The Burnt Lands is an
alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...
between
Almonte and
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
near Upper Huntley,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It probably obtained its name from one of the forest fires that swept the area during early European settlement.
It is possible that fires assist in creating or maintaining alvars. However, the shallow soil, with alternating drought and flooding, is likely the main factor. The main point is that in a land that is typically covered in forest, alvars provide small area of open prairie-like conditions for plants that require such conditions.
This alvar is one of the best examples of this habitat type in Lanark County and in southern Ontario. It has been the subject of numerous scientific studies. Because of its significance, The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has designated ca of the alvar as an
Area of Natural and Scientific Interest
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open s ...
. A smaller parcel of several hundred hectares is protected within the Burnt Lands Provincial Park (Nature Reserve).
It is a popular destination with local naturalists, including bird-watchers and photographers.
Description
Some of the distinctive plants found here include
Cooper's milk vetch and
Ram's-Head Ladyslipper. There are 82 breeding bird species and 48 butterfly species. The alvar is thought to have existed in some form since the end of the last ice age, since it has globally rare snails (''
Vertigo hannai'') and even a kind of
carabid beetle found nowhere else in the world.
The
CFS Carp Almonte Detachment (Almonte Antennae Yard), a decommissioned military radio receiver, was located in the alvar.
Threats to the alvar include
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, subdivisions, quarries, illegal dumping of household trash and construction materials, illegal sand quarrying, and all-terrain vehicles.
There is also a problem with jack pine trees, once planted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, that are now shading out some of the rare plant species; some experts suggest that these trees need to be removed. A fire in 1999 removed some of the encroaching forest and produced open meadows, which, in 2008 had nearly twice the number of plant species as in adjoining unburned areas.
Burnt Lands Provincial Park
The alvar is protected within the Burnt Lands Provincial Park.
The park consists of two non-contiguous parcels of land, totaling of land.
It is a non-operating park without any visitor activities or facilities.
See also
*
Panmure Alvar - nearby similar alvar
References
External links
Ontario Parks official website
{{Ontario parks
Protected areas of Lanark County
Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest
Parks in Ottawa
Alvars (landform)