Halifax Field Naturalists

Capt. Arnell Conservation Lands
Post-Fire Photos June 25, '09

The property was visited on the evening of June 25, 2009 as a component of HFN's ongoing biota survey. We were joined by several personnel from the Nova Scotia Nature Trust and focussed on the burned-over part of the property. The hike was led by Burkhard & Ingrid Plache. Photos by David Patriquin. (If you have photos to add, please forward them to David Patriquin@dal.ca, thanks.)

The photos are presented in the sequence that they were taken.

Click on photos for larger versions.

Use of Photos

1806: Bottom of Purcell's Pond.
1807: Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry )

1817: Viburnum nudum (wild raisin, witherod)
1833

1835
1847: Kalmia angustifolia (sheep laurel)

1850: Pinus banksiana (jack pine)
1851

1854
1858: Rhodora canadensis (Rhodora)

1859 Crossing the low boggy area which had stopped the advance of the fire.

1901: Into the burned land. Bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) were seemingly unaffected by the fire.



1905: Nemopanthus mucronatus (mountain holly)

1905: Cornus canadensis (bunchberry)



1907: Cypripedium acaule (pink lady's slipper); habitat at right.

1908: Living mosses on the rock face indicate that this area was slightly sheltered from the fire (It advanced from behind the rockface.)



1908: Acer rubrum (red maple)

1910: Betula populifolia (grey birch)



1912

1915: Gaylussacia baccata
(black huckleberry)


sphagnum

1923: Lower lying area cobered by Sphagnum moss. The moss has a bleached, "cake-like" appearrance, with no sign of recovery.

At right (1924): Sarracenia purpurea (pitcher plant) in flower.

 pitcher plant


1925

1926: Gaultheria procumbens (teaberry) & Gaylussacia baccata (huckleberry)



1927: Cones of Picea mariana (black spruce)

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1927: Descending toward Flat Lake; in the background we can see unburned vegetation near the west or northwest border of the fire.



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1931: Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) & Abies balsamea (balsam fir), not burned.

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1932: Partially burnt Abies balsamea (balsam fir)


1932: Ilex verticillata (Canada holly)



1934: Rock tripe lichens (burnt)

For comparison, lichens on an rock face that was sheltered from the fire (location: 1908, above)



1936

1939



1940: Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry)

1940: Acer rubrum (red maple)



1941

1942




1943: Overlooking Flat Lake.

At right (1944), cones of Pinus banksiana (jack pine), opened by the heat of the fire


1945: Graminoid seedlings, likely those of Panicum lanuginosum and Scirpus cyperinus (woolrush: triangular and sheathy, no ligules = sedge family), id. courtesy of Nick Hill.

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1947: Populus grandidentata (largetooth aspen)



1949: Pinus banksiana (jack pine), partially burnt.



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1953: Flat Lake

1956: Large erratic by Flat Lake



1958: Arctoparmelia centrifuga (lichen, burnt)

2044: Nightfall on Purcell's Pond. Some overnight campers were asked not to light the bonfire they were preparing!