Ecology of the Oak Ridges Moraine explained
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
See also: Happy Valley, King, Ontario.
Happy 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
A 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.
References
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: LITTLE CREDIT RIVER WETLAND COMPLEX . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219091742/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3870 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: CREDIT FORKS WETLAND . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219010931/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3806 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: GIBSON LAKE WETLAND . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061218231006/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3830 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: CENTREVILLE CREEK WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219000859/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3793 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: BOLTON WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219045115/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18636 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE SWAMP . 2005-06-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060322053053/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1541 . March 22, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: HAPPY VALLEY FORESTS . 2005-06-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070717173852/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1285 . July 17, 2007 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE SOUTHEAST UPLAND . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220040216/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1540 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: COLD CREEK CONSERVATION AREA . 2005-06-18 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219094810/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1142 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: GLENVILLE HILLS KAMES . 2005-06-18 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219102931/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4151 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: LINTON—KELLY LAKE CHANNELS . 2005-06-18 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219015455/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1366 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: KETTLEBY AND NEWMARKET TILLS . 2005-06-18 . dead . https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4224 . 2007-08-02 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: POTTAGEVILLE WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: EATON HALL—MARY—HACKETT LAKESWETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060320004117/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18508 . March 20, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: ANSNORVELDT WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219095636/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3754 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: KENNIFICK WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219053308/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3856 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: EATON HALL LAKE WETLAND . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219062646/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3821 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: KING—VAUGHAN WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051022162359/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3860 . 2005-10-22 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: NOBLETON WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3896 . 2007-08-02 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: NEW SCOTLAND WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219000239/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3894 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: KING CREEK MARSH . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219102604/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3859 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: MOUNT ALBERT WETLANDS . 2005-06-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051030104152/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3890 . 2005-10-30 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: WILCOX—ST. GEORGE WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060315025719/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18494 . March 15, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: EAST AURORA WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219092747/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18495 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: AURORA MARSH . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219030014/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3757 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: ROUGE RIVER HEADWATER WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220035640/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18500 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: PHILIPS—BOND—THOMPSON LAKES WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220040820/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18501 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: PHILIPS LAKE WETLAND COMPLEX. https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3912 . dead . 2007-08-02 . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: SNIVELY STREET WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220022658/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3940 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: VIVIAN INFILTRATION AREA . 2005-06-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060324011128/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=10274 . March 24, 2006 . More precise measurements were found in Web site: Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority . The Health of the Black River Watershed (PDF, pg 9) . 2005-06-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928090154/http://www.lsrca.on.ca/PDFs/bk6b.pdf . September 28, 2007 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE KETTLE COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051029111536/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1458 . 2005-10-29 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: WHITE ROSE SPILLWAY . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220041605/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4297 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE COMPLEX . 2007-07-31 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051101073739/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1457 . November 1, 2005 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: VANDORF BOG COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220045445/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1684 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: BLACK RIVER WETLAND COMPLEX #1 . 2005-08-18 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219021344/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3771 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: WHITE ROSE—PRESTON LAKE WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060313151617/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18493 . March 13, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: MUSSELMAN LAKE WETLAND . 2005-06-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051101125524/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3892 . 2005-11-01 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: EAST MUSSELMAN WETLAND COMPLEX . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219053336/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3819 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: TYRONE RIVER VALLEY . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220034300/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1677 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: LITTLE ROUGE CREEK SECTION . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219024053/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1368 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE PINE—MAPLE UPLANDS . 2005-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060312160720/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1681 . March 12, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE FOREST KAMES . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061220021431/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4293 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: GOODWOOD FORMATION . 2005-06-20 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219044042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4206 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: UXBRIDGE BROOK HEADWATER WETLAND COMPLEX . https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3965 . dead . 2007-08-02 . 2005-06-20.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: GOODWOOD/GLASGOW WETLAND COMPLEX . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219072928/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3832 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: NORTH GOODWOOD WETLAND COMPLEX . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061218234724/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3902 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: LAKE SCUGOG #37 WETLAND . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219092628/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3864 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: CLARKE SUMMIT SWAMP . 2005-08-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060316130124/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=1137 . March 16, 2006 .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: GARDEN HILL PITTED OUTWASH . https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=4149 . dead . 2007-08-02 . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: MILLVALLEY HILLS FOREST . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: SHELTER VALLEY . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: PETER'S WOODS PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVE . https://archive.today/20070802143042/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3177 . dead . 2007-08-02 . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: EAST CROSS CREEK #15-WETLAND . 2007-07-31 . 2006-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061219075936/http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=3816 . dead .
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: FLEETWOOD KAMES . 2007-07-31.
- Web site: Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre . Natural Areas Report: OMEMEE ESKER SOUTH . 2007-07-31.