Version Dated: 7/31/2020 NATURAL RESOURCES Natural Resources
Version dated: 7/31/2020 NATURAL RESOURCES Natural resources are an integral part of Bristol, offering many benefits that enhance the quality of life in the community. The diversity and abundance of natural resources has historically supported the quality of life that is so important to residents and helps to distinguish Bristol as an inviting and healthy community. Excellent agricultural soils and fertile farmland, bodies of surface water, established ground water sources, varied soils, and tracts of contiguous, forest blocks and undeveloped land make up some of the community’s natural resources. Ecosystems. Bristol is home to a variety of ecosystems, including rivers, ponds, bogs, vernal pools, mountain ridges, cliffs, talus slopes, and many varieties of forest communities. A Vermont Fish and Wildlife database of significant biological areas shows 15 types of natural communities (9 of which are forest community types) in Bristol. Currently, there is no comprehensive compilation of Bristol mammal or bird populations. However, a reptile and amphibian database shows 24 species, including 3 species of turtle, 6 of snake, 6 of salamanders, 8 of frogs and toads, within Bristol. Four of these species are rare or uncommon in Vermont: Timber Rattler, Black Rat Snake, Northern Watersnake, and Jefferson Salamander (no recent sightings). Fish species (besides the above listed) include brook, rainbow and brown trout (with some native populations of all three), found chiefly in the New Haven River and its tributaries. Topography. The landscape of Bristol originated approximately 450 million years ago when the forces of plate tectonics created the foundations of the Green Mountains and the Champlain Valley.
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