Life on the Rocks: Manitoulin Geology and Flowering Plants Manitoulin Nature Club, June 5, 2009 Dr. Andy Fyon Ontario Geological Survey / Ontario Wildflower, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
1: Geology and You 2: Floristic Regions Ontario 3: Floristic Regions Manitoulin 4: Flowering Plants 5: Geology and Plants Outline Share a Story Early Saxifrage
Not an horticulturist. Not an expert on these rocks. Not an expert on alvar flora. Am a geologist. Wildflower hobby. Prefer not to discuss medicinal or culinary uses of plants Don't have all the answers. Lots of questions try together.
Geology and Plants Different Habitats Landforms Geological Processes Face of Earth Affects our lives Plant, animal, and human communities Plant Communities
The Sponsor: Ontario Geological Survey Groundwater Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Geology and You! Ornamental + Horticultural Limestone Adjust soil ph
Environment, biodiversity, habitat, landforms, health Resource development, investment attraction (mineral, energy, groundwater) Geology Land use Planning Geological Hazards Engineering Infrastructure Global warming
Part 2 Floristic Regions of Ontario and Manitoulin Island
Arctic Tundra Hudson's Bay Taiga - Lowlands Boreal Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Prairie Deciduous Ontario Forest Regions Newmaster et al. 1997
Manitoulin Canadian Floristic Regions Arctic Alpine Prairie Boreal Northern Mixed Forest Great Lake St Lawrence Deciduous Forest Maritime Atlantic Plains Species from 8 of 9 Canadian floristic regions Why??? Geological history?
Misery Bay Alvar Manitoulin Gold How Does Geology Affect Plant Communities on Manitoulin?
Part 3 Some Floristic Habitats on Manitoulin Island
Open Shore Alvar Globally rare. Shallow soil. Flooding. Drought. Fire. Nutrient-poor. No soil. Misery Bay Alvar
Carter Bay sand dunes Sand Dunes
Open Alvar Pavement Open Flat limestone or dolomite. Belanger Bay alvar
Alvar Shrubland Shallow soil. Limestone - dolomite substrate. Shrub cover. Few trees. Gore Bay airport
Bur Oak Alvar Prairie Shallow soil. Limestone / dolomite. Tree cover. Patches of exposed bedrock. Gore Bay airport area alvar Bur oak, juniper, grassland.
Deciduous or Mixed Forest West Bay Trillium
Fen Nutrient poor Misery Bay fen
Part 4 Habitats Plant Association
Alvar Grassland - Early Buttercup Early. Diagnostic of alvar. Calciphile. Prairie. Barrie Island, Manitoulin
Open Alvar - Lakeside Daisy / Manitoulin Gold Rubbery leaves store water. Manitoulin - Bruce = 95% of global range. Endemic. Rare (COSEWIC - Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). Misery Bay Dolomite alvar.
Open Alvar Pavement False Pennyroyal Annual. Mint family. Calciphile. Diagnostic of alvar. Murphy Point, Manitoulin
Alvar diagnostic. Crushed bulbs used to treat insect bites and stings. Alpine, Prairies, Boreal. Open Alvar Pavement Wild Chives Misery Bay alvar
Alvar Grassland Seneca Snakeroot Typical of alvar - Calciphile. Prairie alvar grassland. Belanger Bay alvar
Alvar Early Saxifrage Rock Breaker Early. Hairy stem: warmth and defense (protect nectar from ants). Calciphile. Alpine - arctic.
Open Alvar Rock Sandwort Typical of alvar Calciphile. Needle leaves. Arctic, boreal. Misery Bay
Manitoulin Alvar Grassland Cylindric Blazing Star Feathery flower heads = common name gayfeather. Cylindracea refers to cylinder-shaped flower heads. Prairie. Murphy Point
Alvar Grassland Prairie Smoke Gore Bay airport area Name = seed head in wind. Ontario: alvar restricted Uncommon Ontario. Rare species (COSEWIC - Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). Prairie.
Open Alvar - Field Chickweed Common. Alpine, subalpine, prairie. Mississagi Lighthouse
Yellow Lady's Slipper Calciphile: alvar / calcareous soil Large Yellow Lady's Slipper. Small Yellow Lady's Slipper.
Ram's Head Orchid (Cypripedium arietinum) Ice Lake area Scientific name = of a ram (arietinum) Smallest of Lady's Slippers. Dune back, forest edge, open alvar. Provincially significant. Matures 10 years after germination may live 20 years. Needs soil fungi to grow.
Alvar Calciphile - Wild Paintbrush Semi-parasitic. Flowers vs bracts. Alpine, Prairies. Gore Bay Hwy 540 area
Open Alvar - Fringed Gentian Damp, sunny, calcareous alvars. Boreal, Great Lakes St Lawrence, maritime. Murphy Point
Open Alvar Pavement - Shrubby Cinquefoil Landscape. Diagnostic of alvar. Alpine, arctic, boreal, prairie.
Open Alvar Creeping Juniper Harsh dry areas, rocky or sandy slopes, hillsides, dry open woods. Calciphile. Alpine, arctic, boreal. Burnt Island Harbour alvar
Shrub Alvar Fragrant Sumac Skin rash possible - close relative of poison ivy. Calciphile. Boreal, Great Lakes St Lawrence, maritime, Northern deciduous forest.
Alvar Calciphile Hawthorn Haw eaters: Ontarians born and raised on Manitoulin Island. Hawberries: dark-red fruit of hawthorn. One of the oldest berry names in English: ~ A.D. 1000.
Sand Dune - Beach Pea Roots bind sand. Root bacteria nodules take atmospheric nitrogen and fix into soil. Maritime - sand dunes around Atlantic coast. Carter s Bay
Sand Dune Sea Rocket Annual. Sandy beaches above the high tide line. Maritime Species. Carter s Bay
Wet Calcareous Lands Inter-dune area. Trail at Carter s Bay
Wet Calcareous Lands Birds-eye Primrose Moist limestone or calcareous soil and seepage. Prairie and Boreal.
Wet Calcareous Lands Sticky False-Asphodel Open wetland underlain by limestone. Calciphile. Boreal. Mississagi Lighthouse
Wet Calcareous Lands Grass-of-Parnassus Moist calcareous seepage or alvar - calciphile. Boreal, Arctic, alpine.
Nutrient-poor Misery Bay Fen
Carnivorous Plant - Pitcher Plant
Carnivorous Plant - Pitcher Plant Leaf soup Hairs Insects Nutrients
Manitoulin Deciduous Forest Large-flowered Trillium Community. Dies if picked. 5 to 7 years seed to bloom. Myrmecochorous - seed dispersal by ants.
Plants of Floristic Zones on Manitoulin Island Alpine-arctic, boreal Western Prairie Great Lake St Lawrence, Northern Deciduous Forest Maritime Endemic Calciphiles Why? - Geological history?
Part 5 Link between Plants and Geological History
Manitoulin Geology Manitoulin Island Edge of Precambrian Shield (>2 Billion years old) Covered by younger rocks (~ 450-350 Million years old) Coniglio et al (2006)
Manitoulin Island and Area Geology Coniglio et al (2006)
La Cloche Mountains Precambrian Quartzite Bay of Islands
Crinoid & Brachiopod Fossils Goat Island - Ordovician Limestone Goat Island
Coral Fossils Silurian Dolomite Misery Bay West
Manitoulin Island Alvar Tropical Sea Manitoulin limestone rocks: bottom of tropical ocean 450 370 million years ago.
Ontario Alvars 450-370 Million Years Ago Misery Bay Precambrian Shield: >2 Billion years old Limestone alvar: <0.4 Billion year old
Alvar Landscape Geology - Glaciation Wisconsin glaciation 65,000 years ago.
18,000 years ago
13,000 years ago Harsh cold climate around melting glacier.
8,000 years ago Harsh cold climate around melting glacier. Alpine, arctic, boreal, prairie, southern, endemics coexist along icefront as the glacier melted.
Migration of northern + western species. Alpine, arctic, boreal, prairie, southern, endemics coexist along ice-front as the glacier melted. Migration of southern species
Plant Communities Result of Geological History Geologic history 450 million years 5,000 Years: Alvar: Rock / soil chemistry. Calciphile plants. Plant migration cross-roads following glaciation. 8 of 9 floristic regions. Great Lakes (climate), soil, topography
Geology and Plants Different Habitats Landforms Geological Processes Face of Earth Affects our lives Plant, animal, and human communities Plant Communities
Dr. Andy Fyon (Geology Hat) Director, Ontario Geological Survey www.ontariogeologicalsurvey.ca or (Wildflower Hat) www.ontariowildflower.com E-mail: andy.fyon@ontario.ca andy@ontariowildflower.com