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By the station's 75th anniversary in 1983, it had produced 370 million seedlings and made them available for landowners and conservation authorities. Following the closure of the station and privatization of the tree nursery in the 1990s, debate has centred on how best to preserve and restore the significant natural features of this 1,200 ha site.
Vegetation
Old Field:
The large, dry sandy field at the northeast corner of the property was probably cleared at one time for agriculture and then abandoned. Three hedgerows running north-south were probably formed by the debris during clearing. The field edges are dominated by Staghorn Sumac and Trembling Aspen. Common shrubs include New Jersey Tea and Smooth Wild Rose. The field is mainly graminoid (Carex spp., Panicum spp.) except for thick mats of Northern Dewberry. Flowering Spurge, bush clovers (Lespedeza spp.), cinquefoils, Butterflyweed and Horseweed are among the common herbaceous species. The western third of the field has dry, disturbed patches of open sand dominated by Sand Dropseed, Sandbur, Quackgrass and Winged Pigweed. Numerous mesic depressions are dominated by rushes (Juncus spp.) and sedges (Carex spp.)
Open Moss Barrens:
A variant of the above, these communities occur on the driest sites. The tree cover is sparse with clumps of Black Oak, White Pine, White Oak and Black Cherry. The shrub layer is dominated by Hillside Blueberry, Low Blueberry and Sweetfern. The herb layer is dominated by thick mats of Polytrichum moss as well as Flowering Spurge, Wild Lupine, Sheep Sorell, sedge (Carex pensylvanica) and Wild Strawberry.
Oak Opening:
These sparsely treed openings on dry sandy ridge tops are dominated by Black Oak, White Pine, Black Cherry and Witch Hazel. The shrub layer is dense but patchy dominated by American Hazel, Choke Cherry and New Jersey Tea. Also characteristic of these ridges, but less common, are Saskatoon Berry and Sand Cherry. The herb layer is dense and dominated by Bracken Fern, Poison Ivy and Flowering Spurge.
Dry Pine-Oak Forest:
The dense, immature dry-mesic to dry forest is dominated by White Pine, White Oak, Black Oak and Black Cherry. The shrub layer consists mainly of American Hazel, Downy Arrowood, Maple-leaved Viburnum and Black Raspberry. The western section has Dwarf Chestnut Oak as a frequent component in the shrub layer. The forest floor is moderately to sparsely vegetated by Canada Mayflower, Poison Ivy and Wild Sarsaparilla.
Aspen Forest:
Much of the central area of the property is dominated by a forest of Largetooth Aspen, Black Oak, White Pine and Witch-Hazel on mesic sandy soil. The shrub layer is dominated by American Hazel, Choke Cherry, Wild Crabapple, Black Raspberry and Low Blueberry. The herbaceous layer is very dense and dominated by Bracken Fern. Other species include the sedge (Carex pensylvanica), goldenrod (Solidago juncea), aster (Aster sagittifolius), Dogbane, False Solomon’s Seal and Showy Tick-trefoil.
Chokeberry Thickets:
Small, wet-mesic depressions dominated by a dense stands of Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) occur in the southeastern part of the property. The tree canopy is open and dominated by Quaking Aspen, White Pine, Red Maple and Red Oak. Swamp Dewberry and Northern Dewberry form dense mats under the chokeberry. Herbaceous species are few and include Bracken Fern and Rough-leaved Goldenrod.
Red Maple Depression:
This is a mesic depression which probably experiences vernal flooding. It is dominated by Red Maple, but contains several other tree species, including Red Oak and Yellow Birch. The shrub layer is sparse and dominated by Chokeberry, American Hazel and Alder-leaved Buckthorn with some Black Raspberry in disturbed sites. The herb layer is moderately dense and dominated by pteridophytes including Sensitive Fern, Lady Fern, Royal Fern, Cinnamon Fern and Christmas Fern. Other herbaceous plants include partridgeberry, Canada Mayflower and goldenrod species. Much of the herbaceous ground cover is confined to drier hummocks.
Swamp Forest:
This is a mature forest in the wettest area of the property. The tree canopy contains no clear dominants. Red Maple, Silver Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Black Gum, Yellow Birch and Green Ash occur as very large trees. The ground is nearly bare except for a few tree seedlings and pteridophytes, mainly Marsh Fern, Christmas Fern, Royal Fern and Cinnamon Fern. [Gartshore and Sutherland, 1987]
Representation
The old field contains many prairie species and is one of only a handful of uncultivated fields on the Norfolk sand plain section of the region. [Gartshore and Sutherland, 1987]
Landform
Soils:
Soils of the Manester property are predominantly aeolian fine sands of the Plainfield series. In parts of the property these form moderately steep to steep dune ridges. Soils of the extreme southern portion of the property consist of lacustrine loam overlain with sand of the Vittoria series.
Hydrology:
Most of the property is dry to mesic except for the extreme southern section which experiences vernal flooding.
Landforms:
These consist mainly of old sand dunes and swales. [Gartshore and Sutherland, 1987]
References
* Gartshore, M.E. and D.A. Sutherland. 1986. Manester Property: St. Williams Forest. Report to Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southwestern Region by Natural Areas Inventory of Haldimand-Norfolk. [September 1986]
* Gartshore, M.E. and D.A. Sutherland. 1987. Manester Property: St. Williams Forest. Report to Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southwestern Region by Natural Areas Inventory of Haldimand-Norfolk. [Updated February 1987]
* McKenzie, M.F. and G. Allen. 1991. Management of Manester Property, Carolinian Canada Site. Memorandum to various individuals. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Simcoe District. 6 pp.
* Ontario Conservation Data Centre. 1989. Managed Area Basic Record: St. Williams Dwarf Oak Forest. [2 pp.].
© Natural Heritage Information Centre, 1998
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