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This ecoregion differs from most
other forested parts of the island by the shortness of the vegetation season,
110-150 days compared to 145-170 days for other areas. The frost-free period is
comparable to most other areas and somewhat better than in Central Newfoundland.
Precipitation is lower, however, because of low summer temperatures and shorter
vegetation season, soil moisture supply is probably adequate at most
times.
The soils are
comparable to those of Western Newfoundland. Limestone underlies most of the
region, with acidic rocks more common on the eastern side of the
peninsula.
Balsam Fir is the dominant forest cover
except at high elevations (300-400m) on the eastern side of the peninsula where
Black Spruce appears to be a natural component of the stands. There is very
little fire history in this ecoregion. White Pine, Red Maple, Yellow Birch and
Trembling Aspen are conspicuous by their absence. There are approximately 100
species of plants that are excluded from this ecoregion presumably because of
the difference of climate (Damman 1965, 1976, and 1983). One of the most
conspicuous changes is the replacement of Alnus rugosa by Alnus
crispa, Salix pellita and Salix planifolia in swamps. Tall
shrubs such as Nemopanthus mucronata, Viburnum cassinoides and
Rhododendron canadense are sparse or lacking in the scrub bog-border
forests. Silviculturally, they are similar to Western Newfoundland with
hardwoods rather than ericaceous shrubs being the most common brush problem on
understocked cutovers. Ribes glandulosum, Ribes triste and
Cornus stolonifera appear to be a much more conspicuous component of
seral vegetation on cutovers. Raspberry is also very abundant in the early years
of succession.
A. Coastal Plain Subregion
This includes the western side of the
Great Northern Peninsula to the lower slopes of the Long Range Mountains. Most
of the coastal plain is dominated by bogs and scrub forest. The area around
Hawkes Bay and the foothills of the mountains are important exceptions to this
generalisation.
B. Beaver Brook Limestone Subregion
This subregion occupies the central
lowlands north of the Highlands of St. John on the Great Northern Peninsula.
This sheltered outlier maintains the most productive forests in the ecoregion,
comparable in productivity to parts of Western Newfoundland. Limestone, shale
and sandstone bedrock types occur in this area.
The limestone landtype occurs
predominantly on the east side of the peninsula between Roddickton and Main
Brook. As in Western Newfoundland, the limestone landtypes are characterized by
marl deposits around ponds and in valleys. The soils have a distinct dark
greyish brown layer in contact with bedrock, compacted till or large boulders.
The landscape is gently rolling with Rubus-Balsam Fir and Taxus-Balsam Fir the
most common forest types and Pleurozium-Balsam Fir occurring on shallow
till.
On the western side of the peninsula, east
and south of Ten Mile Pond, the till is formed from sandstone. The landscape is
undulating to hilly in the extreme west. The Dryopteris-Balsam Fir and
Clintonia-Balsam Fir types are most common on moderate to deep tills. On shallow
tills the Pleurozium-Balsam Fir and Black Spruce-Feathermoss on bedrock are
dominant. Soil textures in these types are generally sandy loam to loamy
sand.
In the centre of the peninsula, between
Route 432 and Salmon River, shale is the dominant bedrock type and the gently
rolling topography is formed from till with a loam to silt loam texture.
Rubus-Balsam Fir and Clintonia-Balsam Fir types are dominant.
C. Northern Coastal Subregion
This subregion is dominated by exposed,
rocky dwarf shrub barrens with local areas of unmerchantable forest.
D. Eastern Long Range Subregion
This subregion includes the productive but inaccessible
forest on the eastern slopes of the Long Range Mountains up to 450m in
elevation. The forests tend to be somewhat open Balsam Fir-Black Spruce
mixtures. Treeline decreases towards the northern end of the
subregion.
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