Photos of Jack Pine Barrens in the
Deep Cove NCC Nature Reserve
Nova Scotia

I was very fortunate to visit the Nature Conservancy of Canada's Deep Cove Nature Reserve in Nova Scotia on Oct 24, 2015 as a participant in a field trip into the area by the Halifax Field Naturalists (HFN).

We were guided by Brad Armstrong and Doug van Hemessen. Brad is a councillor for the Municipality of Chester, and Doug is the Nova Scotia stewardship coordinator for the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Both have been intimately involved in the establishment of the NCC's Deep Cove Nature Reserve.

The full set of photos is posted as a Google Photo Album at https://goo.gl/photos/jkqbYRsmnMpC94HM6

When you open the album and select a photo, click on the "i" icon at the top right of the page for a description and, for most photos, the location in Google Maps. High-res versions can be downloaded and used under the conditions of a Creative Commons license.

There has been very little human activity in the areas depicted in the photos for some time which was reflected in the cover of most exposed rock surfaces by snow-like reindeer lichens and green carpets of broom crowberry. The huckleberry was in its full fall, vivid red colours, interrupted here and there by the dark green of inkberry. The mostly open canopy jack pines give the landscape a savannah-like ambiance... We had the feeling of being in a very unusual and very special place.

Many thanks to Doug and Brad and HFN for this wonderful day and to the Nature Conservacy of Canada for establishing and maintaining the Deep Cove Nature Reserve.
                                                                   - David Patriquin


Nationally Unique & Globally Rare
The combination of the boreal jack pine and the southern broom crowberry occurs only on scattered rocky barrens along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, and in a few locales in Maine. Thus this plant community type is nationally unique and globally rare. Inkberry is another southern component that is quite common in these communities at Deep Cove, mixed with black huckleberry. It is found more fleetingly eastward of the Aspotogon Peninsula.

Role of Fire
Both jack pine and broom crowberry are highly adapted to and even dependent on recurrent fires which are uncommon in our Acadian forest region except on highly droughty landscapes such as these exposed rock barrens. There was some regeneration of jack pine going on in the absence of fire at some sites in the Deep Cove lands as evidenced by the open cones on old jack pines and presence of seedlings, while at others, cones were mostly closed (serotinous), and seedlings were not seen. The last large fire in the area was apparently in the 1950s.

More Info.
Deep Cove NCC Nature Reserve
Click on photos for larger versions

Deep Cove NCC Nature Reserve

Deep Cove NCC Nature Reserve

Deep Cove NCC Nature Reserve

Deep Cove