Ecology

Biogeographic Region

Latitudinal trends are well displayed on the north-south trending Escarpment:

Deciduous Forest Region

At the south end, common vegetation communities include rich slope forests of Sugar Maple and Black Maple mixed with Tulip-tree and Red Elm.

Drier slopes have oak-hickory forests of Red, White, Black and Chinquapin Oaks mixed with Bitternut, Shagbark and Pignut Hickories -- all trees characteristic of the eastern deciduous forest region.

Understorey species are largely southern ones such as Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Running Strawberry bush (Eonymus obovatus) and Yellow Mandarin (Disporum lanuginosum).

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region

All of the Ontario Niagara Escarpment north of the Niagara Peninsula occurs within this forest region.

At its north end on the Bruce Peninsula, there are fire-successional forests of White Birch, Trembling Aspen and Eastern White Cedar, with boreal species such as Balsam Fir and White Spruce. Jack Pine occurs at the southern limit of its range. Understorey species include northern ones such as Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza striata) and Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and such circumboreal species as Hudson's Club-rush (Scirpus hudsonianus).

There is also a concentration of western species of flora and fauna in the northern half of the Escarpment. e.g., eight plant species have distinct populations, including Trail-plant (Adenocaulon bicolor), Menzie's Rattlesnake-plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia), Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis) and Alaskan Orchid (Piperia unalescensis).

Climate

Maximum average temperature, warmest month:  29.9 C

Minimum average temperature, coldest month:  -7.1 C

Mean annual precipitation:  818.5 mm (13% as snow)