440 Granite Barrens
| Geology | Fresh Water | Soils | Plants | Animals Scenic Quality | Cultural Environment | Sites of Interest Topics & Habitats |
This District has two subdivisions:
(a) Flintstone
(b) Bloody Lake
Geology and Landscape Development
The Granite Barrens are found in two areas in southwestern Nova Scotia. One is at the
southwestern extremity of the South Mountain Granite (sub-Unit 451a), and the other
lies directly east of the Tusket River near the boundary of Yarmouth and Shelburne
counties. As the name indicates, the bedrock in each
case is granite. Other areas of granite (District 450) also contain extensive barrens. Unit 452, the Shelburne Granite Plain, has barrens in its western extremity.
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| Granite areas are often poorly drained, with many bogs. Click to enlarge |
The elevations in the two localities are quite different. Flintstone is part of the South Mountain granite body and has undergone extensive erosion. However, owing to its extreme resistance to erosion, the granite is still elevated at over 125 m, higher than the surrounding Meguma strata.
Bloody Lake lies over a small granite exposure which is probably a cupola in a large granite body still lying at depth. It has only (geologically) recently been exposed and thus has the same average elevation as the surrounding Meguma terrain, about 30-40 m above sea level.
Fresh Water
Many streams flow between shallow irregular lakes, and peat bogs are common. Lakes
and rivers are yellowish, turbid, and acidic, with considerable amounts of humic matter.
Swamps, swales, and bogs occur throughout the Unit. Sub-Unit 440a contains the
headwaters of the East Branch Tusket River system. The water in the rivers is highly
coloured and very acidic (pH less than 4.6). Large fens occur along the slower rivers
such as the Shelburne. Fourth Lake and Fifth Lake flowages dominate sub-Unit 440a
and are the headwaters for the Sissiboo River. Sub-Unit 440b contains a few large,
sloped, raised bogs, fens and a few medium-sized lakes with peatland borders. Many
streams dissect sub-Unit 440b.
Soils
Flintstone (sub-District 440a)
Soils are basically coarse-textured, well-drained Gibraltar (gravelly, sandy loams derived
mostly from granite), with small areas of slowly drained Bayswater and Aspotogan soils
on nearly level to depressional topography. All soils are very shallow and stony, and
there are large areas of exposed bedrock. Ortstein iron pans are widespread.
Bloody Lake (sub-District 440b)
Gibraltar soils occur to the south of the sub-Unit, with areas of well-drained Halifax
sandy loam derived from quartzite, to the north. Patches of Aspotogan soil and peat
are also present.
Plants
Five factors can lead to the presence of barrens: deep, repeated burns; iron pans;
numerous boulders; excessive leaching, causing very low fertility; and the establishment
of heath vegetation that prevents the growth of tree seedlings. Because fires are
better controlled today than in the early days of forestry, some fire barrens are
regenerating in forest species. However, limited planting of Red and Jack pines has
resulted in only very slow growth.
Forest vegetation does best in the drainage trenches alongside the deranged drainage system. Here linear forests of Red Maple, ash, and Wire Birch occur between the slightly higher intervening barren heathlands. The characteristic shrubs on these areas are huckleberries, Sheep Laurel, Wild Raisin, and alder. Also common is a low scrub which may include White Pine, aspen, Black Spruce, Red Maple, Wire Birch, or Red Oak. On boggy sites, Black Spruce, Red Maple, and Larch are common. Several orchids are found in these bogs. They include Grass Pink, Rose Pogonia and Dragon's Mouth Orchid.
Animals
The barrens and semi-barrens are generally unproductive wildlife habitat, except there
are some small mammals, which have a low to moderately high diversity, and moose,
which have one of the best populations in western Nova Scotia. Although there is some
beaver, otter, muskrat, and duck-nesting habitat, aquatic fauna is generally depauperate.
Scenic Quality
Lack of fertile soils and inaccessibility combine to make this
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| Sporting Lake Click to enlarge |
Cultural Environment
Forestry has characterized land use in some parts of the Granite Barrens. However,
much of this area is known for recreational use of waterways and for hunting and
fishing. The Tobeatic Game Reserve is part of the Granite Barrens.
- Tobeatic Resource Management Area
- Tobeatic Game Sanctuary
- Birch Lake (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 61) - old White Pine
Ecological Reserve
- Sporting Lake Nature Reserve
Provincial Parks and Park Reserves
- Dollar Lake
- Oakfield
- Laurie
Proposed Parks and Protected Areas System includes Natural Landscapes 8a and 8b and Candidate Protected Area 29 Tobeatic.
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