The forest ecosystem that the Manigotagan River passes through is called the Boreal Forest. This ecosystem is characterized by a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees, but consists of a large number of species. In Canada, its extent is similar to that of the Canadian Shield, an area dominated by undulating rock outcrops. The following provides a brief overview on the following issues:
Flora
Fauna
Environmental and Economic Relevance
Forest Fires
How to Prevent Forest Fires
Flora
The Boreal Forest has a very rich biodiversity and you will be able to see a variety of different composition of the plant communities. Black spruce thrive in lowland bogs and fens, while jackpine, poplar and white spruce occupy the uplands of the boreal forest(1). Areas that were burned are in a stage of succession. You can estimate from the species composition how long ago an area was burned. Fireweed is one of the first pioneer plants, followed by raspberries and juniper berries. Poplars are one of the first tree species to grow, followed by pines and then spruce.The areas upstream along the Manigotagan have not been burned in a long time and the river is lined with mature forest stands. You will see sheer rock faces topped with Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) and Rock Tripe lichen (Umbilicaria sp.)(2). In the lowerarea, closer to the end of the canoe route, the scenery is dominated by Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)(2). If you look carefully, you may even find Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia fragilis) or Canada Yew (Taxus canadensis, the only Yew found in Manitoba)(2).
Fauna
Some of the animals you might encounter are black bears, moose, beavers, wolves, woodland caribou, otters, turtles, pelicans, loons and many more species. Some of these may be dangerous to you (see section "Dangers and Annoyances" under Trip Planning - Things to Know) and you may be dangerous to them. Please be prepared and disturb the wildlife as little as possible (tip: pack a good pair of binoculars and a good zoom lens).Environmental and Economic Relevance
Boreal Forests (called "Taiga" in Northern Europe) create a belt around the Earth in the Northern Hemisphere and are of great importance to the Earth's climate as a carbon sink (the trees extract carbon from the air and release oxygen). The Boreal Forest is also of great economic interest for its timber resources. Fortunately, the boreal forest within 750m on either side of the Manigotagan River are now protected from logging through the creation of the Manigotagan River Park.Forest Fires
Besides logging, the greatest threat to this unique ecosystem stems from human caused fires. While natural fires are necessary for this dynamic ecosystem (e.g., Black Spruce cones open only in high temperatures to release their seeds and moose feed on the species found in forest re-growth areas), human caused fires are detrimental and put everyone at risk, including communities and paddlers. In the Manigotagan watershed, the last large forest fire burned in 1999 and caused the evacuation of the community of Manigotagan. The community was spared largely due to the tremendous efforts of the fire fighting team. The number of natural caused forest fires in Manitoba is expected to increase due to climate change.Please do to take all necessary precautions to prevent human caused forest fires.
How to Prevent Forest Fires
Forest Fire Season is April to October, so you will usually be paddling during this time. The following gives some advice on how to prevent the creation of a forest fire and how to stay safe during forest fire season.
Before starting on your trip:
For your own safety, make sure you know the current forest fire situation
(outlining the general fire status in the province), the Fire
Situation Report (a numerical table outlining the number of fires,
their status and the personnel and equipment being used to battle the
fires), weather forecast, and fire
hazard map.
- avoid building fires on days of low humidity and high temperature
- build fires in existing fire pits and away from trees and dry bushes
- never leave a fire unattended
- always make sure a fire is completely put out before leaving
- if you see a fire, report it: 1-800-782-0076
With thanks to Kim Monson, The University of Winnipeg.
References:
(1) Climate Change Connection 2002. Climate Change and Forests. http://www.climatechangeconnection.org (Accessed January 2007)(2) Manitoba Conservation. Protected Areas Initiative. Manigotagan River Provincial Park.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/pai/mb_network/manigotogan/index.html. (Accessed December 2006)
(3) Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs. Public Information. Forest Fires. (Accessed January 2007)
