Beaver meadows are important rendezvous sites for wolves and increase biodiversity in the boreal forest. As trees drown in beaver ponds, they become vulnerable to fungi and bark beetles. Beaver ponds provide nutrients to lakes and maintain water tables. Lakes in the boreal forest contain more nutrients than those in the Hudson Bay Lowlands due to soil washed in from more developed soils. Islands in boreal lakes are important nesting areas for birds like loons as they have fewer predators. The Western boreal forest has thin soil, exposed rock, and a drier climate suited for jack pine and black spruce, and animals like spruce grouse, Canada jays, and snowshoe hares

1. LECTURE 8 (Boreal Forest continued)
Beaver meadows also important for wolves (Rendez-Vous sites)
As trees drown, their defenses reduce – are attacked by fungi
Dead Tree Ecology in Beaver Meadows
- Fungi
- Bark Beetles
- Woodpeckers, Tree Swallows, Northern Flying squirrels, Northern Saw-whet owl
(Cavity adopters)
- Common Goldeneye; Hooded Merganser (Boreal cavity adopter ducks)
*Beaver ponds increase biodiversity especially in the Boreal Forest
Beaver Ponds
- Important sources of Nitrogen and Phosphorus
- Maintain water tables
Boreal Forest has thousands of lakes
- Lakes in the Boreal Forest are richer in nutrients than lakes in HBL
- Warmer, more developed soil on land, nutrients washed in
- Trout; Osprey; Bald Eagle (takes 5 years for white head and tail to appear)
- Bufflehead (cavity adopters)
- Common Merganser
- Common Loon
*Islands are important for Loons for nesting – because have fewer predators
Island Ecology
- Safer sites for animals
- Herring Gulls (usually nest on the ground on islands on lakes)

2. - Common Tern
-Xanthoria Lichen: Calcium is present
- Moose will swim over to islands to give birth
Streams and Rapids
- Net-spinning Caddisflies
- Black Fly larvae
- Clubtail dragonflies, like Boreal Snaketail (nymphs are flatter and have longer legs)
[vs Skimmers that like still water]
BOREAL SUB-SECTIONS
(1) Western (Prairie) Boreal
- Not very high elevation (350 m)
- Thin soil and lots of exposed rock (some of oldest rock in Canada; Precambrian; 2.3 Ga)
- Western Boreal was covered by Lake Agassiz
- Driest (winds off of prairies) and Warmest part of Boreal
- Green Ash (prairie variety of Red Ash)
- Prairie Crocus (found in Ontario only in the Western Boreal) *INDICATOR for WESTERN BOREAL
- Red Sided Form Garter Snake
- Western Painted Turtle (freeze tolerant as hatchlings)
- Black Spruce & Jack Pine are COMMON; Balsam Fir is RARE.
- Spruce Grouse; White-winged Crossbills; Boreal Chickadee; Canada Jay
- Wood Warblers; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
- Magpies
- Snowshoe Hares
- Cougars
- Least Chipmunk
- Marten

3. Jack Pines: thrive in very dry conditions
- Needles are in clusters of 2
- Spruce Grouse also eat Jack Pine
Kirtland’s Warbler
- Endangered Species; protected in Michigan
- NOT currently found in Western Boreal
- Nest only in Jack Pines (5-15 years old; 2-5 m tall)