Minesing Wetlands
| Minesing Wetlands | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial view of Minesing Wetlands, August 2013; Angus, Ontario at bottom center, Barrie at right | |
| Nearest city | Barrie |
| Area | 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) |
| Designated: | 31 October 1996 |
Minesing Wetlands, previously known as Minesing Swamp, is a Ramsar boreal wetland in central Ontario, Canada, identified and classified through the International Biological Program. It is "the largest and best example of fen bog in southern Ontario",[1] one of the "most diverse undisturbed wetland tracts in Canada" [2] and is a provincially-significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest.[3] "The swamp’s hydrology provides for an interconnected network of swamps, fens, bogs and marshes".[4] The term minesing is of Ojibwe origin and means "island", referring to an island located within Lake Edenvale, which encompassed the present-day wetlands and surrounding areas.[5]
Approximately 39 square kilometres (15 sq mi) of the 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) is owned or managed by the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.[5] The remainder is owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Simcoe County, and private landowners. It straddles the three townships of Clearview Essa and Springwater.[5]
It provides habitat to over 400 plant species, of which 11 are provincially rare.[2] Minesing Wetlands is an important staging area for thousands of migratory waterfowl,[4] and is the largest wintering ground for white-tailed deer.[4] It supports numerous plant species which are at the extremities of their natural range, including those indigenous to the arctic tundra in the north and the Carolinian forests to the south, and is home to the "largest pure stand of silver maple in the province".[4] Provincially-rare birds indigenous to the swamp include the Blue-winged Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler and the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.[6]
Minesing Wetlands is a popular recreation area which draws many tourists. Canoeing is a common activity in the area, though inexperienced canoeists should be wary of spring flooding.
Research
A number of research projects are conducted throughout Minesing Wetlands. An analysis of the hydrology of wetland systems in the swamp began in the mid-1990s, with primary goals to "characterize the water balance of a selected plot within the fen" and to examine "the correlations between vegetation and hydrology"[7]
References
- ↑ "Natural Areas Report: MINESING SWAMP (IBP)". Ministry of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Natural Areas Report: MINESING SWAMP (RAM)". Ministry of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ "Natural Areas Report: MINESING SWAMP (ANSI)". Ministry of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "The Annotated Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance - CANADA". Ramsar Convention Bureau. Archived from the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Robert L. Bowles, Jolene Laverty and David Featherstone (February 2007). "Minesing Wetlands Biological Inventory" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ↑ "Two New Canadian Sites Mark 25th Anniversary of the Ramsar Convention". Ramsar Convention Bureau. 1996-11-16. Archived from the original on 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ Bradford, Andrea. "MINESING SWAMP RESEARCH PROJECT". Retrieved 2007-08-03.