• • NEWFOUNDLAND NATURAL IflSTORY SOCIET'l THE OSPREY Vol. 10 No. 5 Jul y-Sep te mber Nat ur e No tes fr om Corn e r Br oOA - Rela t io n shi rs 77 Book Revie w . • .•• . •••••.•. • .. ••...• .•.• • •... •.•.. .. .•... 8;: ,', i lde rn es s a n d. Ec ologic al Re serv es - ,Y i ldl a r. d, C' • •• •••• •• a·· Sp r in g M i gr a tion a t s t. Pi e rre et M ique l on •••• • ••• • •••• 85 Notes: Rar e a nd En da nger ed Sp ecies •• •• ••••• ••••• 86 Li mestone Barrens •• ••••• •• •• • •• • •• ••••••• 86 Cape s t. Mary's •• • ••••. • •••• • ••• • •• •• •••• 90 Fo r est Fir es • •• ••. •..•. •••. • •• •• .•. •. . ... 91 Oxe n Pond Bo ta nic Par k • • .•• • ••• .•• . ••• •• • 92 Bir d. News •• •• ••• •••• ••• •• •• .••• ••• •.•••••• ••• •• •••••• •• 93 Afternoon a t Stil es Cove • •. •• .•.•• ••.• •• •• ••• •••• •••••• 95 Sep t ember :;e et ing - .'. i cr osco :c ic Look qt Bogs " by Tort Howel Sept. 20 at 0 : 15 .m., Oxen Pond Botanic Pa r k , .. ;t . Sc io ;i:d . Come a bi t ear ly a nd go for 3. tr C\m f i n the Bot",nic ,:'Clrt':.
Nat ur e No tes fr om Corne r Br oOA - Rela t ionshi r s 77 Book Revie w . • .•• . •••••.•. • .. • • . . . • .•.• • •... •.•.. .. .•... 8;:
,', i lderness a n d. Ec ological Reserves - ,Yi ldl a r. d,C' • •• •••• • • a·· Spr in g Mi gr a tion a t s t. Pi e rre et Mi que l on •••• • ••• • •••• 85 r~o ture Notes: Ra r e a nd Endanger ed Species •• •• • • • • • ••••• 86
Newfoundland Bird Cbecklis ts are available at 5 cents each to members and 25 cents each to non-members. Please enclose postage.
Bac~ issues of the OSPREY are available for $1.00 plus postage . We do not have ill issues, but we have quite a few in limited numbers. See last page of June 1979 OSPREY for list of holdings to that date.
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NATURE NOTES FROM CORNER BROOK
A warm, pleasant day in early spring is a good time to reaquaint oneself wi th the outdoors that wi 11 soon be burs t i n9 into act i v i ty. Tuesday. March 27 was such a day in the Corner Brook area. Subtle signs of new growth \.-Jere already being exhibited by the swell ing buds of some trees and shrubs prematurely hast ened by the unseasonably warm spell which saw temperatures in the vicinity rise t o 20c e the previous weekend. On this afternoon our group of budding biologists set out to spend a few hours in search of some obvious symbiotic relationships i n the fields and woods of the college grounds.
All living organisms interact with other living organisms in their environment. Plants depend on animals to fertilize the earth, to transport their seeds. t o help keep their predators in chec:k, and so on, while animals depend on plants for food, shelter, nesting sites, etc. Eac:h organism interac:ts with many others. In our search on this spring day we would I imit ourselves to the disc:overy of i nteractions between two individuals. The term "symbiosis ll can be simply defined a s Ita living together of two different organisms ll
• We recognized that there could be various kinds of living together. One type is called commensalism. This is a · relationship in which one species benefits while the other receives neither benefit nor harm. Another is mutual ism, a relationship where both spec:ies 1 iving together benefit. A third relationship is parasitism where one species benefits but individuals of the other spec:ies are harmed. Other symbiotic relationships also exist. but it was decided that we would I imlt ourselves to finding a number of loc:al examples of these three interac:tion types, if possible.
Our walk took us first to an open woody area where we located our first relationship, Low to the ground in open areas amongst the higher shrubs grew small blueberry bushes. On their twigs, here and there, were found round or k idney shaped growths known as galls. These were one to several centimeters in d iameter and of a reddish-brown color. When broken open they exhibited a number o f chambers in which were found tiny little white insect larvae. This was an example of parasitism. A tiny wasp lays its eggs on the blueberry. The larval secretions cause the blueberry plant to p roduce this unnatural growth in which t he larva can feed and grow to maturity. The cancerous - like gall deforms the p lant and nourishment which could go to normal growth and berry production is d ra i ned away by ga' 1 format i on and insect feed i ng. In th i s way the p I ant is ha rmed t o a degree . The insect, on the other hand, is prov i ded wi th food, she I ter and protection . The adult insects that emerged from the gaITs after 18 days indoors i n a glass jar are known as the Blueberry Gall Wasp or Solenzopheria vaccini i in scientific terminology. A more detailed account of this relationship~en i n .an earl ier article by Robin Day (The Osprey. Vol. 7 # 2, 1976).
A second parasitic relationship was also found in the blueberry patch. Several individuals noticed that some branches of the blueberry shrubs were different from the others. Normal twigs are slender. greenish to reddish, and have well formed tiny buds. Clumps of the abnormal growth arose from some branches. These twigs were thicker, less rigid, and shiny with a chestnut brown color and had buds that were deformed or absent. This abnormal cluster of branches or Ilwitches broom!! as it is sometimes called, is caused by a fungus which infects t he cells of the blueberry. The fungus has the ominous sounding scientific name o f Pucc i n j as t rum goeppert i anum.
7,:, -
Upon leaving the shrubby area we came to a gravelly roadside and made an abrupt halt. Everyone was sta rt led to see numerous Co lts foot plant s in full bloom in this open, completely unprotected area. Su rel y this has to be one of the earl lest flowe r ing records for this area?
Ou r wa l k continued a l ong the edge of some mixed bi rch-cherry -spruce woods. On the b ranches of some of the dec;iduous trees black lumps coul d be seen , even at a considerab le distance. Upon closer obse rvation these lumps we r'! found to occu r only on the b ranches of the Pin Cherry and never on the birch or other trees of the area. These black crust y lumps are the fruiting bodies of the Black Knot Fungus (Dibo ~ryon mo r bosum) which pa r asitises both types of wild cherry that are f ound in New . oundland as wel l as domestic plums and cherries.
Black Knot Fungus of Wild Cherry Dibotryon ~ X 1
Further along the woods edge we came to an apparently healthy Ba-ls<Jm Fir tree of about 20 centimetres In diameter which had been snapped off by high winds about a metre from the ground . It Is not unusual to see trees along clearings lodged by the winds,for in the shallow soli of some areas there is little for roots to hold onto. However, even winds of hurricane force would have diffi culty snapping off a healthy tree of this diameter, whatever the exposure. This situation warranted a closer look. Our first indication that the tree was not completely healthy was evidenced by the tree's heartwood. This was very much softer than it should have been and here and there where wood splinters had separated telltale whitish streaks indicated that the fine threads of a wood decay fungus were at work rotting the tree from the inside.
A few swats wit h an axe revealed a further parasitic relationship . Little tunnels about 3 mi II imetres In diameter we re noted in the wood. These contained sawd ust pl ugs and at their ends white insect larvae . Wood bo ring insects of this type structurally weaken the trunk and provide access to o ther tree injuring or ganisms such as the decay fungi as we ll. A piece of wood containing some of these wood bo r ing larvae was taken indoors and kept moist in a jar. An adult eme rged in approximate l y 55 days and was tentatively identified as one of the l ong - horned \.bod Borer Beetles (Xy lotrec!"J s~
79 .
Wood Boring Beetle and Larva X 1+
We continued across a stream t o a wet area where I knew wi 1 lows to be grow in g . Perhaps we caul d find some willow cone ga 115 wh I ch are not that uncoovnon. To my chagrin our search of t he willows didn!t turn up a single cone gall. Then on the ground someone spotted a reddish sphere about the size of a pea attached to an old fa 11 en wi II ow 1 eaf. A survey of the ground under the shrubs revea 1 ed more of these galls which ranged in color from green to reddish-brown. When spl it open each contained a single chamber housing a tiny white insect larva about 3 milllmetres long. Some of the galls were taken indoors . however, all larvae died before trans i t i on to adu I t form cou I d take place.
\.I i 1 low Leaf Gal l X 1
Upon cross j ng a f en someone noted a 0; ack crusty Jump about 25 roi J I imetres in diameter attached to a juniper twi g ~uniperus horizontal is ) . A search of numerous junipers In the fen failed to reveal another suc h gall. When split open no larvae or chambers were noted, onl y a rusty colored spongy mass of tissue. This led us to conclude that this gall was produced by one of the many bacteria, v i ruses or fungi which infect plants and sometimes also produce gall-l ike growths.
Next we entered a young spruce-fir fo rest around the edges of the fen. The first obvious interrelationship here was the numerous lichens growing on the Black Spruce trees. The most conspicuous were the stringy hanging yellow-green tufts o f Old Man' s Beard (Usnea) and the brown to black tufts of Horseha i r or Mane Lichens (Alectoria).T'h'e" I ichen-tree symbiosis can be called cOl'Mlersal ism as the 1 ichen is provided with an aerial substrate on which to grow whereas the tree appears to be unaffected by the I i chen growth.
A second relationship, mutualism , exists within the lichen itself which is actually a composite organism made up of a fungus surrounding an alga . Both of these organisms under proper conditions can grow apart, but in nature they have become dependent on one anothe r . The alga (Protococcus In the above two lichen types), can photosynthesize and provide food for the fungus, while the fungus grows around the alga and protects it from drying out and mechanical damage.
Other Black Spruce trees exhibited abnormal bushy growths. A closer exami na t ion of their twigs revealed tiny little mistletoe plants (Arceuthobium pusillum). t'tlstletoe Is actually a tiny flowering shrub 3 to 8 milllmetres in length which parasitises the Black Spruce. Roat-l ike structures of the mistletoe penetrate and grow amongst the living tissues of the spruce tree and absorb nutrients from it and in the process sap the strength and produce abnormal growth In the tree. Hale and female mistletoe plants grow on different trees and their tiny inconspicuous flowers mature early in spring. It is a forest pest of the Black Spruce
aminly & appears to be fairly COlTlI'lOn tn the Corner Brook area.
Male
Dwa r f mist letoe on Bl ack Spruce Arceut hob i urn pus i 11 urn X 5
81 .
At the edge of a small opening in the woods stood an old Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana). One of the commensal relationships it exhibited was with the cushion moss Ulota crispa. Uleta is commonly found as little rounded compact cushions or tufts""""'Orith~ of decidu o u s trees and coni fe rs throughout t·lewfoundland. Also on the Mountain Ash trunk was found another conspicuous 1 ichen known as the Lungwort ( Lobaria pulmonaria). It is olive brown when dry to a bright green when the fungal--rayerbecomes wet and mo re transparent allo ... ling the green of the alga Protococc us to shine through. The lungwort is large and leafy and has its upper su rface covered ... lith ridges and depressions giving it the spongy appearance of lung tissue. At one time it was prized as a remedy for respiratory diso rders , however, it is doubtful it has any useful properties in this regard. Unlike many o ther lichens it is an unmistakeable and easily recognizab le member of this ccmmon group of -symbionts.
lungwort loba ria pulmonaria " X 1
As we moved deeper into the woods the forest became older with spruce and fir trees having trunk diameters of up to 30 centimetres at breast height. At the base of Balsam fir was noted a closely growing green-brown fuzz. Some of this was collected and studied more closely indoors. It turned out to be a tiny livewort known as Ptilidium growing on the bark surface In a corrmensal relationship.
Also in the deep woods were scattered old decaying stumps of 60 o r more centimetres in diameter wi th large and flaring bases. These, probably pines which grew more than one hundred years ago, gave evidence to the changing nature of ou r forests, some due to natural causes and some due to the activities of man.
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be twe~~ r t~: 1 ~ i ~~~~~n ~ i ~~p:s t~~r~~~~n: ~~~:e 5 ~~~y e~!o~::r::~P 1 ~~ r O!x!~~~::c~!~~:d e the entire spectrum of the p lant kingdom from the algae, to the fungi. mosses , liverwort s. to the gymnosperms and f inally the flowering plants as we ll as some plant-animal interactions. Had mo r e time been available I'm sure we cou ld have located many more. A I"alk through the fields and woods anywhe re in Newfoundl and will b r i"9 to l ight many more such examp les of how the organ j sms in na t ur e depend upon one anothe r in the grea t web of 1 ife.
I t seems that ga 11 5 and ga 11 produc lng insects ml gnt be an area where both the amateur and the professional couid spend many hours of Interest ing observation; collecting, Identifying and studying these Insects and the variety o f g rowths they produce on Newfoundl and plants. The information so collected and reported could be a valuable additi on to ou r know ledge of insect- plant interac tion s In our p rovince . An articl e in liThe Bl ue Jay", the pub li cat ion of the Saskat c hewan Natural History Soci ety , describes some of t he conmon p lant ga ll s of that a rea (Blue Jay, Vol. 31 # 1 , March 1973 ). Perhaps some persons In this p rovi nce will aho be stimulated to pursue these Interrelationships fu rther.
Henry Mann
Book Revi ew
The View frOI:1 the Oak, by J udith and Her ber t Kohl. Si erra Club Books, Charles Scribner's Sons t San Frelncisco t 1977 .
Usually, i ntroductions t o animal behavior a r e exce ptionally dull and teach lingo; or they tell inter esting stor ies abou t animalea nd teach you little. This book is a delightful exception a nd deserves recommendation. The Kohls begin with Jacob von Uexkiill's concept of 'Um.el ten ' , defined a s t he world perc eived by an a n:fmal. They then show how the umwel t is achieved through the animal ' s senses and how this per ceived wor ld can account for behavior.
The text is exciting! Both my 10 year old daughter a nd mys elf enjoyed it . I would judge that if almost anyon e f r om early teens on read it they would learn a lot a nd find it ver y satisfactory.
Jon Lien
Bir d Nest Rec ords
This is a r eminder t o all those partici pating in the Ne wfoun ';la"'ri Nest Record Scheme t o send comoleted cards to John Maunder a t the Newfoundland Huseum. .
If you are not a regular pa r tiCi pant, but have recor ds of ne s ts
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;~y t~:a~~~~;~~efO~~~ infor mation would be gr eatly appreCia ted in e. The a ddr ess is: John E. Maunder, Curator of Natural Hi stor y,
Cabinet to help create a new, more strongly protected
reserve system in this Province. Recognizing that we are
still favoured by a reasonable amount of wild land and that
the best time to protect it is now when we can select
those areas that are most important, the provincial cabinet
has exhibited great foresight and understanding of the
importance of natural areas to Newfoundlanders.
There is little question that during the next 20
years the face of this province is going to change
immensely so it is imperative that we establish a strong
reserve system soon. Existing legislation under the
Wildlife Act is very weak. Many forms of development
can proceed unchecked within a reserve and areas can
lose their reserve status almost overnight.
The Wildlands Committee has now completed the first
part of its mandate to draw up new legislation. The
Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act which was approved
by Cabinet in early 1979 and introduced to the House
of Assembly shortly thereafter, is among the strongest
pieces of legislation protecting natural areas in Canada.
The Act provides for two types of areas. Wilderness
reserves will be few and of large size to protect species
with vast ranges, primitive expanses of extraordinary
landsca pe, and areas where future Newfoundlanders can
84 .
acquire a genuine wilderness experience remote from
man-dominated environments. Ecological reserves
will be more numerous and generally smaller to protect
specific natural phenomena like rare or endangered
species, bird sanctuaries, and representative ecosystems.
Areas will be selected for reserve status by an
interdisciplinary Advisory Council which will then make
recommendations to Cabinet. The Council can call public
hearings so the establishment process will be very open
with maximum input from the public at large. Similarly
the abolishment procedure will be very open requiring
consultation with the Council.
It is anticipated that the proposed Act will be
reintroduced to the House by the Minister of Tourism during
the fall sitting.
If we hope to keep a kind of Newfoundland that all
of us devoted to the natural world can be proud, this
legislation is essential and needs the active support
of the Natural History Society and all other concerned
groups and individuals.
Dennis Hinty
85.
Hi ghl i ghts o f t he Snring Hi gr a tion a t st . Pierr e e t : ~ i o uelcn
The 150 Red- ne c Ked Gr ebes r r esent in [·:i que lon whe n I r etur ne-i f r om my wi n t er i n St. John l s on Apri l 15 had left by t he fi r st tiays of ~'lay (non e l e ft by i·iay 11) • . ..\ f ew Gannets ( f r or.l 1 t o 10 ) 'Ner e seen r egula r ly f r om N.ay 11 to June 5 . ,;1th t he Ivor y Gu ': l s e en i n j. i c; ue l.':m by r:ichel Bar a tra Febr uary 3 , t he most exciting bi r d o f the yea r VIE' S
the Loui s i a na Her on first obs er ve d in Hi quelon Apri l 20 . Altholl,;h r -. ther wa r y J this bird fl ew o ver head sev er a l times a nd th e c ons .. ic uQus "{;hi t e be l l y c ould be s ee n . Cn 3 s ubsequent occasi ons , t hi s bir -:l. 'Nas obs er ved '.'li th a 20- 45X tel e s c o pe . The whitish crest a nd s eme br ~l\'ln i ~h fea t her s v/er e c l ea r l y seen. The l a st obs e rva ti on was t-iay 11 . The r e i s litt le do ubt a s t o t h e i dent i ty o f thi s bird , C1 S no o t her ilo r t h Am er ica n or Eur ope a n her on is l ike it. Sever al l,a irs of Fintail were s een t his s pr ing a nd 3 br oods were f ound with 10 , 9 , a nd 5 duc kl ing~ r es pectively . As usual 8 - 10 thousa nd e i de r ducks congr ega te d a r ound t h e i slands fo r several weeks . Mo st of them had le ft by ~'1 a y 15 . Two or possibly mor e adult Ba l d Eagles wer e reported ; a pair fir s t seen s oaring near the vill age o f Hi quel on April 27 a r e still a r ound . Sear c hes f or a ne s t in t he Cape of Mi quelon a r e sti ll unsuc c essfUl . Thr ee pair s of ~ a r e ne s t i n g in t he islands this year ; one in St . Pierr e 01 . D. ) , one at Lan glade (D . A. ) , a nd one i n Mi que l on (B . 3 . ) with 5 eggs on Jun e 2 1 . A mill. was obser v e d near the vi l l a ge in Mi quelon on Ha y 23 and 2- 3 s ubsequ e n t days . One Lesser YellO'ovl egs was fi r st seen in Mi quelon by N. B. ; I s a w 2 on the ist hmus Hay 29 . The Bank Swallow, usually a r ar e species , was f ound ne sting i n i'~ iquelon where 15 nests wer e found J une 27 . A Bla c k - billed Cuck oo was seen by ~ 1 . 3 . n ear Gr a nd Bar ac hoi s June 20 . Although the Ol i v e -s ided Flyc a t c her ha s be en s een 2 or 3 times befor e, the fi r s t sa ti s f a ctory observat i on wa s made i n Mi quelon J une 16 by R. E. On June 2 1, a s inging f l yca tc her ','las i dentified 'as a Least ?lyc a tc her • A c ompar ison of song was easy wi th the common Ye l lov;- belli erl Fl yc a tc he r s in t he ar e a . The ~', int er :ir e n was cons pi cuous by its a bs e nce unti :!. H. B. hear d one i n Hiquelon on June 16 (the s i ngle re por t so f a r ") . A. Phi ladel ohia Vireo (seen f or the fi r s t time on the i sl a nd o f S t . Pierr e i n Sept ember 1974 ) was loc a t ed i n Mi quelon on June 15 , and on the same loc ati on aga i n 5 days later. A mal e Cane Hay Wa r bler wa s in Hi quelon vi llage May 23- 26 ( fi r st r ecor ded fo r the is l ands in Hay 1976 at St . Pi er r e) . A pair of Blackburnia n Wa r bler s we r e s e e n a t S t . Pierr e by M. D. A sin gle fema le Bay- br ea sted Wa r bl er wa s in Hi que lon vi ll a ge J une 7 . Host of the Amer ica n Re dstart s seen this y ep r wer e f emal es . The fi r st r ecord o f the Lincoln 1s Sparrow wa s May 24, 197-'7 . This year, sever al wer e seen in Mi queloD , a nd one wa s hea r d s i n3ing in Hi quelon on Hay 8 .
Obs er 'l ers: Da nie l Abr a ham ( 0 . A. ) t Ni chel Bor otra (M . B. ) , Marc Deri ble (N . D. ) , Ro ger Etcheberry ( R. E. ) .
Roger Etche berry
66 .
Ne \.U to U. l"\ d I a. n. d
Na.tu.'Ce 0_0 Notes by : Robin Day
Rare aDd Endangered Soecies
During May 4 end 5th I attended a s ymposium on the Rare a nd Endanger ed Plant Species of New England (the only Newfoundlander there ) held a t Harvard Univers ity. The t aJ.ks and discussions were of a very good quality and reader s can order an issue of the journal "Rhodora ll where all pr oceedings vil1 be published . It will cost $6 .00 American before J anuary 1980 and $8. 00 after t his date . This symposium will soon become a landmark event in t he study and management of rare spec ies and habitat 50 I strongl y r ecommend this i s sue t especially for thoBe people in Parks and Government positions. Don't be put off by thinking New England ' s rare plants and habitats are much differ ent f r om our own . Many of the same species occur there and cert ainly most management techniques for preserving habitat can be incor por ated int o pr ograms within the Newfoundland context . Incidentally, the biology of the now famou s Furbish Lousewort is present ed in this issue . - R.O.
Limes t one Barrens
Dur ing the l a s t win ter I began inquiries a bout the much dama ged habita ts on the Coa s t al Limestone Barr e ns of the Gr ea t Northern Peninsul a . (Note : - The Limestone Barrens conta in the habit a ts of many o f Newfoundla nd 1 5 r a r est fer ns a nd wi l dflower s . ) Dr . David Barnes ( Pr ovinc i al Depart ment of EnVironment ) t Mr. William ( Bill ) Meades (Feder al For estr y ) t a nd Mr. De nnis Mi n t y ( Salmonier Na tur e Park ) a r e thre e member s of the Wi ldlands Commi ttee for New f oundl a n n . Thi s commi ttee was or ga ni zed with the purpose of dr a fting l egi s l a tion f or the cr eation a nd pr otection of natur e reser ves. When using the ter m na ture r eser ve I mean t o k eep t he conc e pt vague as nobody 'l'ill a ctually know wha t a wildland , a nature reser ve, or a pr o t ected a r ea rea lly is until it ga ins a nd maint a ins exist ence . I wrote Dr . Bar ne s a nd theNNHS exe cut i ve about the barr ens, pr esenting the infor ma tion I had collected plus my per sonal concer ns fo r pr otec tion . (Se e my l etter a nd the reply whic h fo l l ows . ) Dr . Ba r ne s r e plied posit ively a nd t hi s s houl d be look e d upon as a n e nc ouraging sign. I am please d to t ell readers tha t Hr. Mea des has jus t comple te d (July 179) a fi e ld t ri p to th" limeston e bar r e n regi on . Here he s urvey e d c ondition s a nd s t ud i ed t he vegeta tion patter ns f or c l a ssific a t i on pur poses . ;lildla nds legi sla t i on is soo n t o be pr esented t o t he Hous e o f Assembl y . Th e fa te of t he se barr ens and t he other pr opose d r es e r ves wi l l ha ve t o be .'/atched c l o sely i n the next few years. Hr . Minty (the c ha ir:na n ) a n ri the e t her member s o f the ,111dlands Committ ee wi ll need t he enc our ~geme n t o f all t he people o f Newf o undland who Car e a bout the s ur viva l o f s ::ecies . - R ::: .
( .6. c-:;r;7 of t he orig i nal )
:':- . J e.vid. Barr..es I:epar-cme c't of +' he Envi ronIr.ent Confederation Building St. John's, Newfoundland
Dear Sir :
7 .
r_ch 5, 1979
Dr. U. Paim of the Biology Department, University of New Brunswick , has informed me of news which has surprised me . I am sure you must be aware of the following . This concerns the removal of large habitat areas of rare and endemic wild flover species of the Gt. Northern Peninsula. First, I should tell you a bi t about Dr. Paim.
This man has been visiting Newfoundland since 1970 collecting the rare and unusual plants of the west coast for his alpine rock garden which like Oxen Pond Botanic Park, functions somewhat like a "plant zoo". He is familiar with the plants I speak of and has seen the extensive damage to their habitat over the past eight years. The flowers he talks about include the yellow Lady's Slipper, and they all occur on the coastal limestone barrens . Dr. Paim tells me that in the process of widening and straightening the west. coast highway, from Portland Creek to Eddies Cove the surface limestone rubble and gravel has been scraped off the land . ~tunicipalities of this area have also been taking the loose rubble for their own purposes . The limestone barrens often occupy only a narrow strip of land running along the coast and this is where the quarring has been concentrated. There is a rock crushing station at Eddies Cove and some quarring north of this town. Most of the area north of Eddies Cove is :untouched , but this constitutes the minor part of these barrens. From here the road construction turns east to CODllect with St . Anthony. The rare and unique flowers I list below require this surface limestone habitat.
List Of Rare and Unusual Species
Allium schoenoprasum Arnica chionopappa A. terrae- novae A. tomentosa Asplenium Viride Cypripedium calceolus Cryptogramma stelleri Cystopteris i ragil! 5 Draba arabi sans D. glabella D. norvegica Parnassia parv'iflora
Erigeron byssopifolius Hedysarum alpinum Lesquerella pursh!i Malaxis brachypoda Polystichum l onchitis Salix vesti t.a Tofieldia pusilla Carex microglochin Cochlearia cyclocarpa C. t rida ctylites Gentiana nesophila Habenaria hookeri Salix reticul.ata
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GOVERNMENT OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND ENVIRONMENT
1 979 03 20
Mr. Robin T. Day c/o Dept. of Biology University of New Brunswick Fredericton, New Brunswick
Dear Mr. Day:
ST. JOHN'S
Thank you for your letter of March 5 in which you expressed concern about the continued existence of the limestone barrens habitat of the Northern Peninsula. I must confess that I was not personally aware of the threat to this particular habitat and hence to the rare and unusual species of plants which you have listed.
However, I have recently raised this matter and tabled your letter at a meeting of the Wildlands Committee, an i n terdepartmental body on which I represent this Department. This Committee was established by Government sever al years ago and has since prepared wild lands protection legislation for this Province. As a result, a Bill to establish a Wi l derness & Ecological Reserves Act is ready for presentation to the House of Assembly this year .
Several members of the Committee were a lready aware of the existence of the limestone barrens and of the fact that some of this habitat has been destroyed . It happens that Mr. Bill Meades of the Canadian Forestry Service, who also serves on the Wildlands Committee, is planning a trip to the Northern Peninsula this summer for the very purpose of surveying the limestone barrens. I understand that you are already acquainted with Mr . Meades and I therefore suggest that you establish direct contact with him concerning this matter.
Thank you for drawing this situation to my attention. I intend to follow it c losely and to wor k with my colleagues to ensure that proper action is taken.
. • ~re1Y, Y91'7':P L~~ David H. Barnes Environmental Biologist
"L ET'S KEEP IT CLEAN"
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Cape St. Mary's
On May 19th I Clade a day trip to Cape St . Mary ls with my friend David Doran. The road is ClOstly unpaved after the town of Placentia as you travel south al.ong the eastern shore of Placentia Bay. The dirt road really is in sood condition and I \1'8.8 able to travel 40 mpb (metric conversion ??1) along most of the stretch. The little villages have brightly painted houses and I do believe I have found a trend. While driving south. I noticed that as the landscape became bleaker so the houses were more brightly and imaginatively painted. We came across a couple of doozies vi tb orange. green and blue bands running horizontally around a two-storied. rectangular, flat and tar- topped. traditional. house.
I am in total agreement with the tastes and fashions of this area; after al.l. the houses provide the only bright colours in the landscape and en mass make a very pretty picture. Diane Savory provided me with one of the most likely origins of the bright and multi-coloured house habit. She says that years ago the English paint merchants sent any-old- thing to "the colonies" especially the colours that didn't sell at home. This is wb;y the brightest of brights ended up in Nevfo\Uldlaod. The multi-col oured effect vas due to paint scarcity or silllply hard times. If all you could get was three cans of different colour or if all you had was three leftover cans ... then . •• What IS the harm? ••. Why Dot! -
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The coaste.l. scrub fir forest which we drove past is really at ypical.. e It is quite low and very dense. il:lpossible to valk through 10 most places. The cro'WDS seem to be matted together forming an irregular and elevated carpet in places. Occasionally large irregular patches appear on the hillsides where there has been a blow-down. This occurs when a stand becomes too tall, too old and too weak. When a small. area opens up, the domino effect takes place and soon most of the stand will. be toppled . This bas the effect of producing a relatively even-aged stand in a species forest type which is characteristically multi- aged.
Sometime after 1:00 we arrived at the Lighthouse of Cape St. Mary ' s. We were in luck. glorious S\Ul on the cliffs while a fog hung offshore. Rarely is Cape St. Mary I S not foggy. but remember that the cool fog is probably the most influential environmental factor maintaining the unique assemblage of rare arctic plants. We saw and smelled (the vinds were onshore) the bird colonies. Egg laying had already begun. l':i.ttiwake s , l·Iurres and Gannets were present ; I saw a pair of Black Gu11lemots, and there ';;ere INhales surfacing.
A dog kept folloving us and soon we came across a sheep carcass that may have been dog-killed and ws certainly dog-chewed. Soon a live sheep spotted us, but more specifically the dog. It let loose a squeal like a crying child or a snared rabbit and dashed down the steep , grassy. cliffs (as nimble as a mountain goat?) with the hound in pursuit . temporarily. This time I think the sheep survived. The cliffs serve as a refuge fr oI:!.
~~:d:~!~~ !~~S:;e~ii~: ~~~~i~e~;a~~~:~us T~:s:~::: ~:~ :~ ;:~~C~o!:to e . their feeding trails. At sunning spo'ts the sheep have excavated hollows. Just
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the dimensions of their bodies, at the cliff tops a short way beyond the Gannet Rock . These hollows have had the organic soil and grass worn avay by the sheep I s bodies and are now 'exposed , sun- wa.r:c:led, mineral soil.
On the slightly higher ground I started looking for the arctic alpine and coastal plant ~ lapponica , ,,bich I have nov been studying for five years . I knev from pr evious collectors that this plant and several other interesting species were to be found her e. In no time I was walking among an abundance of flowering individuals. This is the earliest date yet known for the blooming of Diapensia . A later blooming population of Diapensia was also present . I ts flower buds had not yet formed but certainly would do so before the end of July "hen flovering is expected. In the seme area I collected. for the first time. some Moss Campion, Silene acaulis; and a dwarf villow, Salix uva- urs1. Both of these rooted "ell in garden soil and I vill attempt'"tO'CUitivate tbem , noting their requirements and sensitivities over the years . The Silene is a cushion plant like the Diapensia . In other words it grovs i ii"1iUiiiinOcks like little igloos or inverted bovls Fig . 1. This type of growth form is an evolved f eature vhich minimizes vind frict i on and serves as a heat trapping device at tbe seme time.
Figure 1 . Cross-section of Diapensia.
A: Supporting dead l eaves .
B= Superficia l living leaves.
C= Long thin branches .
0= ~!ain stem.
I collected a green and red marked caterpillar on a Diapensia and tbis vas reared out at home by its eating only the flovers of this plant . The caterpillar eventually proved to be the young stage of the Arctic Blue Butterfly. We finaJ.ly made our vay home by 9:00 PM. - R.D.
Gamba Pond and Other Forest Fires
Since late May I have been researching old forest fires in the vicinity of Terra Nova. town and Park. This is proving very interesting as each new day brings forth something surprising. On the 1977 burn between the T.e.H. and Terra Nova Town I found 4 moose carca.ses , presuma.bly killed during t he fire . The bones were cer tainly heat- treated. Fire kills but is certainly Dot all bad. Forest fires of the right intensity will create ideal seed bed cond! tiona for a new and vigorous forest stand to replace the old decadant one it has destroyed. This has been the natural and necessary pattern for eons. I can state with confidence that 99% of the plant communities within the Terra. Nova Area have evolved with a maJor influence from fire. There is relict charcoal deposited at the top of the mineral soil. and frequently wi thin the or ganic soil as veIl. Only in very old stands with too mUch dead, dry matter does an inferno develop.
: :: ~hese ca se s son:.e of 'tJ:e s~em ,,-ccd. c e.y be cor.suced . Of course decedant stands are because of poor management. They should be harvested before r eaching this condition. Most fores't fi res i n Nevfoundland conSUIle the dead, dry material, the shrub and herb l ayer, some of the finer twigs and alJoost all of t he needles. The intact and standing tree trunks may persist in an erect position for more t han twenty years, depending on vind and decay. These trunks should really be harvested immediately and the soil should be prepared by scarification to enhance natural seedling establ i sbment as soon as the coals die down. Where a natural seed source is not available planting is the only option if we want a forest for the future.
Dr. Pollett (Fred) of Federal Forestry vas telling me that the rare Red Pine stand near Gambo has probably been burned in the fire we have heard so much about . ... This is unfortunate as the site vas given protective legislation Just last year. The strange tvist to the situation is as follows. Red Pine, Pinus resinosa is a tire- adapted species . The large old trees often survive many fires and continue to produce the necessary seed to fill in the open habitat a.f'ter competing species have been burned out. Fire also creates good seed bed conditions by reducing the "dutf layer" = organic layer + needl.es. Old Red pines occasionally manages to avoid mortality because (1) Their crowns with the vital foliage is high above the .tlames of a ground fire. (2) The lover trunk often bas no brancbes whicb would tend to carry the flames into the crown. (3) The stem bark is quite thick and thus heat - resistant. (4) Even severely" damaged trees can literalJ.y "heal their wounds" or fire sears and continue to grow and produce seed for decades. (5) Ol d stands often have widely spaced individuals which tends to reduce fire intensity and flame transport to adJ scent crowns.
The Gambo Pond tire may be the best thing that could have happened to this stand of pines . In the years to come we may even see the distribution of the species increase as a positive effect of the fire. Bruce Roberts who works at Federal Forestry is doing his MS c on the ecology of Red Pine and he should soon be able to let us know the fate of this colony of rare , beautiful trees. - 'R.:'O.
Oxen Pond Botanic Park
Oxen Pond Bot8.llic Park is better than ever this year. Bernard Jackson bas been over to the west coast of the island collecting some of the
=:r H:~~:e::d ~~~~~:e o~~~~!1i~~e;~~~~iO:e ~:~!d~:dll at Oxen Pond tor the acid-loving plants is now well-developed and this is where these new additions have been placed . The rock garden i s l iterally groving in species year a.f'ter year and is alvays my favourite spot to ponder . I noticed a new plant the last time I vas up , PlantagO ~, the Seaside Plantain. This edible bit of greenery grows in a low
... The fir e a ffecte d only parts of the st a nd - Ed.
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lush clutlp and certainly is an attractive addition to the garden . I had brought a plant of this species i nto my garden earlier in the year, about mid-May, from Bauline and it bas been flowering profusely. You can inagine my surprise when I found it at Oxen Pond too ! By the vay. the Plantain seems to do just fine without any addition of salt as vould be naturaJ. in its typical saline habitat. I do think that my garden specimen has become less compact, however , and I knOll it no longer produces purple spots on the leaves which were so characteristic vhen I first collected it. The Ligustlcum scothicum or Scotch Lovage I transplanted at the same time is slower to adjust because of lack of root 1'm sure.
There is lots more summer still to come so everybody jot down a few notes on their experiences and send them into John Maunder, our Osprey editor. We'd all love to hear about them. By the way, are readers aware of the ne.., club ca.lled the Osprey'! It ' s on Duckworth Street, above the Aquarium (seafood) Restaurant ! - P, ."'D.
Bird News (June 1 - August 31)
This summer yielded a number o f exciting re port s . Ther e W88 a Cana~a iJarb ler found by Roger Burrows (RB) at Glovertown on June 18 and a Cape Ma-y-itiarb ler heard singing near the Gras ~torne trail by RB on June 2 . RB also heard tliO more Cape Ma y Warblers singing near Uppe r Trout Rive r Pond on June 3 . Incredible is the only word which can be used to describe a Reeve (female Ruff) very carefully observed in the middle of June by John Wells,-"JO"iUl Piatt and"-others beside a pond near the Ruby Line. This w:lIlderer was accompanied by a Killdeer. By July 2, the Reeve had left and the number of Killdeer had increased to five (Hugh Currie ) " J::e1t to the end of this rarities section only because of some difficulty in determining i'ts provincia l status is an unquestionabl e Cory' s Shearwater seen by HJC from the Argentia ferry an hour out of North Sydney on July 25 . HJC also informs me that another of these was seen later by Roy John, but I have no furthe r details.
On the morning of Augus 't 22. I was informed by Ian Kirkham that an immature YellQw-Crowned Nigh t Heron had been discovered by Mrs " Angel and her family in their backyard. This bird was seen by many of us and was obviously exhausted at first but later in the day fed, apparently on worms, in the Angel's garden. An attempt by th e staff from Oxen Pond to transport the heron to Long Pond failed as it flew away - hopefully to a more suitable habitat" ...
-« ~jitor's Hote : On August 24 , I observed a young night be r on that had just been brought t o the Salmonier Nat ure Par~ from St. John ' s after being cap tured in a '::eaken e d c on~i tion . It ~ have been the same one mentioned a bove by Mi ke • Kevin 1100r e <ind I decided it was a Yellow- CrOWDen . This was later borne out whe n Kevin took measurement s o f the captive bird .
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Other uncommon sightings from the Avalon Peninsula included a Scarlet Tanager seen on May 29 near the old road to La ~Ianche by Grayson and Harry Hyde and a "L.;~~k~Headed Gul l discovered near Pe~ ... ,. R ~\'er. St. t-Iary's Bay by Jon tier.
On the same day. Jon saw approxi!:'Iat el~· .Jne hundred ~Ianx Shearwaters in Placentia Bay. while HJC also found this s?ecies in large numbers on July 26 . HJC also discovered eight Red Phalaropes and two Pomarine Jaegers in Placentia Bay on July 26.
Not too surprising was an Eastern Kingbird found by Bernard Jackson (BJ) near Torbay Road on June 10. but HJe I 5 August 25 sighting of the same species in his garden is more unusual. as we normally only get spring reports. ~lore interesting, a lthough probably not as uncommon as is usually believed, was a female RubY-Throated Hummingbird seen at Oxen Pond by BJ and many others in late July and early August .
A pair of Barn Swallows were back at Cape Spear by June 26, although [ have no reports of nesting. However, Bill Smith informs me that a pair has nested for the last few years in a cabin near North River. Conception Bay. Other interesting reports from the Avalon include an Americal Kestrel at Oxen Pond on June 7 (BJ). Cedar Waxwings near Conception Bay South early in June (Everett Eddy) and a small flock of Cowbirds in the Salmonier Wildlife Park August 30 (John Molgaar d).
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From Terra Nova Park come several unusual sightings - Don Collins found a e beautiful white adult Snowy Owl on June 5 while RB discovered a Lesser Yellow legs at Sal ton I s Beach on August 4. A male . was found dead by Mike Rosen on June 18 while RS had an 23 . Earlier in Jul y, Gaileen Marsh had also fOWld an A LeaF;t Flycatcher was seen at Sandy Par k , by Ro y John on August 1 . This report was communicated to me by bo th John Maunder and Howard Clase (HJe). Another interesting bird, an _ immature Rose-Breasted Grosbeak was observed near the park headquarters on July 16 by RS.
There were also two sightings of Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks on the west coast. One was found near Trout River by RS on JWle 3 and another around July 5 at Cod roy by Tony Erskine (TE). TE also found six Pintail (with young), five American Wigeon, seven Greater Scaup, and (not surprisingly) a Bobolink i n the Codroy Vall ey at the same time, while RB found a Red-Eyed Vireo near Trout River Pond on June 3.
I have only two Labrador reports, both from TE. He found at least twenty Surf Seaters near Rigolet on July 9 and twenty-three Tennessee I~arblers at Goose Bay in mid-Jul y .
Finally, to belatedly complete the l ist of first dates for spring arrivals. we have three species seen at Oxen Pond by BJ with the first two also seen by Eric Tull - Swamp Sparrow (June 5). American Redstart (June 5) , Yellow-Bel lied Flycatcher (June S) .
'lh:hael Parmenter e'
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An Aft e r noon a t Stil es Cove
S t i le s Cove 1 s a l i t t le- k noyon plac e r oughly s itua t ed be t wee n Pouch Cove a nd Fla t r ock on the Avalon Pe ni nsula . Two o f my f ri ends , Roe na Donova n a nd Da vi d Dor a n , j o l ne i me in a l i ttle explor a tor y tr i p to the cove on the sunny a fte rnoon o f June 9 .
To ge t t o St i l es Cove , dr i ve pas t Flatr ock t o-.v.<I r -i Care St . Fr a nc i E a nd turn rig h t onto t he short paved r oad t o t he sa t e l l i te t r a c king s t a tio n . About hal f ~vay do wn thi s r oad , a t the be g i nning of "" l o ng t urn , 1 s a n obvi o us dirt c art - pa t h t o t he righ t . Thi s 1 s whe r e yo u s t a rt hi k i ng . The walk i s D. fa irly short o ne , a nd s oon yo u wi ll be s t a nd i n g a t t he t o p of a ver y s tee p c l iff looking down on 6 trlkin ~lv beautiful Stil es Co ve . The onl y fea s i ble ".'ay down i s by a n iron ladd e r a t t a c he d t o the s i de o f the cliff . (Local s s a y t ha t the gover nment buil t the ladder year s ago t o pr ovide a way out f or fis he r me n s hel t er i ng in the cove - Ed . ) The l a dder s hakes qui te a bit, a nd one thir d of our pa r ty c hi cke ned out a t this pa i nt . The bla c k fli es wer e l i ke va mpi r e s , a nd thi s s peeded our de scen t t o the bo ttom . ( See no t e below - Ed . ) If you decide to de c end the l add er don ' t l ook down j look a r ound a nd see t he f er ns a nd wild flower peeking out o f the nooks a n d c r anni es a nd clinging to t he dr i ppi n g ledge s . The Sedum or Ros e r oot was a lmos t i n ful l bl oom . At t he bo t tom we c l imbed BC'iiff l edge a bove the wa t er a nd f ound a ca ve wi th a cur t a in o f dr i pping wa ter. It s par k led i n the eveni ng s unl i ght . Whi l e edging our \,ay along ledges t o the main beach with its wa t erfall , I notic ed some c ur ious a nd ullusual insec ts - Thy s a nura ns . These a r e Wild r ela tives o f the s i l ver fish which we s omet i mes find scurrying a r ound in !lub l ic bui l di ngs , lik e Memor i al Univer s i ty . Thes e ins ect s belong t o a primitive gr ou p which ha s ne ve r evolved the a bi l it y t o fly . They wer e qui t e ha r d t o ca tch a s t he y j umped do wn t he nea r - ve r t ical r oc k f a c es a bove t he sea a nd r e t r ea t ed int o t he cr evices . No moun t a in goa t e ve r s howed s uch a gi l ity . The wa t er fall wa s onl y a shor t jaun t a wa y . I c onsi der it v er y s pecial , as t he r e i s no vis i ble out f l ow . The tumbl ing ca s cade hits the beac h r ocks a nd di sappe a r s , per co lating do wn through the beac h , ent ering the sea fr om under gr ound . Da vi rt a n r! I cl i mbed par t way up t he sli ppe r y r oc k s around the fall , a n d her e I f ound s ome fairly unus ua l pl a nt s . A f ew i ndivi dual s of tbe But t erwort, Pinguicula vulgaris wer e on t he moist ledges . Thi s i s one of New f oundlan d ' s carni vo r ous pla nt s . I t s pur pl e- blue fl owe r s had not y e t a ppea r ed . St arry Fa l se Soloma n ' s Sea l , ~ ~ Var . ~, a nd Stre nt o nu6 a mpl e xi folius t he Twi s t ed S t a l k , wer e a l so pr esent on the ledge s . Nei ther wa s ye t in bloom .
I r e c ommend thi s plac e f or a pl easant day t r i p . Ha ve fun; we thr ee di d !
Robi n Da y
Editor' s No t e : I s ho uld s tr ess t ha t whi l e t he l a dde r men t i oned a bove by Robin i s ner ha ps quit e safe , it i s not f or the f aint- hearted or t he young:-rn-p!a c es , t he l a dde r (7ihic h swa ys a nd s hake r>: r e ad i l y ) i s s e veral fe et from t he cliff . I t al s o bas var i ous t wis t s a nd s lan t s t o it . The leng t h o f t he ladder its e lf 1 s
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:,er haps 25 cetr es , and it ends on <l. ver y s t ee:- r oc!:!'all of about the sar:lld 11:1en51.on . The magni f i cent vi ews affor ded f r om t he rin .. o f t he cove ( th er e a r e s l':la ll tra i ls leading i n va r ious r:: irec t i ons) ,. l'Iil1 . r ooably suffice for cos t .
?or t hose 'Nhc 111te t he St iles Cove u r ea , t here i s "not he r \,!,~y in t o the rim o f Stiles Cove . It brings you out to the o~~ osite s i de o f t he cove a nd pr ovi fles o t he r visual del i gh t s . I t 1s a sli ghtl y har de r ':;a l lt bec aus e t he tra i l is =,artly gro wn in , and shoul d only be t ri ed by those with a ve r y good sense oi dir ection , a COll1pass ( it's a ve r y easy place t o lose your ',vay ) an d rubber boot.s . T~e t r a i l starts fr oe t he r oad to the Fla trock Recreation CO!:lplex (j ust past t h e nort hernmost exit of 71atroc~ to t h '3 c.ain hi gb';l<lY) . There is a lar ge turn in t he Compl ex roa:i j ust befor e the picnic a r ea that precede s the ba ll fie l d . Look for a long narr ow meadow with two wrecked car s at the end (oh yes , the r oute de scribed by Robin has wr eck s too ! ) . The tra i t s t a r ts immedia t ely infront (north ) of one o f the wrecks , al ong an old fence - line. Keen eyes wil l de tect evidenc e of a n old cart-track (ruts) . The trail is overgrown , but k ee p the r uts in mind and don I t make turns a cart wouldn I t make. After a bout 2.0 minutes (walking tas t ) you should come to a br ook full of i r is that cuts acr oss the t r ail. Follow the path along the brook t o the left for a short distance and you should c ome out a bove Stiles Cove. I Will stress again t he danger of losing your wayan t his trail . At tricky s pots , mar k your path (ecologically , of course ) to help you find your way back . From the south rim of Sti les
~~~~~ ~~~C;i~;d)~e B!~~W:a~~~f:iii ::: !b:h:~~~~g (~~~k o~b=~i~~c e e bore a cart- road t o the beacb . The road timbers a r e a lmost a l l gone DOW, but Witb great care, a good s a fety r ope, a nd a bud dy or two, it would Dot be too difficult to gain access to the beacb by this route on a dry day .
The c oast southeast at Cape St . Francis is rugged a nrl beautiful . For those Willing to use a certain amount at ener gy and care, it ca n provide many satistying treks and hikes . Good luck .
Annua l Flo wer Show
Aga in this year , tbe Society wa s re presented a t tbe a nn ua l tlower show of the Newfoundland Horticultural SOCiety . We pr esented a display on t he theme, The Forest Fl oor. The dis pl ay inclurleri woodla nd berrie s , mosses , mushrooms, insect s , a nd even a specime n o f a s hrew for real ism .
Thanks t o Mi k e Thomey , John Horwood I El l ie and Dennie Cohen , anoi Robin Day f or helping Char lie Horwood with col lecting ?l a nt specime ns . John Brids OD c ol l ected insect s , an d St a n Susca vage contributed the s hr ew . Fet e r Scot t a nd J ohn Bridson helped wi th narning spec ioens . .. ;·11 • .::e Thocey and Don Barton .. el:,ed Char l i e c l ea r u; after . _
... 11 in i:a it eared t o be a grea t s ucc e ss .
