Photos from two Old Growth Forest stands
in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area
Page 1 (Red Spruce) | Page 2 (Red Oak)
| Click on an image to bring up the original image (2-4 MP). Then right click and save to your computer. Photos were taken by David Patriquin and may be copied and used under the conditions of a Creative Commons License. |
For a brief description of these stands, see http://versicolor.ca/forest/index.html Investigation of this site by David Patriquin (Professor of Biology, Dalhousie University, retired; co-chair of WRWEO) and Nick Hill (Fern Hill Institute for Plant Conservation) was suggested by Beth McGee of the Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust and Ralph Wheadon (retired forester). Some support for the initial visit was provided by the Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust. |
Old growth red oak forest illustrated in the photos below occurs in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness area on a drumlin known as Umlah Hill which lies between Oak Hill Lake and Big Five Bridge Lake. It lies approx. 1.5 km south of the Old St. Maraget's Bay Road.  Old Growth Oak forest. July 21, 2009.  Oak. July 21, 2009.  Yellow Birch. July 21, 2009.  Red Maple. July 21, 2009.  Snags go through Striped Maple understory. July 21, 2009.  Witch Hazel understory (below the Striped Maple). Sep. 5, 2011.  Witch Hazel understory. Sep. 5, 2011  Nest cavity. July 21, 2009.  Stump nursery. July 21, 2009.  Fallen dead. July 21, 2009.  Forest floor. Sep. 5, 2011.  Oak seedlings. Sep. 5, 2011.  Fir stand at western flank. July 21, 2009.  Boulder field on eastern flank. July 21, 2009.  Bog flora. July 21, 2009.  "Rhodora bushlands" Sep. 5, 2011. 
Wild raisin Sep. 5, 2011.  Oak forest south of Old St. Margaret's Bay Road; small dbh and stump sprouts suggest stand-replacing fire disturbance. Sep. 5, 2011. |
 Old Growth Oak forest Sep. 5, 2011.  Oak. July 21, 2009.  Yellow Birch. July 21, 2009.  Yellow Birch. July 21, 2009.  Occasional Red Spruce. July 21, 2009.  Striped Maple understory. July 21, 2009.  Old Oak snag. July 21, 2009.  Old Oak snag. July 21, 2009. Gap creation. July 21, 2009.  Fallen dead. July 21, 2009.  soil horizons (no charcoal pbserved). Sep 5, 2011.  Moose droppings. July 21, 2009.  View of the drumlin looking west from bog. July 21, 2009.  Black spruce at base of eastern side of Drumlin, approached from bog. July 21, 2009.  "Rhodora buslands" north of Umlah Hill. Sep 5, 2011.  "Rhodora buslands" north of Umlah Hill. Sep 5, 2011. 
Oak forest south of Old St. Margaret's Bay Road. Sep 5, 2011.
Charcoal remains are visible in sod from forest floor. Sep 5, 2011. Old St. Margaert's Bay Road. Sep 5, 2011. |