in the spotlight.....

Terence Bay Wilderness Area
About the Site: Visit www.gov.ns.ca/enla/pareas for more information.
Caution:
Natural Features: The coastline of the wilderness area is tucked back between two headlands and sheltered by several islands and is consequently not as bold as the exposed headlands. Here the coastal white spruce forest reaches down to a thin shoreline of rough sandy gravel and boulders. The land behind the shore rises steeply and occasionally outcrops of these low cliffs cut across the shoreline. On the top, a fringe of coastal forest blends with the barrens, bog and outcrops typical of this landscape. Further inland, the forest gives way to large, bouldery lakes and to a mix of spruces, fir, maple, birch, and some white pine.
Getting There: There is no official access to the wilderness area.
More Info: Photo Credit: Nova Department of Environment and Labour - Terence Bay Wilderness Area.
Did You Know?: For a few kilometres inland, the ocean has a big impact on the climate and the landscape. In this zone, winters are milder, and summers are cooler than further inland. Humidity is high and winds are almost constant. This combination limits the types of trees, which in turn influences soil, which in turn influences the trees and so on. White spruce is the common coastal species and, like all conifers, it drops needles. These are slowly digested by micro-organisms that create an acidic environment that earthworms don't like. Their job is to mix the layer of organic matter with the mineral soil beneath. If the worms are not doing their job, the soil lack nutrients. At the coast, the high humidity compounds the problem by leaching what nutrients there are in the thin soils. As you move further away from the coast, where it is less humid, deciduous trees contribute leaf litter to the soil mix which has more nutrients and can support a greater diversity of plants.