Geography
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Pelee Island location
Located in the western parts of the St. Lawrence Lowlands, the park is a sandspit formation that extends 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) into Lake Erie and is up to 70 metres (230 ft) thick. With an area of only 1,564 hectares (3,860 acres), it is Canada's smallest national park. Most of the park (about 1,113 hectares (2,750 acres) or 70% of the park consists of marsh, dominated by cattails and ponds although forested areas make up a significant portion of the park, covering about 21% of the park. This sandspit is dominated by till plains which were formed during the last ice age during the advance and retreat of the Wisconsonian ice on a submerged limestone ridge. As the glacier melted and retreated northward, the Lake Erie basin began to fill with water. The movement of sediments altered the coastline, resulting in the present-day shape of Point Pelee. Subsequently, over the centuries, a thin but rich soil has formed. Mineral soils in the park were mapped as well to rapidly drained Eastport sand, which has insignificant profile development. The marshes began to form about 3,200 years ago, based on carbon dating. This was also the same time when the sands began to deposit, forming the present day barriers. The marsh has a closed drainage system owing to the separation of it by two barriers along the east and west side, which usually prevents the free exchange of water. However, when lake levels are higher, the marsh water levels fluctuate with the lake's water levels. The distinctive triangular shape at the southern tip of Point Pelee is caused by the convergence of these two barriers (this spit or tip is the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland). Middle Island, which is located south of the Point Pelee peninsula has an area of approximately 18.5 hectares (46 acres) and is the southernmost point in Canada. Virtually all of Middle Island is forested.
Flora and fauna[edit]
Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) at Point Pelee National Park in May 2010
Owing to its southernly location and the moderating effects of Lake Erie, the climate in the park is slightly warmer than the rest of Canada and many Carolinian faunal species, which are rare in Canada are located here. Examples include the fox snake and the five-lined skink. Because of its location at the crossroads of two major migration flyways, about 347–360 different species of migratory birds have been recorded in the park and more than 100 species stay there for breeding. This total includes 102 waterfowl and shorebird species. Dominic Couzen's Top 100 Birding Sites of the World lists Point Pelee as #66. Coyotes are also present within this park. Many Carolinian floral species that are rare in Canada occur within the park boundaries. Point Pelee has six different habitats: beach, cedar, savanna, dry forest, wet forest, and freshwater marsh. The park contains more than 750 native plant species, of these 8 species are considered to be rare, endangered or threatened in Canada. Near Point Pelee is Middle Island which is designated provincially as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) due to its unique and rare assemblages of plants and animals. Middle Island is home to plants and animals that are characteristic of the Carolinian ecozone of which nine species are at risk. The diversity of vegetation in the marsh is the highest along the edge of the marsh ponds and in the transitional zones between the terrestrial environments and the marsh. Four different vegetation communities dominate in the marsh.
