Geology and Landscape Development | Climate | Fresh Water Soils | Plants | Animals | Cultural Environment Topics & Habitats

Geology and Landscape Development
The Pennant Barrens include the promontory between Halifax Harbour and St. Margarets Bay and part of the Aspotogan Peninsula. The area is underlain entirely by granite which forms knolls elevated up to 150 m, well above the planation surface.

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

Joints within the granite divide it into large blocks. At the shoreline these can be loosened and moved by storms, providing dramatic coastal topography as at Peggys Cove. There are also steep cliffs which were probably formed in the Early Carboniferous and later buried by younger deposits. Now that the sedimentary cover has been eroded away, they are exposed once again, for example, Chebucto Head. Granite islands and shoals formed as the headlands became submerged. Similarly, the lower reaches of rivers have been drowned and form long inlets (e.g., Shad Bay).

The surface of the granite has a patchy, thin covering of granite till. On the many areas of exposed bedrock, glacial striations can be seen. The till contains many boulders of varying size (erratics) which have been dumped randomly across the landscape, giving it a bulldozed appearance. The sediment supply is very limited and only the accumulation of sediment carried inland by the transgressing sea has provided enough sand for beaches such as Crystal Crescent.

Fresh Water
The surface of the granite has a deranged drainage pattern, with many lakes interconnected by wandering, slow-moving streams. Many small wetlands are associated with the streams and headwaters. Many wetlands are also found in depressions isolated from other surface-water features. Fresh water tends to be slightly acidic, ranging between 5.0 and 6.5, and conductivity is low.

Soils
The main soil found in this area is Gibraltar (well-drained sandy loam), with small areas of poorly drained Aspotogan and peat. A strip of Bridgewater soil (well-drained, shaly loam derived principally from slate) is followed by the road through Hatchet Lake. A number of small drumlins with Wolfville soils occur, particularly between Spryfield and Pennant.

Plants
Much of the area is covered by coastal barrens, with Reindeer Moss, other lichens, and Broom-Crowberry interspersed with small sphagnum and sedge bogs. Where exposure to wind and spray is most severe, stunted White Spruce is usually found. Black Spruce, larch, and Balsam Fir occur on more sheltered sites with maple and birch. Stands of post-fire maple, oak, and birch occur on well-drained sites further inland. Jack Pine can also be seen. Some arctic-alpine species are present (see T4.2, Post-glacial Colonization by Plants).

Seaweeds Click to enlarge

Commenting on this enormous fire barren in 1912, C.D. Howe wrote: "The largest fire barren in Halifax county lies between St. Margaret bay and Halifax harbour ... [and] is chiefly barren of commercial trees, the forest being composed ... of wire birch, red maple, alder and poplar, and frequently it has scattered white pine of polewood size reaching up above them. The soil is sandy and is filled with pebbles and boulders. In many places the bare rock is exposed, and the surface strewn with granite boulders. The tops of the sandy knolls where the soil is deep frequently support young red oak. On the more moist, deeper soil of the slopes one finds scattered patches of thrifty hardwoods from twenty to forty years old. In one of these patches the composition of the stand was as follows: fir 24 percent, black spruce 16 percent, yellow birch 21 percent, shad tree seven percent, red maple 19 percent, mountain ash two percent, paper birch one percent."

Animals
The shoreline is mainly rocky with low cliffs, some islands, and a few sand beaches; it does not provide much suitable habitat for shorebirds or waterfowl. Breeding birds include gulls, cormorants, Osprey, and Great Blue Heron. There are a few Bald Eagle breeding sites and

Peggy's Cove Click to enlarge

Double-crested Cormorant colonies. Slope-water influence often results in productive plankton areas and the presence of whales, particularly in the late summer. Small-mammal diversity in the vegetation on the barrens is low (three or four species). Populations also appear to be low, except in close proximity to fresh water. Brook Trout is a typical freshwater species.

Cultural Environment
Writers, artists, and photographers who spent summer vacations at Peggys Cove in the 1920s drew attention to its allure, and Peggys Cove is now famous as a symbol of Nova Scotia and a tourist destination.

Sites of Special Interest

• Bear Cove (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 38) - example of a small coastal bog
• Duncans Cove (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 39) - large area of coastal barrens with rare plants
• West Dover (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 40) - example of a lichen-dominated, virtually treeless barren
• Portuguese Cove - contact between granite and Meguma sediments; loose blocks of country rock can be seen "floating" in the granite
• Chebucto Head - large white crystals of feldspar, showing flow patterns within the granite
• Crystal Crescent - relict white sandy beach

Associated Topics T2.3 Granite in Nova Scotia T3.4 Terrestrial Glacial Deposits and Landscape Features T4.2 Post-glacial Colonization by Plants T10.12 Rare and Endangered Plants

Associated Habitats H2.1 Rocky Shore H2.3 Sandy Shore H3 Freshwater H4.1 Bog H5.1 Barren H6.3 Softwood Forest (White Spruce Association) H6.3 Mixedwood Forest (White Spruce, Fir-Maple, Birch Association) Associated Offshore Region 911 Atlantic