The Oak Ridges Moraine lies in Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the headwaters of sixty-five rivers and streams. It has a wide diversity of woodlands, wetlands, watercourses, kettle lakes, kettle bogs, and significant flora and fauna. It is one of the few remaining continuous green corridors in southern Ontario: it remains thirty percent forested and is one of the last refuges for forest birds in all of southern Ontario.
The moraine provides habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species, over seventy of which are threatened or endangered in Canada, including the West Virginia white butterfly, Jefferson salamander, red-shouldered hawk, and American ginseng. The moraine's rare wetlands support plants and insects more typical of northern Ontario. The remnants of tallgrass prairie and oak-pine savanna in the eastern portion are globally threatened ecosystems.
Happy Valley Forests
editHappy Valley Forests is a 648-hectare upland forest with wooded swamps and minor wetland areas. It supports a diverse wildlife population, including over 100 species of birds, some of which are endangered or threatened in Canada. The forests are characterized by the dominant sugar maple in most areas, and red maple on its eastern edges. It is a provincial ANSI Life Science ecological zone.
Provincially significant ecological areas
editA number of provincially significant ecological areas are located in the Oak Ridges Moraine, among them forty-eight wetlands, and twenty-eight earth and life science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI-ES and ANSI-LS).
The table below lists the ecological zones by municipal jurisdiction; for zones that overlap multiple jurisdictions, the zone is listed in the jurisdiction which contains the greatest portion of that zone. Moreover, some of the zones listed may only have some portion of their complex on the Oak Ridges Moraine; for example, a small southern component of the Ansnorveldt Wetland Complex lies on the northern edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Caledon | |||
Little Credit River Wetland Complex | 43°49′N 79°54′W / 43.817°N 79.900°W | 270.6 | Wetland |
Credit Forks Wetland | 43°49′N 79°58′W / 43.817°N 79.967°W | 29.4 | Wetland |
Gibson Lake Wetland | 43°57′N 79°49′W / 43.950°N 79.817°W | 27.9 | Wetland |
Centreville Creek Wetland Complex | 43°54′N 79°50′W / 43.900°N 79.833°W | 12.5 | Wetland |
Bolton Wetland Complex | 44°14′N 80°15′W / 44.233°N 80.250°W | 5.7 | Wetland |
King Township | |||
Pottageville Swamp | 44°0′N 79°37′W / 44.000°N 79.617°W | 658.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Happy Valley Forests | 43°57′N 79°36′W / 43.950°N 79.600°W | 648.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Pottageville Southeast Upland | 43°58′N 79°36′W / 43.967°N 79.600°W | 90.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Cold Creek Conservation Area | 43°54′N 79°42′W / 43.900°N 79.700°W | 81.7 | ANSI Life Science |
Glenville Hills Kames | 44°2′N 79°31′W / 44.033°N 79.517°W | 345.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Linton—Kelly Lake Channels | 43°56′N 79°37′W / 43.933°N 79.617°W | 588.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Kettleby and Newmarket Tills | 44°1′N 79°33′W / 44.017°N 79.550°W | 0.2 | ANSI Earth Science |
Pottageville Wetland Complex | 44°0′N 79°37′W / 44.000°N 79.617°W | 779.3 | Wetland |
Eaton Hall—Mary—Hackett Lakes Wetland Complex | 43°57′N 79°33′W / 43.950°N 79.550°W | 259.0 | Wetland |
Ansnorveldt Wetland Complex | 44°3′N 79°33′W / 44.050°N 79.550°W | 200.6 | Wetland |
Kennifick Wetland Complex | 43°57′N 79°42′W / 43.950°N 79.700°W | 79.1 | Wetland |
Eaton Hall Lake Wetland | 43°57′N 79°31′W / 43.950°N 79.517°W | 51.5 | Wetland |
King—Vaughan Wetland Complex | 43°55′N 79°30′W / 43.917°N 79.500°W | 39.1 | Wetland |
Nobleton Wetland Complex | 43°55′N 79°40′W / 43.917°N 79.667°W | 43.3 | Wetland |
New Scotland Wetland Complex | 43°56′N 79°38′W / 43.933°N 79.633°W | 23.7 | Wetland |
King Creek Marsh | 43°53′N 79°37′W / 43.883°N 79.617°W | 4.2 | Wetland |
East Gwillimbury | |||
Mount Albert Wetlands | 44°10′N 79°19′W / 44.167°N 79.317°W | 539.3 | Wetland |
Aurora | |||
Wilcox—St. George Wetland Complex | 43°53′N 79°29′W / 43.883°N 79.483°W | 102.0 | Wetland |
East Aurora Wetland Complex | 44°1′N 79°28′W / 44.017°N 79.467°W | 28.0 | Wetland |
Aurora Marsh (McKenzie Marsh) | 44°1′N 79°28′W / 44.017°N 79.467°W | 10.0 | Wetland |
Richmond Hill | |||
Rouge River Headwater Wetland Complex | 43°55′N 79°24′W / 43.917°N 79.400°W | 175.0 | Wetland |
Philips—Bond —Thompson Lakes Wetland Complex | 43°55′N 79°27′W / 43.917°N 79.450°W | 61.0 | Wetland |
Snively Street Wetland Complex | 43°57′N 79°26′W / 43.950°N 79.433°W | 21.5 | Wetland |
Philips Lake Wetland Complex | 43°55′N 79°27′W / 43.917°N 79.450°W | 24.8 | Wetland |
Whitchurch-Stouffville | |||
Vivian Infiltration Area (also in Uxbridge) | 44°4′N 79°18′W / 44.067°N 79.300°W | 6346.0 | Hydrological ESA |
Musselman Lake Kettle Complex | 44°2′N 79°15′W / 44.033°N 79.250°W | 258.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
White Rose Spillway | 43°58′N 79°25′W / 43.967°N 79.417°W | 25.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Musselman Lake Complex | 44°0′N 79°17′W / 44.000°N 79.283°W | 100.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Vandorf Bog Complex | 44°0′N 79°20′W / 44.000°N 79.333°W | 57.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Black River Wetland Complex #1 | 44°11′N 79°21′W / 44.183°N 79.350°W | 1378.8 | Wetland |
White Rose—Preston Lake Wetland Complex | 43°58′N 79°23′W / 43.967°N 79.383°W | 137.6 | Wetland |
Musselman Lake Wetland | 44°1′N 79°17′W / 44.017°N 79.283°W | 49.4 | Wetland |
East Musselman Wetland Complex | 44°2′N 79°15′W / 44.033°N 79.250°W | 8.8 | Wetland |
Uxbridge Township | |||
Little Rouge Creek Section | 43°48′N 79°9′W / 43.800°N 79.150°W | 0.8 | ANSI Earth Science |
Tyrone River Valley | 44°2′N 78°43′W / 44.033°N 78.717°W | 140.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Uxbridge Pine—Maple Uplands | 44°3′N 79°6′W / 44.050°N 79.100°W | 93.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Uxbridge Forest Kames | 44°0′N 79°5′W / 44.000°N 79.083°W | 644.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Goodwood Formation | 44°3′N 79°12′W / 44.050°N 79.200°W | 0.2 | ANSI Earth Science |
Uxbridge Brook Headwater Wetland Complex | 44°5′N 79°8′W / 44.083°N 79.133°W | 159.6 | Wetland |
Goodwood/Glasgow Wetland Complex | 44°0′N 79°11′W / 44.000°N 79.183°W | 70.6 | Wetland |
North Goodwood Wetland Complex | 44°2′N 79°12′W / 44.033°N 79.200°W | 22.4 | Wetland |
Scugog Township | |||
Lake Scugog #37 Wetland | 44°7′N 78°48′W / 44.117°N 78.800°W | 192.6 | Wetland |
City of Pickering | |||
Clarke Summit Swamp | 43°56′N 78°31′W / 43.933°N 78.517°W | 118.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Northumberland County | |||
Garden Hill Pitted Outwash | 44°3′N 78°24′W / 44.050°N 78.400°W | 1003.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Millvalley Hills Forests | 44°4′N 78°6′W / 44.067°N 78.100°W | 320.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Shelter Valley | 44°3′N 78°1′W / 44.050°N 78.017°W | 312.0 | ANSI Life Science |
Peter's Woods Provincial Nature Reserve (Settler's Woods) | 44°7′N 78°2′W / 44.117°N 78.033°W | 33.43 | ANSI Life Science |
East Cross Creek #15 - Wetland | 44°15′N 78°43′W / 44.250°N 78.717°W | 2340.4 | Wetland |
Kawartha Lakes | |||
Fleetwood Kames | 44°7′N 78°36′W / 44.117°N 78.600°W | 939.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
Peterborough | |||
Omemee Esker South | 44°14′N 78°35′W / 44.233°N 78.583°W | 366.0 | ANSI Earth Science |
References
edit- "Natural Areas Report: LITTLE CREDIT RIVER WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: CREDIT FORKS WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: GIBSON LAKE WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: CENTREVILLE CREEK WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: BOLTON WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE SWAMP". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 22, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: HAPPY VALLEY FORESTS". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE SOUTHEAST UPLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: COLD CREEK CONSERVATION AREA". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: GLENVILLE HILLS KAMES". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: LINTON—KELLY LAKE CHANNELS". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: KETTLEBY AND NEWMARKET TILLS". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Retrieved 2005-06-20.[dead link]
- "Natural Areas Report: EATON HALL—MARY—HACKETT LAKESWETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 20, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: ANSNORVELDT WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: KENNIFICK WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: EATON HALL LAKE WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: KING—VAUGHAN WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-10-22. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: NOBLETON WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: NEW SCOTLAND WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: KING CREEK MARSH". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: MOUNT ALBERT WETLANDS". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-10-30. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: WILCOX—ST. GEORGE WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: EAST AURORA WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
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- "Natural Areas Report: SNIVELY STREET WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: VIVIAN INFILTRATION AREA". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-23. More precise measurements were found in "Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority" (PDF). The Health of the Black River Watershed (PDF, pg 9). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2005-06-23.
- "Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE KETTLE COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-10-29. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: WHITE ROSE SPILLWAY". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on November 1, 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: VANDORF BOG COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: BLACK RIVER WETLAND COMPLEX #1". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-08-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: WHITE ROSE—PRESTON LAKE WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 13, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-11-01. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: EAST MUSSELMAN WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: TYRONE RIVER VALLEY". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: LITTLE ROUGE CREEK SECTION". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE PINE—MAPLE UPLANDS". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 12, 2006. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE FOREST KAMES". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: GOODWOOD FORMATION". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE BROOK HEADWATER WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2005-06-20.
- "Natural Areas Report: GOODWOOD/GLASGOW WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: NORTH GOODWOOD WETLAND COMPLEX". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: LAKE SCUGOG #37 WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: CLARKE SUMMIT SWAMP". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved 2005-08-18.
- "Natural Areas Report: GARDEN HILL PITTED OUTWASH". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: MILLVALLEY HILLS FOREST". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Retrieved 2007-07-31. [dead link]
- "Natural Areas Report: SHELTER VALLEY". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Retrieved 2007-07-31. [dead link]
- "Natural Areas Report: PETER'S WOODS PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVE". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: EAST CROSS CREEK #15-WETLAND". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- "Natural Areas Report: FLEETWOOD KAMES". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Retrieved 2007-07-31. [dead link]
- "Natural Areas Report: OMEMEE ESKER SOUTH". Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre. Retrieved 2007-07-31. [dead link]