User:The Chris Happy/Qualicum National Wildlife Area: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
67773skies (talk | contribs) Added in an article body to sandbox |
Do some minor edits + add more details on management |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
=== Lead === |
=== Lead === |
||
=== Article body === |
|||
Qualicum National Park has territory made of coastal douglas fir forest, intertidal marsh and upland meadows<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Environment and Climate Change |date=2011-11-25 |title=Qualicum National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/qualicum.html |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> that are host to a variety of organisms, including several invasive and endangered species. |
|||
Qualicum |
Qualicum National Wildlife Area (Qualicum NWA) has territory made of coastal douglas fir forest, intertidal marsh and upland meadows<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Environment and Climate Change |date=2011-11-25 |title=Qualicum National Wildlife Area |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/qualicum.html |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> that are host to a variety of organisms, including several invasive and endangered species. |
||
The national wildlife area consists of three small units - Rosewall Creek, Marshall-Stevenson, and Nanoose Bay - spread out along the northeastern coast Vancouver Island between the communities of Fanny Bay and Nanoose Bay. |
|||
| ⚫ | Among the species that live in Qualicum National Park are the endangered blue herons and the invasive reed canary grass |
||
Since it is a [[National Wildlife Area|National Wildlife Area (NWA)]], Qualicum NWA is governed by the [[Canada Wildlife Act]]<ref name=":0" /> and managed by the Canadian government department [[Environment and Climate Change Canada]]<ref name=":0" />. While most National Wildlife Areas are closed to the public to reduce the human impacts on the land, vegetation, animals, and insects, the Qualicum NWA is open for certain recreational activities, such as wildlife viewing<ref name=":0" />, hiking<ref name=":0" />, and hunting in certain areas<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Environment and Climate Change |date=2015-02-20 |title=Qualicum National Wildlife Area pamphlet |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/locations/qualicum/pamphlet.html |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>. |
|||
| ⚫ | The |
||
=== Endangered & Invasive Species === |
|||
| ⚫ | Qualicum |
||
| ⚫ | Among the species that live in Qualicum National Park are the endangered [[Blue Herons|blue herons]] and the invasive [[Reed Canary-grass|reed canary grass]]<ref name=":0" />. Reed canary grass is dominant to the [[understory]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=E-Flora BC Atlas Page |url=https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Phalaris%20arundinacea |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=linnet.geog.ubc.ca}}</ref>. Reed canary grass is not native to British Columbia and is originally from temperate parts of Europe and Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Phalaris arundinacea |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/graminoid/phaaru/all.html#DistributionAndOccurrence |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.fs.usda.gov}}</ref> It was brought to BC likely through [[cultivar]] in the 1800s<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ontario Invasive Plant Council |title=Invasive Reed Canary Grass. Best Management Practices in Ontario |url=https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/OIPC_BMP_ReedCanaryGrass.pdf |access-date=10/11/23 |website=ontario.ca/invasivespecies}}</ref>, and then spread to Qualicum through rhizomes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reed Canary Grass Invasive Species Profile |url=https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/reed-canary-grass-invasive-species-profile |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Natural Resource Stewardship |language=en}}</ref> The grass finds the Qualicum area favorable because it needs long daylight hours for flowering and it thrives in areas with wet soil adjacent to rivers and streams. However, as an [[invasive species]], it reduces biodiversity by occupying much of the ground cover. |
||
| ⚫ | The [[great blue heron]] is endangered at Qualicum National Park. Nonetheless, the birds are removing 3% of fish heading out to the Salish sea.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-11 |title=Blue herons identified as a significant predator of B.C.’s juvenile salmon |url=https://www.pqbnews.com/news/blue-herons-identified-as-a-significant-predator-of-b-c-s-juvenile-salmon-1188755 |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Parksville Qualicum Beach News |language=en}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | Qualicum NWA is home to a rare [[Garry oak|Garry Oak]] ecosystem. The area has a [[meadow]]/[[arbutus]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notch Hill |url=https://www.visitparksvillequalicumbeach.com/blog/notch-hill/ |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism |language=en-US}}</ref> system. These oaks are rapidly dwindling due to habitat loss in many of the places they are found. Within these ecosystems, the soil is dark and rich, benefitting herbaceous understory vegetation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wayne Erickson |date=October 1993 |title=Garry Oak Ecosystems-- Restricted to southwestern British Columbia, these ecosystems are among the rarest in the province |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/conservation-data-centre/publications/erickson_garry_oak.pdf |website=Province of British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks}}</ref> The ecosystems are thought to have upwards of a hundred plant and animal species. The Garry Oaks are drought resistant plants with leaves that prevent a lot of water loss. <ref>{{Cite web |title=VIU biology professor restoring one of Canada’s most threatened ecosystems on Nanaimo campus {{!}} News {{!}} Vancouver Island University {{!}} Canada |url=https://news.viu.ca/viu-biology-professor-restoring-one-canadas-most-threatened-ecosystems-nanaimo-campus |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=news.viu.ca |language=en}}</ref> |
||
=== References === |
=== References === |
||
Revision as of 22:09, 11 October 2023
 | This is the sandbox page where you will draft your initial Wikipedia contribution.
If you're starting a new article, you can develop it here until it's ready to go live. If you're working on improvements to an existing article, copy only one section at a time of the article to this sandbox to work on, and be sure to use an edit summary linking to the article you copied from. Do not copy over the entire article. You can find additional instructions here. Remember to save your work regularly using the "Publish page" button. (It just means 'save'; it will still be in the sandbox.) You can add bold formatting to your additions to differentiate them from existing content. |
Article Draft
Lead
Qualicum National Wildlife Area (Qualicum NWA) has territory made of coastal douglas fir forest, intertidal marsh and upland meadows[1] that are host to a variety of organisms, including several invasive and endangered species.
The national wildlife area consists of three small units - Rosewall Creek, Marshall-Stevenson, and Nanoose Bay - spread out along the northeastern coast Vancouver Island between the communities of Fanny Bay and Nanoose Bay.
Since it is a National Wildlife Area (NWA), Qualicum NWA is governed by the Canada Wildlife Act[1] and managed by the Canadian government department Environment and Climate Change Canada[1]. While most National Wildlife Areas are closed to the public to reduce the human impacts on the land, vegetation, animals, and insects, the Qualicum NWA is open for certain recreational activities, such as wildlife viewing[1], hiking[1], and hunting in certain areas[2].
Endangered & Invasive Species
Among the species that live in Qualicum National Park are the endangered blue herons and the invasive reed canary grass[1]. Reed canary grass is dominant to the understory[3]. Reed canary grass is not native to British Columbia and is originally from temperate parts of Europe and Asia.[4] It was brought to BC likely through cultivar in the 1800s[5], and then spread to Qualicum through rhizomes.[6] The grass finds the Qualicum area favorable because it needs long daylight hours for flowering and it thrives in areas with wet soil adjacent to rivers and streams. However, as an invasive species, it reduces biodiversity by occupying much of the ground cover.
The great blue heron is endangered at Qualicum National Park. Nonetheless, the birds are removing 3% of fish heading out to the Salish sea.[7]
Qualicum NWA is home to a rare Garry Oak ecosystem. The area has a meadow/arbutus[8] system. These oaks are rapidly dwindling due to habitat loss in many of the places they are found. Within these ecosystems, the soil is dark and rich, benefitting herbaceous understory vegetation.[9] The ecosystems are thought to have upwards of a hundred plant and animal species. The Garry Oaks are drought resistant plants with leaves that prevent a lot of water loss. [10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Canada, Environment and Climate Change (2011-11-25). "Qualicum National Wildlife Area". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ Canada, Environment and Climate Change (2015-02-20). "Qualicum National Wildlife Area pamphlet". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ "E-Flora BC Atlas Page". linnet.geog.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ "Phalaris arundinacea". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ Ontario Invasive Plant Council. "Invasive Reed Canary Grass. Best Management Practices in Ontario" (PDF). ontario.ca/invasivespecies. Retrieved 10/11/23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Reed Canary Grass Invasive Species Profile". Natural Resource Stewardship. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ "Blue herons identified as a significant predator of B.C.'s juvenile salmon". Parksville Qualicum Beach News. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ "Notch Hill". Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ Wayne Erickson (October 1993). "Garry Oak Ecosystems-- Restricted to southwestern British Columbia, these ecosystems are among the rarest in the province" (PDF). Province of British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.
- ^ "VIU biology professor restoring one of Canada's most threatened ecosystems on Nanaimo campus | News | Vancouver Island University | Canada". news.viu.ca. Retrieved 2023-10-11.