Geology & Landscape | Plants | Scenic Quality Topics & Habitats

District 850 has two Units:
851 Pennant Barrens
852 Canso Barrens

Geology and Landscape Development
Within this District the bedrock is dominated by granite, which forms headlands and knolls well above the upland surface and provides some of the most significant relief in the Atlantic Coast Region. The hills are rounded and tend to have a very thin till cover with many large boulders. There is much exposed bedrock. Although the thin granite till is a source of quartz grains for occasional white, sandy pocket beaches, in general the sediment supply is very poor. The shallow impermeable bedrock allows little infiltration and consequently the surface is covered by streams, lakes, and bogs.

Plants
Thin acidic soils and frequent rock outcrops restrict tree growth even more than the rest of the coastal forest. Barrens with ericaceous and stunted krummholz vegetation are widespread.

Scenic Quality
Some may regard these areas as bleak and forbidding, but others are enchanted by the strange landscapes and seascapes.

Rockfaces and granite barrens, Peggy's Cove, Halifax County Click to enlarge

Along the coast, smooth rock headlands and boulder-strewn barrens provide wide and scenic vistas. Small fishing villages nestling within tiny coves (typified by Peggys Cove) contrast markedly with their raw surroundings and add considerable charm. Relief is strong along the Chedabucto Bay fault-scarp (Dorts Cove to Queensport), but this advantage is offset by the straightness of the coastline. Inland, the variety of barrens, hills, and lakes is interesting but hardly attractive.

Associated Topics T2.3 Granite in Nova Scotia T10.1 Vegetation Change T10.12 Rare and Endangered Plants

Associated Habitats H3 Freshwater H4.1 Bog H5.1 Barren H6.3 Mixedwood Forest (White Spruce, Fir-Maple, Birch Association) Associated Offshore Region 911 Atlantic