| Description: |
3W4; 130 meter high basalt sill mesa, with well developed cliff and talus slope features; diverse representative upland forest, thicket and barrens vegetation (12 communities); northern flora, with diverse moss communities; general low to medium cutting disturbance; OMNR-NC. [Falls et al. 1990]
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| Vegetation: |
Vegetation Summary:
3C2-: Barbetieto - Bryeto - Cladonietum; I2; pebbles of red shale, little or no soil present; 1.2 ha.
1A21: Populeto - Fraxineto - Abietum; F5/F4; podzol with some areas of gleging; 5.7 ha.
1B22a: Alneto - Equisetetum; P2; silty, waterlogged soil; 2.4 ha.
1M22: Carecetum; P2/O; waterlogged silty mud and sedge peat; 2 ha.
1A17a: Thujeto - Picetum; F5; peaty podzol; 3.2 ha.
1A17a: Thujeto - Abieto - Pleurozietum; I2/F3; thin humus and clay loam on shale talus; 6.5 ha.
2H2-: Cladonietum; I2/F3; shale talus slope with pockets of thin humus; 2.4 ha.
1J2-: Betuleto - Polypodieto - Thuidietum; I2/F3; thin humus and clay loam on shale talus; 3.2 ha.
1A17a/1A21: Thujeto - Betuleto - Thuidietum; I2/F3/F5; humus or clay loam on stabilized talus; 9.7 ha.
2H1-: Bartramieto - Hylodomietum; I2/F3; very thin humus on ledges of shale cliffs; 0.8 ha.
3C1-: Umbilicarieto - Pogonatetum; I2; basaltic cliff, negligible soil or humus; 0.8 ha.
1A17a: Picea glauceto - Pleurozietum; F5; peaty podzolic soil; 26 ha. [Garton et al. 1972]
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| Landform: |
Landscape description: North facing bluff rising from shore of small lake; lower slopes of red shale and capped by basaltic rock; top of plateau moderately undulating and gently dissected; cliff face sharply dissected and slopes covered by boulders.
Major soils: Regosols, Podzols, Luvisols, Gleysols, Brunisols.
Aquatic habitats: Permanent swamps; permanent and intermittent streams; borders on Albert Lake.
Special physical features: Talus slopes, red shale cliffs, basaltic cliffs, incised ravines, plateau. [Garton et al. 1972]
The mesa or cuesta is of basaltic rock so prevalent on the North shore of Lake Superior underlain by older sedimentary rocks, here a red shale. It rises to a height of 1625 feet, 450 feet above the level of the adjacent - Albert Lake. There are actually two talus slopes one above the other separated by a narrow treed zone with birch/aspen/cedar. The upper slope boulders are basaltic originating from the vertical basaltic cliffs above. The lower slope has sedimentary boulders and fragments and terminates in a closed forest strip just above the lake. [Garton et al. 1972]
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| Representation: |
Special biological features: Fine, mature stand of white spruce relatively undisturbed with well developed epiphytic community; tremendous diversity of bryophytes on shale cliffs; representative associations of spruce - cedar forest and birch - cedar forest on stable talus slopes. [Garton et al. 1972]
It is highly recommended as a site typical of this ecological type. [Garton et al. 1972]
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| Management Agency: |
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