Northeastern Barrens Subregion
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ECOREGION Forest Barren Tundra Maritime Barrens Bog Northeastern Barrens subregion NF 6a 1 h e N o r t h - location within the ecoregion, the Northeastern Te a s t e r n Barrens subregion experiences less fog and Barrens, which wind, and warmer summer temperatures, than its 2 borders the Trinity southern counterparts. and Conception This difference in climate has led to more 3 bays, can be easily recognized by its widespread extensive forest cover here than in the other three barrens broken here and there by peatlands and subregions of the Maritime Barrens. However, like forested areas. As one of four subregions in the the rest of the ecoregion, barrens are the most 4 Maritime Barrens ecoregion — the largest of the common landscape feature, and slope bogs, Island's ecoregions — it takes in 3,832.7 km², basin bogs, and fens occur regularly, reflecting including the western half of the northeast the poor drainage and wet climate in the 5 Avalon Peninsula, most of the Bay de ecoregion. Verde Peninsula, and the eastern half of This pattern — small stands of 6 the Bonavista Peninsula. forests broken by huge expanses of open As in the other subregions, the barrens — is the result of repeated, topography of the Northeastern widespread fires. Until recent times, 7 Barrens dramatically reflects the Northeastern Barrens glacial activity that occurred here subregion was covered by forest, more than 10,000 years ago. Northeastern Barrens except on some high ridges and 8 Most of the area is covered by coastal headlands. But due to gently rolling ground moraine, burning, first by European but scattered throughout are settlers and then from the 9 gigantic boulders left by more disastrous fires that retreating glaciers, and hundreds came with the railway in the 19th LAB of lakes and ponds created by glacial gouging of century, forests were gradually the earth's surface. The hummocky terrain of the destroyed. 1 slopes and valleys of this region is also the result Once areas had been burned, highly of glacial activity — as glaciers melted small competitive dwarf shrub species were able to 2 mounds of till were left behind. invade and dominate the landscape, resulting in During summer, frequent fog and strong the barrens so characteristic of this region. southerly winds make the Maritime Barrens one Patches of forest that escaped fire can be found 3 of the coldest ecoregions on the island of primarily in protected valleys and on some hilltops Newfoundland. However, because of its northerly and steep slopes. 4 Ecoregion: An area that has distinctive low in nutrients. Barrens are also known as are the common plants in peatlands — and repeating patterns of vegetation and "heath" or "heathlands," since much of the particularly sphagnum moss, which acts soil development, which are determined plant life found on them belongs to the like a giant sponge as it soaks up large 5 and controlled by regional climate. heath family. quantities of water, then slowly releases it. Ecoregions can be distinguished from each Not only does sphagnum moss prevent other by their plant communities, Ground moraine: The uniform deposit of flooding and erosion, but it provides a landscapes, geology, and other features. till — sediment that has a range of particle platform on which other plants can take 6 These characteristics, in turn, influence the sizes (sandstones and gravel, for example) root and grow. Fens generally have more kinds of wildlife that can find suitable — that is left when glacial ice recedes or grasses and sedges than bogs, and so look habitat within each ecoregion. Subregions melts. Ground moraine forms no more meadow-like. Because bogs receive 7 occur when distinctive variations within recognizable topographical feature, so it is most of their nutrients from rainfall, they are ecoregions are on a smaller scale than not always immediately identifiable. generally nutrient-poor. Water entering between ecoregions. The Maritime fens, on the other hand, seeps in from Barrens is divided into four subregions. Bogs and fens: Two types of peatlands, nearby soils and results in a more nutrient- 8 which are wetlands characterized by poor rich habitat. Barrens: Primarily treeless areas drainage and a thick layer of peat — soil containing low-growing plants that are well consisting of the remains of partly adapted to exposed conditions and soils decomposed plants. Shrubs and mosses ... more on back 9 Check your public library for a full set (36) of these booklets: one introductory document and one for each of the 35 ecoregions and subregions in the province. For more information about the series see page 4. 10 Landscape Profile — Northeastern Barrens black spruce balsam fir slope bog white birch broom and sheep laurel feathermosses Geology: Most of 200 m the rocks of this subregion were formed 570 million to one billion years ago and are very old compared to other rocks on the Island. Red sandstones, shales, conglomerates, and green-buff sandstones surround Trinity Bay. Along the western side of Conception Bay are older shales and sandstones, while along the eastern edge are volcanic rocks that are older still. Also along the eastern edge are granite intrusions (a place where molten rock seeped up) formed about 570 million years ago. Shales, limestones, and conglomerates about 550 million years old occur around Kelligrews. The youngest rocks in this subregion are the shale, limestone, and hematite deposits on Bell Island, which were created about 450 million years ago. Together, these rock groups form the principle components of the Avalon zone, which was once connected to land now found in Africa. Sea Level Maritime Barrens. Yellow although rhodora and low bush Vegetation Profile birch, which prefers rich, moist blueberry are well represented. wood-lands, is virtually absent in Dogberry, larch, mountain holly, lthough barrens are the most this subregion, although it can be and small pockets of stunted Acommon landscape feature of found in the Avalon Forest and balsam fir are also commonly this subregion, forest cover is Southeastern Barrens just to the found here. greater here than in the rest of the south. On exposed sites such as Maritime Barrens. Balsam fir On the open barrens of the interior uplands and coastal dominates these forests, followed Northeastern Barrens, "dwarf h eadlands, patridgeberry and by black spruce and a scattering of shrub heath" (where plants black crowberry replace sheep white birch. On forest floors broom belonging to the heath family grow laurel — though on the coldest and moss, feathermoss, and other in dense thickets 30-50 cm in windiest of these sites, pink mosses generally abound. In both height) predominates. Sheep crowberry becomes more common this and the Southeastern Barrens laurel is the most common of these, than black crowberry. subregion, mountain alder forms dense thickets along the edges of brooks and streams. These are Species in Focus: The pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is a carnivorous replaced by speckled alder in the plant: besides the food it makes western subregions of the through photosynthesis, it also catches and "eats" small insects. Its Soil: Soils here are of two basic joined leaves form a pitcher-shaped receptacle, which fills with rainwater types. "Humo ferric podzols" are and the plant's digestive juices. found on most of the Bonavista Insects, attracted to the plant by its n Peninsula, south of Carbonear, o nectar, slip from the smooth flaring lips i s i and most of the eastern edge of of the leaves into the "pitcher." v i D Conception Bay.These are Downward-pointing hairs prevent s them from crawling out, and once a brown soils containing mostly e they're drowned the plant uses r inorganic material that occur in A enzymes and bacteria to digest them. l a relatively dry sites. "Ferro humic r The pitcher plant is found u podzols" occur at the northern t throughout Newfoundland in bogs and a N tips of the Avalon Peninsula and fens, and usually grows with or near d near Brigus at the southern end n sphagnum moss. The burgundy- a s of Conception Bay. These are coloured flowers bloom on stalks 20 to k r darker soils with a high organic 60 cm tall in June and July. The pitcher a P : content that occur in more humid plant is the floral emblem of o t Newfoundland and Labrador. o sites. h P 2 Maritime Barrens ecoregion — Northeastern Barrens subregion Wildlife Profile Species in Focus: The horned lark n breeds on exposed o i ost landbirds found in the s i coastal and upland v i forests of this subregion are D b a r r e n s i n t h e M s migratory breeders — that is, they a subregion, where it e r builds a cup-shaped breed here but migrate elsewhere A l a nest lined with plants for the winter. These include the r u t and feathers. It can ruby-crowned kinglet, northern a N be recognized by its waterthrush, white-throated d n t i n k l i n g s o n g , a sparrow, hermit thrush, fox sparrow, s undulating flight, and k and yellow-rumped warbler. r a black breast and face P Examples of forest residents — : patches. o t birds that are present year-round — o h are dark-eyed junco, boreal P chickadee, and pine grosbeak. On the barrens willow include the red squirrel, little brown The region's many lakes, ptarmigan is resident while the bat, meadow vole, masked shrew, ponds, and rivers support a variety savannah sparrow, horned lark, and eastern chipmunk, and short-tailed of fish. The most common are American pipit occur as migratory weasel.