IN THE LAND OF TUCKAMOOR
The numberless waterfalls and cascades will cause surprise to those who ...
believe Newfoundland to be a flat land of bogs and rocks.... People have not the
slightest idea of what wonderful scenery is hidden away ... only waiting to be
discovered.
A.A. Radclyffe Dugmore, 1913 British Author and Sportsman
THE LAND:
Driving up the coast from the ferry terminal at Port Aux Basques, at the southern extremity of this natural region, the highway is squeezed between the clear green waters and white sand beaches of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the looming, blue-shadowed Long Range Mountains. Spectacular fiords slash inland. The Long Range Mountains form the backbone of this region, sloping gently toward the Atlantic to the east, and dropping precipitously toward the west into the Gulf.
VEGETATION:
In the southern portion of the region, forests of balsam fir, with some black spruce and white spruce, are dominant. The trees are shrouded with lichens, giving the forest a frosted appearance. Beneath the trees a thick carpet of feather moss envelops fallen trees and rocks. In lowland areas, such as around Grand Lake (Newfoundland's largest lake), trees grow to a fair size, and the timber obtained is of excellent quality. Mountain maples are abundant here, with white birch growing on burned-over sites. On exposed ridges, tuckamoor - tangled twisted thickets of stunted spruce and fir - form an impenetrable barrier. Extensive bogs and fens occur in low-lying areas. The northern part of the region is a transition from boreal forest to forest-tundra. Much of the land is covered by lichen-encrusted exposed rock. Fire has reduced much of the forest cover to scrublands dominated by alder, dwarf birch and Labrador tea.
Great numbers of caribou thrive in this region. Caribou trails crisscross the high ridges
and upland areas and provide erratic pathways through the tuckamoor. The extensive
patches of lichens (caribou moss) provide important feeding areas, and the high rolling
plateaux of the Long Range Mountains are nurseries where the caribou bear their
young.
"Owing to the nutritive qualities of its super-excellent caribou moss, the deer [caribou] grow to a great size and in some respects throw out finer horns than any other form of the reindeer in existence.... Big bucks sometimes weigh as much as 500 pounds."
J.G. Millais, British sportsman and naturalist, 1900.
Introduced to Newfoundland in 1878 and subsequently in 1904, moose are abundant. Marten and wolves have been extirpated from the region, but martin have been reintroduced in Gros Morne National Park. The coastal strip lies along the Atlantic Flyway and provides important stopover sites for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as feeding areas for seabirds.
STATUS OF NATIONAL PARKS:
This region is represented by Gros Morne National Park (1805 km2). The Long Range Mountains, rising abruptly from the narrow coastal plain, dominate the park. The coastal plain is characterized by large raised bogs dotted with pitcher plants. The shoreline is extremely picturesque, varying from rocky headlands to broad sand beaches. Atop the Long Range Mountains is a vast alpine plateau of tundra, bogs and "tuckamoor".
The park is internationally acclaimed for its unique geological features. In addition to boasting over 30 fossil sites, this is one of the few places on the globe where rocks from deep within the earth are exposed. The entire southwestern portion of the park contains rocks from the earth's mantle (the layer surrounding the earth's molten core) and from the oceanic crust (the layer above the mantle). Much of the oceanic crustal material has eroded to expose the serpentine tableland, an unusual area of dark green rock which, because of its high magnesium content, stymies plant growth, creating a moonscape devoid of life. The geology of the park contributes greatly to the scientific community's knowledge and understanding of monumental earth-building and modifying forces called plate tectonics.
A 1973 federal-provincial agreement, amended in 1983, with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador provides for the establishment of the park. Gros Morne has been named to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its outstanding example of major stages in the earth's evolutionary history, and its exceptional natural beauty.