What is Habitat?

Habitat is more than just the place where something lives.  A habitat can be home to many different animals and plants and includes all of the things that these plants and animals need to live; the food animals eat, the homes in which they live, the soil in which plants grow, etc . 

Each plant or animal belongs to a species, which describe a group of plants or animals.  Examples of species are ferns, maple trees, squirrels or bears.  Without proper habitat, plant and animal species can suffer and may become endangered. 

Endangered species are those that are at risk of extinction in a part (disappearing from a certain place) or all of their range (disappearing entirely).  Some habitats can only be found in a few places and cannot be recreated by humans.  Loss of these rare habitats means the plants and animals that depend upon them are at increased risk of disappearing.

Each species interacts with other species in order to survive; i.e. other species might provide food, pollination, seed dispersal, places to live, etc.  Different species are interconnected.  This is called biodiversity.

What Kinds of Habitats Exist on the Niagara Escarpment?

There are many distinct and interesting habitats along the Niagara Escarpment that are home to a wide variety of species.  There are over 300 species of birds, 53 types of mammals, 36 species of reptiles and amphibians and

90 types of fish in the Niagara Escarpment region.  That is a lot of diversity!

The natural areas of the Niagara Escarpment contain important plants and animal habitats and geological features.  Hiking through these areas, it is not hard to see that they are some of the most beautiful areas, as well.

What Species Exist Along the Niagara Escarpment

There is a variety of species along the Escarpment.  Among these species there are many that are threatened and endangered species which sows the importance of the Escarpment's environmental integrity.  Among these are the Jefferson Salamander, Acadian Flycatcher,  Hooded Warbler and Spotted Turtle, all of which are classified as endangered or threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

There are also unusual plants such as the Walking Fern which spreads by sending out runners, making it appear to be striding across  the ground. Though they may look like saplings, gnarled trees,  sometimes over 1,000 years old, can be found clinging to the rock on cliffs. The harsh conditions of living on a cliff face has restricted their growth.

Wetlands

Wetlands are habitats where water saturates the soil long enough that only plants that can tolerate, and those that love to grow in, wet soil can survive.

Wetlands are important because they:

• provide habitat for a wide variety of species
• maintain and improve water quality
• help control flooding and erosion
• provide living environment for early growth stages of some species of insects and fish
• help ensure groundwater recharge and discharge areas

Meadows

Although they may look like open fields, meadows provide important winter habitat for some wildlife and breeding habitat for numerous grassland and early-successional bird species.

Successional Forests

A successional forest is a very young forest characterized by a dense growth of shrubs and saplings.  There is very little canopy cover as the trees have not reached maturity. The plant life within an early successional forest differs from that of older forests, and it provides distinctly different wildlife habitats.

Plantations

Plantations are sometimes planted to reforest an area quickly.  What those forests lack is biodiversity.  There is not enough variety in plant life, and therefore wildlife, to create a balanced ecosystem.  These areas can benefit from a helping hand, by thinning some coniferous trees and planting deciduous trees in their place, to help increase biodiversity.

Old Growth Forests

Although old growth forests are rare, some pockets still survive along the Niagara Escarpment. Old-growth forests contain trees of all ages and sizes. The diversity of these ecosystems includes more tree and shrub species than younger forests and provides habitat for many more varieties of plant and wildlife.  Sugar maple, beech, and hemlock dominate the mature forests of the northern sections of the Niagara Escarpment.   In the southern-most areas of the Niagara Escarpment, old-growth forests contain fewer conifers and more hardwoods. These forests contain some tree species which are more common in southern climates and are rare in Ontario, including American chestnut and cucumber-tree, both of which are endangered species.

Canopy Trees

These are usually tall pines which poke through the canopy, providing landmarks.  These trees provide nesting sites and resting places for birds, as well as refuges for bear cubs escaping predators.

A little lower in the canopy are other mature trees which provide shade for the layers of plant life below.

Undergrowth

Understorey trees are smaller trees that grow beneath the canopy. The growth of the understorey trees may be slowed by the lack of sunlight.  Shrubs and saplings also grow in the shade of the mature canopy trees and in gap areas.

Ground Cover

Mosses, fungi, bacteria, flowers, ferns, shrubs and tree seedlings on the forest floor create another living environment.

Decaying Wood and Organic Litter

As trees fall and decay, it creates habitat for fungi, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and bacteria. This decay returns nutrients to the forest soil and creates the fertile, moist conditions that some species need to grow.

Soil continues to be enriched when leaves, dead wood and small branches decompose on the ground which also provides habitat for many life forms. Moisture is retained in this layer and stored for drier conditions.

Pits and Mounds

Pits and mounds are the areas that occur when trees are uprooted. Pits are formed when roots and clinging soil are pulled from the ground creating drier conditions. The mounds form as the roots decay keeping the area moist. Both pits and mounds provide diversity and create both drier and wetter habitats. Pits and mounds help create a rugged appearance across the forest floor.

Cavity Trees and Snags

Cavity trees can be both living or dead trees where holes exist for mammals and birds use for nests or dens, food and protection. Cavities can occur where branches break off and openings are created.  Tree cavities can be enlarged by some wildlife, such as woodpeckers to create better habitat.

Snags are standing dead trees. Although they may look like hazardous trees to some, they provide important habitat to many species.

Why The Bruce Trail Protects Habitat

It's important to protect the escarpment natural areas to:

• preserve the natural escarpment features, stream valleys, wetlands, and related significant natural areas;
• protect the landscape quality of escarpment features.
• promote compatible recreation and conservation activities