ECOREGION Forest Barren Tundra Eastern Hyper- Bog NF 7 Oceanic Barrens 1 his small (1,603.4 very restricted distribution. This ecoregion is one Tkm²) yet widely of the few places in North America where it 2 fragmented ecoregion occurs. In wet areas where drainage is poor, is located on the cold, blanket and plateau bogs are common. rocky coastlines along The climate of the Eastern Hyper- 3 the southern tips of the Burin and Avalon oceanic Barrens ecoregion is strongly influenced peninsulas, and on the northeastern coastal by the close proximity of the ocean. Summers are strips near Bay de Verde, Bonavista, and Cape cool, with temperatures similar to those on the 4 Freels. The topography is flat to gently rolling, coldest mountains of the west coast of the Island. and elevations range from sea level to about 200 These low temperatures are due to the greater metres. frequency of fog here than in any other part of the 5 Whereas the Maritime Barrens Island, particularly during spring and summer. contains some true forests in sheltered Fog is created when warm air carried 6 areas, trees here are all stunted and north with the Gulf Stream mixes with cool air form scattered areas of balsam fir brought south with the Labrador current. tuckamore. The rest of the Because prevailing winds on the eastern 7 ecoregion is almost completely part of the Island are from the devoid of tree cover. Coastal southwest during the spring and Eastern 8 barrens vegetation is the typical Hyper-oceanic summer, this heavy fog is regularly feature of the landscape and is Barrens Ecoregion carried onto the south coast of the interesting because of its Island. Winters, in comparison, 9 similarity to the vegetation in are mild and not unlike those coastal areas of northern experienced on the coast of New Scotland and southern Norway. Barrens here E n g l a n d , w i t h d a y t i m e LAB are characterized by extensive carpets of heath temperatures in January often moss (Rhacomitrium lanuginosum), which has a above freezing. 1 Soils: Soils in this ecoregion vary greatly. Near Cape Freels and Cape St. Mary's are areas of "organic fibrisols." These are soils that occur in peatlands and are composed mostly of organic matter. On the Burin 2 Peninsula and the northern and southern Avalon you'll find "ferro humic podzols" — dark soils with a high organic content and a high amount of iron and aluminum. On the Bonavista Peninsula "humo ferric podzols" — brown soils containing mostly inorganic material that occur in relatively dry sites — are common. 3
Ecoregion: An area that has as exposure to harsh weather, or Plateau bogs: A type of bog that distinctive and repeating patterns of excess soil moisture) have resulted forms in coastal areas, where a 4 vegetation and soil development, in dense thickets of stunted build-up of sphagnum mosses 2 to which are determined and coniferous trees. 10 metres deep forms a plateau-like controlled by regional climate. raised surface. Often this surface is 5 Ecoregions can be distinguished Barrens: Primarily treeless areas scattered with large pools. from each other by their plant containing low-growing plants that communities, landscapes, geology, are well adapted to exposed Arctic-alpine plants: A descriptive 6 and other features. These conditions and soils low in nutrients. term for plants that cannot grow characteristics, in turn, influence Barrens are also known as "heath" where there are hot summer the kinds of wildlife that can find or "heathlands," since much of the temperatures. Arctic-alpine plants 7 suitable habitat within each plant life found on them belongs to are generally found farther north ecoregion. the heath family. than the treeline (by latitude), or above the treeline elevation on 8 Tuckamore: Also known as Blanket bogs: Bogs that form mountains. "krummholz," tuckamore are areas extensively over hills and valleys, where growth-limiting factors (such with peat depths of 1 to 3 metres. 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 — Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens Ecoregion scrub spruce alpine heath empetrum heath
moss heath tuckamore plateau bog 200 m
ocean Sea Level
Geology: The Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion contains a variety of rock types. The igneous intrusions (places where molten rock seeped up) near Cape Freels are granite rocks formed about 350 million years ago during a time of great stress between the earth's tectonic plates. The Signal Hill group (northern Avalon Peninsula) consists mostly of sandstones, shales, and conglomerates formed about 570 million years old in a shallow sea and delta environment. The Conception group is comprised of slightly older sandstones and shales that were formed as deposits in a deep-sea environment. The Harbour Main group is slightly older again, and is mostly volcanic ash and lava created by volcanoes.
blossoms that become orange-gold widespread favourite found Vegetation Profile berries. Bakeapples are often throughout the barrens of this harvested in early summer when ecoregion. Like the partridgeberry, still hard and stored in jars of water the flowers are bell-shaped, white nlike the Maritime Barrens to ripen. or pink in colour, and grow in Uecoregion, where much of the Another popular berry is the clusters at the tips of branches. previous forest growth has been partridgeberry. This low, creeping Blueberry patches spread eliminated by fire, the Eastern evergreen shrub has shiny green to through underground stems and Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion dark red leaves, and white or pink can be extensive. Several varieties has always been dominated by bell-shaped flowers that grow in occur in this province and hybridize open barrens and bogs. small clusters at the ends of easily. As a result, plants are highly On well-drained sites heath branches. The berries are dark red variable, with berries ranging in moss forms extensive, dense or wine-coloured and extremely colour from blue to black. Large carpets where crowberry, lichens, tart. Large quantities are picked quantities of blueberries are and some arctic-alpine plants each fall and used to make jams, harvested each year for export, as (such as alpine azalea) can be jellies, and sauces. well as for local use in jams, jellies, found. The comparatively low T h e b l u e b e r r y i s a sauces, and baked goods. summer temperatures in the ecoregion result in the presence of these arctic-alpine plants, which otherwise are generally found only in more northern locations, or at higher altitudes. Tree cover on these barrens is limited to areas of tuckamore composed almost entirely of balsam fir. This is in striking contrast to the tuckamore of the Long Range Barrens ecoregion, which contains stunted, matted black spruce. r
Several types of fruit grow a g e n
on the barrens of this ecoregion and i L are harvested for domestic use and l u a P local and foreign markets. : o
Bakeapple, or cloudberry — a t o h popular berry in this ecoregion and P throughout Newfoundland and in Species in Focus: Moss campion (Silene acaulis) can be found growing in Labrador — is found primarily in the coastal barrens of this ecoregion. The leaves are small and dense, boggy areas. This small, creeping forming cushions resembling mounds of moss, hence the name. wildflower bears solitary white 2 Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion Wildlife Profile
cologically, the Eastern Hyper-
oceanic Barrens ecoregion has n
E o i s
immense value for its bird life. i v i
Seabird breeding colonies occur on D
s
Baccalieu, Wadham, Penguin, a e r
Cabot, and Funk islands, and at A
l a
Cape St. Mary's. r u t
Baccalieu Island is a prime a N
example of this ecoregion. Here d n a
alone there are 3.3 million breeding s k
pairs of Leach's storm-petrels (the r a P
largest nesting colony of this : o t
species in the world), 30,000 pairs o h of Atlantic puffins, and 13,000 black- P legged kittiwakes. Funk Island Species in Focus: The razorbill, or tinker as it is known locally, is a supports nearly 400,000 pairs of cousin of the extinct great auk. Large colonies occur along the coast of common murres (the largest Labrador, but the razorbill also breeds in low numbers within the Eastern breeding colony in North America) Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion. The bird is the rarest of the alcids and and 6,000 pairs of northern gannets. has been exterminated from most of its north-west Atlantic range. There are nearly as many gannets Despite conservation efforts, every year some are shot when mistaken at Cape St. Mary's, as well as for murres, killed by poachers, or contaminated by oil pollution. With 10,000 pairs of both common changes in provincial hunting regulations the razorbill’ numbers are murres and black-legged kittiwakes. slowly increasing from dangerous lows. In addtion, the largest single wintering flock of harlequin duck on the southern barrens of this 1878 and again in 1904; and known for the province occurs in the ecoregion. Mammals inhabiting snowshoe hare several times waters off Cape St. Mary's. The shrub habitat include snowshoe between 1864 and 1876. harlequin duck is a species at risk hare, little brown bat, lynx, red There are few amphibians and designated as special concern. squirrel, and moose. In addition, and no reptiles found in this Other seabirds breed on the mink, red fox, meadow vole, ecoregion. The introduced green many smaller, coastal islands and masked shrew, and short-tailed frog inhabits quiet ponds and headlands of this ecoregion, weasel can occur here in a variety of marshes, but it is not widespread including razorbill, thick-billed habitats. and populations are small. Fish murre, black guillemot, herring gull, Moose, snowshoe hare, and include Atlantic salmon, brook trout, great black-backed gull, ring-billed mink were all introduced to the brown trout, American eel, rainbow gull, common eider, northern fulmar, island of Newfoundland: mink smelt, and three-spine and nine- Manx shearwater, common tern, during the 1930s and 40s; moose in spine sticklebacks. arctic tern, and caspian tern. The caspian tern is listed as a vulnerable species in Canada. Balsam fir tuckamore, which occurs commonly in On the barrens, rough- th e E a ste r n H y p e r- legged hawk, snowy owl, Savannah oceanic Barrens, is sparrow, and American pipit are all formed by the "pruning characteristic. In forested areas, effect" of the area's typically high winds and blackpoll warbler, dark-eyed junco, the abrasion caused by ice t
and northern waterthrush can be crystals. In winter, these n e two forces often kill the tips s found. Willow ptarmigan and yellow n i P
of any branches that and Wilson's warblers are some of . B
project above protective :
the species that inhabit the region's o
snow cover. t o
shrub habitat. h Caribou pass the summers P Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion 3 Cape Freels * Funk Island auks being herded off the island, Ecological Reserve Protected Areas down gangplanks and into boats, Frenchman’s Cove Provincial Park where they were killed and salted Profile Bonavista Bay for later use. Bonavista i’ve ecological reserves and four From the 16th through Dungeon provincial parks together protect the 18th centuries, the great auk Provincial Park F Ecoregions 2.6% of the Eastern Hyper- continued to be exploited, as a Eastern Hyper Oceanic Barrens Baccalieu Island oceanic Barrens ecoregion. Some source of meat and eggs, and for North Shore Forest Ecological essential ecoregion features, such as Central Newfoundland Forest oil, bait, and feathers. Early * Reserve the common coastal barrens settlers camped on Funk Island Maritime Barrens St. John’s vegetation, can be found at Cape St. during the summer, and killed
y Mary's and Baccalieu Island and plucked birds for winter use. a w h ig ecological reserves, and at Chance H The remains of the stone corrals la u s Cove Provincial Park. However, the in the auks were driven into before n e P Chance extensive blanket bogs and heath Fortune Head in r Placentia they were scalded in large u Cove Ecological B moss that so characterize this Bay Provincial cauldrons are still visible. Reserve ecoregion are not well represented in * Park Mistaken In the late 1700s, Cape St. Mary’s Point any of the existing reserves. concern about the over- Ecological * Ecological There are three ecological exploitation of the species Reserve * Reserve reserves with marine components in resulted in a ban on bird and egg Provincial Park (0.7 km5) protect a this ecoregion. Funk Island protects collecting during the breeding barachois important for migrating 5.2 km5, of which 0.2 km5 is season. But the action came too late. shorebirds. Dungeon Provincial Park terrestrial, Cape St. Mary's By the early 1800s the species had (0.01 km5) includes a collapsed sea encompasses 64 km5, though just 10 become extremely rare, and the last cave and sea stacks, and Windmill km5 is terrestrial, and Baccalieu recorded pair was killed in Iceland in Bight Provincial Park Reserve, at 3.2 Island takes 23 km5, of which 5 km5 is 1844. km5, provides protection for a plateau terrestrial. These reserves have all Mistaken Point Ecological bog. Plateau bogs are distinguished been set aside for protection because Reserve (2.95 km5) and Mistaken from the more characteristic blanket of their spectacular seabird colonies. Point Extension Emergency bog, by the presence of large and Funk Island is believed to have been Ecological Reserve (2.7 km5), near scattered pools. the largest breeding colony in the the southeast corner of the Avalon world of the now-extinct great auk. A Peninsula, protect a different kind of Climate member of the same family as the unique resource: the oldest multi- The Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens puffin, common murre, and razorbill, celled fossils in North America. Here, ecoregion experiences cool summers the great auk was considerably larger well-preserved fossils of ancient, with frequent and persistent fog. and flightless. skeleton-less creatures cover huge Winters are the mildest in the province Tens of thousands of nesting rock surfaces that were once the with no permanent snow cover. The auks bred on Funk Island each year. ocean floor. Studying these fossils growing season is 150 days. This great density and the birds' can help provide a clearer picture of Annual rainfall inability to fly made them easy prey life 565 million years ago, and may 1200-1600 mm for early Europeans replenishing food Annual snowfall also supply answers about early life 2-2.5 m stocks after long voyages from the on earth. Mean daily temperatures Old World. Records from the early Both Chance Cove Provincial February -3 C to -5 C 1600s describe hundreds of great Park (20.7 km5) and Deadman's Bay July +12 C to +14C.
Protected Areas Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (PAA) gratefully acknowledges the following partners for their generous contributions to the Newfoundland and Labrador Ecoregion Brochures project: ! Department of Environment and Conservation ! A l i a n t Parks and Natural Areas Division ! Mountain Equipment Co-op ! Department of Natural Resources ! The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation ! Gros Morne National Park of Canada - Parks Canada ! WWF Canada ! Terra Nova National Park of Canada - Parks Canada ! Western Newfoundland Model Forest ! Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service ! Gros Morne Co-operating Association To view this full brochure series visit http://www.paanl.org – To obtain additional copies contact PAA or any of the following: Department of Environment and Conservation Terra Nova National Park of Canada Gros Morne National Park of Canada Parks & Natural Areas Division General Delivery P.O. Box 130 33 Reid’s Lane, Deer Lake, NL A8A 2A3 Glovertown, NL A0G 2L0 Rocky Harbour, NL A0K 4N0 PH (709) 635-4520 PH (709) 533-2801/3154 PH (709) 458-2417 FAX (709) 635-4541 FAX (709) 533-2706 FAX (709) 458-2059 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Http://www.gov.nl.ca/parks/ http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/terranova/ http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/ For comments on this series, contact PAA: (709)726-2603 [email protected] http://www.paanl.org/ 4 Eastern Hyper-oceanic Barrens ecoregion Printed on Domtar Sandpiper. 100% post-consumer waste. Made in Canada. 2000. Updated Fall, 2008.