This woodlot is located at South Lake Ainslie, Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It includes the portion of Crown Grant No. 22883 east of Route 395 and contains 97.6 hectares or 241 acres. This PID also includes the portion of the same Crown Grant west of Route 395 to the shore of Lake Ainslie but this latter portion was not included in this report.
The underlying bedrock geology consists of the Carboniferous Period, Horton Group Creignish Formation and an age uncettain group of formation consisting of granite and granodiorite. The conglomerate rock of the Horton Group, Creignish Formation is plainly visible over most of the woodlot and in particular along and within the small stream that flows through the woodlot. Coarse to fine rock fragments generally rounded consisting of quartz, quartzite and feldspars held in place by a matrix can be plainly seen. The granite, granodiorite rock was not observed on the woodlot but can be seen outcropping at roadside on the West Lake road directly across the water from the woodlot. The glacial or surficial geology consists of three units, a bedrock dominated terrain with a patchy cover of till, steep sheets of rubble or talus on steep slopes and ice contact stratified drift containing poorly sorted sandy cobble gravel.
The soil consists of two main units, Rough Mountain land with a stony sandy till and the Herbert Series with a greyish brown gravelly sandy loam. Both of these types are best suited to forest use.
The topography is quite rugged. The elevation ranges from 60 meters above sea level at the Lake Ainslie shoreline to 290 meters above sea level at the eastern end of the woodlot. Five meter contour intervales are close together. Slopes from 30% to 40% are common especially in thbe western two thirds of the woodlot. A small stream passes through the center of the woodlot and generally has a narrow floodplain for much of its length. The eastern one third of hte woodlot levels off and is fairly flat.
Most of the woodlot belongs to the Cape Breton Highlands Ecodistrict with a narrow band along the shoreline falling into the Inverness Lowlands Ecodistrict. Three ecosections occur and going eastward include (WCHO), well drained coarse textured soils on hummocks and rounded hills (WMDS), well drained medium textured soils on canyons and steep slopes and (WMKK), well drained medium textured soils on knobs and knolls with moderate to steep slopes.
The woodlot is about 2066 meters long and about 470 meters wide. As it was relatively recently granted by the Crown, some of the original survey blazes can be found. The Crown Line forms the eastern boundary and can be found today. The author put orange flagging tape on trees bearing blazes along the Crown Line and on most of the old blazes found on the north and south lines. A Survey Post and Pin were found on the southern boundary on the western side of Route 395 and similarly were found on the Lake Ainslie shoreline on the southern boundary. The boundary between these two latter points was also painted red. It could be easily seen that the Surveyor, (NSLS NO. 78), adhered to the original boundary evidence. Logging within the last 8 years on the central area has made it currently very difficult to find old survey blazes. Caution should be exercised in the future during any subsequent logging that remaining old blazes are not destroyed. At present there is ample field evidence for a boundary retracement by a NSLS. It currently is difficult to follow the north and south boundaries for some sections.
Most of the woodlot is a hardwood cover type. Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Beech with smaller amounts of White Birch and Red Maple are the main hardwood species. Balsam Fir is the dominant softwood species. Two areas were cut about 7 to 9 years ago in the central and eastern parts of the woodlot. The sizes of these cuts total 26.7 hectares, the north cut block containing 15.3 hectares and the south cut block containing 12.4 hectares. These areas were not clear cut. Trees were left as seed trees and future quality log trees. Some were also left owing to their poor quality. These areas have regenerated tremendously with desireable hardwood species including Sugar Maple and Yellow Birch. Logging trails have, for the most part, almost disappeared.
Only the main initial logging trail is still evident. The remaining forest was treated as one large stand containing 68.9 hectares. Although small variations do exist over this area, the author decided not to break it up into smaller units. Thirty-four sample plots were dispersed over the total area in an effort to collect basic inventory data including basal area, diameter, height, age and species composition. Dates spend in the field include September 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Therefore, the woodlot has been treated as two areas, one where cutting has recently been carried out containing 26.7 hectares and one with little evidence of cutting containing 68.9 hectares. Tables included in this report show individual plot data, volumn and value estimates. Photographs were taken at all sample plots and of special features and are included in this report.
The most eastern one third of the woodlot is a Yellow Birch - Balsam Fir forest. Most of the Balsam Fir is dead and is not merchandable. However, some still remains merchandable and this is the only significant area where softwood can be harvested. Parts of the woodlot have strong elements of old growth, ie. the age, species composition, coarse woody debrie, and snag development is consistent with old growth. One huge White Ash was noted with a height of 22 meters and a diameter of 83 centimeters. A small pocket was found with several large Eastern Hemlock. Age estimates were obtained from six trees and are as follows: Yellow Birch, 29 cm - 100 years; Yellow Birch, 39 cm - 110 years; Red Maple, 36 cm - 128 years; Sugar Maple, 37 cm - 140 years; Sugar Maple, 36 cm - 150 years; and Sugar Maple, 42 cm - 160 years. Trees in the 50 to 70 cm diameter class would probably yield ages around 200 years and older.
Access to the woodlot is currently provided by a logging road to the north which enters the property at about the middle of the north line. It currently is in good shape. An old dozed road enters the woodlot on the south boundary near the western end. It is a good walking rail but is rather grown in with young forest. However, structurally it still is in good shape. It appears that cutting was done over about 4 hectares in this area about 25 years ago. Both of these access routes are from other private land so using them to access the woodlot requires consent.
The majority of the forest is of fuelwood quality. This is quite normal for our area. Probably 85% of the hardwood is suitable for mostly fuelwood. There are still veneer logs and other grades of hardwood logs. Attaining the volume and value estimates provided in this report will be challenging owing to the topography. Also current and future economic conditions will effect the prices obtained for the various forest products.
One cow and calf moose were observed near the Crown Line on the eastern end of the woodlot. A photograph of the cow moose was obtained and is included with the photographs. An eagle nest was found in a fairly large White Pine tree growing on a steep bank in the southwestern part of the woodlot. It appears that this nest was active this year. A flock of partridge was intruded upon at one point in the center of this woodlot.
Various maps, tables and photographs are included with this report that provide further information and illustration. Some of the increment pores taken for the age determination are also included. |
