The
37 protected sites of Saint-Laurent Vision 2000:
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| Conservation
of 7000 hectares |
Mont-Saint-Pierre
Ecological Reserve (project)
| This
new protected site is located on the western slope of Mont
Saint-Pierre, in the Gaspé municipality bearing the same
name. It features plateaus, cliffs, scree, streams
and forest zones. |
Scree of Mont Saint-Pierre.
Photo: Pierre Morisset
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Already publicly owned, most of the site
will eventually be in the hands of the Quebec Department
of the Environment and Wildlife. A few privately owned lots
were acquired by a non-governmental organization, the Société
de conservation des milieux humides du Québec, and will later
officially be transferred to the Quebec Department. The entire
601.09-hectare area will soon be designated as an ecological
reserve.
The Mont-Saint-Pierre site is characterized by its steep and
fragile cliffs which were shaped by complex and varied geomorphological
processes. The vegetation that typifies the site is closely
linked to its geomorphological history. Rockfalls, avalanches,
and rock, debris and mudflows are just a few of the phenomena
that have formed the landscape and determined the succession
of plant communities. Forests blanket the lower slopes. The
dominant tree species, balsam fir, has various associated species
depending on the location: white spruce, black spruce, white
birch, balsam poplar, yellow birch and red maple. In areas of
more intense geomorphological activity, the vegetation cover
is less continuous since it is broken up by boulder fields (rock
deposits). Eastern white cedar are often found at the upper
edge of the forest, which forms a continuous band at the base
of the boulder field. Beyond the forest there is a zone of rock
that is usually treeless but sometimes supports sparse, stunted
shrubs and a few herbaceous plant species.
Astragalus australis,
a rare plant species. Photo: Pierre Morisset |
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The
Mont Saint-Pierre region is renowned for its rare vascular
plants, and this protected site has its fair share of them.
These include three populations of Astragalus australis
var. glabriscula, a species likely to be listed as
threatened or vulnerable, including the largest population
recorded in Quebec. Among the rare plants that grow on the
Gaspé cliffs, this species is unique in that it colonizes
only scree. Unlike other species whose roots grow
into bedrock crevices, it roots in rocks. |
In view of the substantial visitor and tourist
traffic in the Mont Saint-Pierre region and the development
planned for the sector, it was absolutely essential to adopt
measures for the long-term protection of this ecologically exceptional
spot.
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