Atlantic Interior

About 10Km inland from the coast the rocks are old granites and metamorphics that tilt to the southeast, along which flow some of Nova Scotia’s longest rivers. South Mountain has a summit reaching 250M above sea level. The soil cover varies from forest to barren within the region. This area consists of eight unique districts within the Atlantic Interior region.

Southwest Schists

The bedrock in this region has many glacial landforms such as drumlins and esker ridges covering it. The forest is mainly composed of Hemlock, White Pine and Red Spruce. Hardwoods grow on the drumlins and softwoods in the swamp areas. This area provides wildlife habitat for wintering Bald Eagles, migratory Woodchuck, Snowshoe Hare, Bobcat, and the Acadian Whitefish.

Sissiboo Lowlands

These are low-lying, flat areas covered with a thick layer of soil, which sustains hardwood stands. Most of this area has been cleared for agriculture and White Spruce are recolonizing abandoned fields. Shorelines of lakes and streams include coastal plain plants and animals. Freshwater habitats have a relatively rich aquatic fauna with some coastal plain species of molluscs and arthropods.

South Mountain Slope

The rocks are overlain by thick glacial till made of slate which form good soils. The forest is mostly mixed hardwood,  most of which have been logged or cleared for agriculture. Along the coast thick deposits of outwashed gravel form a series of terraces, stretching from Joggins in the west to Cornwallis in the east. This is a result of rapid sea level rise during the melting of the ice caps. Sand and gravel washed down from South Mountain to form terraces, beach deposits and delta’s at sea level.

Annapolis Drumlins

These drumlins are found in four isolated areas in Annapolis County, all overlying South Mountain Granite. Drumlins do not usually form on granite, and these deposits contain large granite boulders and are very well drained. These drumlins provide very productive forest sites.

 

Granite Barrens

This district occurs only at Flintstone Creek, a part of the Tobeatic Protected Area. The Tobeatic is one of the largest remaining wild areas in Nova Scotia. Here granite bedrock is overlain with a thin layer of granite till. The surface is scattered with boulders. and drainage is poor with many streams connecting shallow lakes and bogs. Due to fires and logging which promotes the leaching of minerals from the soil, much of the vegetation is barren heath with some hardwoods. Softwoods grow in the swamps and bogs. Waters are brown and acidic with low productivity. Mammals include Black Bear, Beaver, Otter, and one of the largest Moose populations in Southwestern Nova Scotia. The Blandings Turtle, a threatened species, lives in this region along with the Southern Flying Squirrel and the rare Ribbon Snake. Northern Goshawk, Canada Warbler, Loons and the Pied Billed Grebe, all depend on this undisturbed wilderness habitat. This is also a sanctuary for threatened and endangered plants such as the Water Penny Wort, Golden Crest, Red Root and Long’s Bulrush.

Granite Uplands

Granite underlies about half of the Atlantic Interior. This resistant rock provides slightly higher terrain and generally waterlogged ground with an irregular pattern of drainage. South Mountain forms the main part of the granite uplands. Numerous erratic boulders and other glacial features cover the landscape. This unit has mixed forests with hardwood on hilltops and slopes and softwood in wet areas. Barrens are common. Aquatic habitat are acidic and therefore have low productivity, resulting in poor waterfowl habitat. Wildlife is sparse.

Triassic Lowlands

In this area, soft sandstone have been eroded to form an open-ended valley. The North and South Mountain provide shelter, which allows for the longest growing season in the province. The materials from parent rock and glacial deposits provide a mixture of soil types. Where the valley is open to the sea at its Eastern and Western ends, the inland climate is moderated by marine influence. Marine life is abundant and diverse in the mudflats and saltwater marshes, although much of the salt marsh has been converted to agricultural land through the construction of dykes.

Valley

The Annapolis Valley was carved out by rivers and deepened by glacial scouring. Evidence of the Ice Age is found in till, outwash deposits and raised beaches. The Annapolis and Cornwallis rivers both originate in Caribou Bog, and result in extensive salt marshes where they reach the sea. The soil is rich and well drained, and over the past 200 years the land has been extensively cleared for agriculture. Diverse vegetation and high land productivity provide varied habitats for birds and mammals. Waterfowl and shorebirds are abundant on the marshlands, especially during the spring and fall migrations. The Annapolis River and Annapolis Basin are important because they provide migration habitat for concentrations of waterfowl in the spring and fall, and a moderate number of ducks stay for the winter. At the head of St. Mary’s Bay shorebirds occur in high numbers in August.

Fundy Coast

The coastal zone along the Bay of Fundy is sheltered from the strong influence of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a climatic and vegetational transition zone dominated by basalt bedrock. Marine algae and nutrient rich waters support diverse and abundant marine animals.

The Bay of Fundy has the largest tidal range in the world (average of 12 m heights). The tidal change equals the daily discharge of all the world’s rivers – 100 cubic km of water. The high tides are due to two factors; first, the water in the bay has a natural rocking motion called a seiche, this combines with the ocean tide to create larger tides. Secondly, the bay becomes narrower and shallower towards its head, forcing the water up the shore.

Seaweed, such as Irish moss and Kelp, make up the plant life of the surrounding waters. In the sheltered bays, flowering plants are restricted to shallow water where sufficient light is available to perform photosynthesis (i.e. Eel Grass).  Worms, snails, clams, shrimp, starfish, sea urchins and many other animals are abundant in the shallow seas. Many take their food from the bottom mud and are prey for crab, lobsters, cod and flounder.

Seals are common around the coast basking in the sun on offshore rocks. Twenty species of whales have been identified, from land it is possible to see Harbour Porpoise, White-sided Dolphin, Pilot Whale, Fin Whale and Minke Whale. Other species such as Humpback and Right whales can be seen by boat at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy in the summer months where they gather to feed and nurse young.

Basalt Ridge

The ridge of basalt forming North Mountain has a steep south facing scarp and a gentler slope facing the sea. The ridge provides mostly forest habitats with a few lakes and wetlands. It supports a high population of deer, but few bear or bobcat. The ridge gives a funnelling effect to the movements of migratory birds, particularly hawks and owls, as they head towards Brier Island in the fall. The funnelling may also hold true for migratory bats, which must cross the Bay of Fundy or the Gulf of Maine en route to their wintering area. The exposed basalt along the shoreline provides good intertidal habitat with large tidepools. Shells of subtidal molluscs and crustaceans are found near wharves where lobster traps have been emptied.

Atlantic Coast

Exposure to the winds from the Atlantic Ocean dominate the coastal environment of Digby Neck. The coastal forest is found throughout and its inland extension marks the regional boundary. Headlands are commonly barren with almost every major rock type being found in this region, Soils are often dominated by hardpans resulting from high rainfall. Coastal areas with drumlins are being rapidly reshaped by erosion, forming beaches and marshes.

The Atlantic Coast provides some important colonies of Leach’s Storm Petrel, Great Cormorants, Double-Crested Cormorant, Black-legged Kittiwake, Common Tern, Arctic Tern and Atlantic Puffin.

Basalt Peninsula

A westerly extension of North Mountain basalt ridge. Soils are well drained, with large areas of peat on Brier Island. The forest is dominantly coniferous. Sphagnum and sedge bogs on Brier Island and Digby neck contain rare coastal plain flora such as Mountain Aven, and curly grass fern. Brier Island is also an important stopover area for the gathering of birds, insects, and bats during their migrations. Nutrients that come with upwelling of deep water result in high plankton productivity which, in turn, attracts sea birds and whales to this part of the coast.

Cliffs and Beaches

St. Mary’s Bay is a series of alternating cliffs, sand beaches backed by dunes, and muddy bays with saltwater marshes and Eel Grass beds. The soils are mostly poorly drained with many bogs. Most of the forests have been cleared for agriculture or development. Migratory Waterfowl are abundant in spring and fall and the south shore of the bay is considered regionally important because large numbers of Common Eider overwinter there. Waterfowl are also present in moderate numbers in early spring and fall.

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