand beach and bluff landforms and their associated biota dominate most of the shoreline. Only the shelving limestone pavement of its southern fifth presents a series of communities containing its distinctive flora (MacDonald, 1980 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.
* Brady, R.F. (ed.) 1980. Point Abino Site Summary. In, Regional Municipality of Niagara Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Department of Geography, Brock University, St. Catharines. viii + 392 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.
* Macdonald, I.D. 1980. Life Science Features of the Haldimand Clay Plain Physiographic Region. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Section, Central Region, Richmond Hill, Ontario. SR OFER 8001. vii + 266 pp. + map.
© Natural Heritage Information Centre, 1998
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