ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS
OF THE MOLSON RESERVE
Conclusion
Our data gathering study has resulted in an abundance of information that
has revealed sources and accessibility of data. Biotic and abiotic data
found should facilitate future research. Biotic data exists mainly in the
form of studies that were done on and near the Molson Reserve. Abiotic
data exists in the form of climate records, maps and air photos, and pollution
records. This study was done in a two-month period. This time frame was
not sufficient to gather all existing information. Data gathering is an
ongoing process that others could continue in the future. Furthermore,
some of the information obtained must be sorted. A valuable future project
could involve writing a history of the Molson Reserve area including land
use and forestry practises.
We
have proposed a monitoring scheme for the new Molson Nature Reserve, which
may help to protect the reserve and allow for an educational research facility
for the future. This proposal involves conducting inventories, developing
base maps on which to organize collected data, and then monitoring specific
aspects of the various ecosystems present on the reserve. The proposed
monitoring plan is based on information found in other reserve and parks,
applied to the distinctiveness of the Molson Reserve.
The entire process of data collection allowed us to identify the most
important parameters that should be monitored. For example, previous surveys
identified rare species of amphibians, reptiles, and plants. These were
then deemed as a monitoring priority. Hydrology, soil and flood records
also showed that the wetland boundaries are very dynamic and must be monitored
as habitat changes influence all aspects of floral and faunal survival,
especially that of the herpetofauna. We also discovered that the size and
location of the reserve is not especially conducive to large mammals and
that there are no known small mammals of great importance on the reserve.
Thus mammals are given a low level of priority in the monitoring proposal.
The monitoring proposal that we have developed is based primarily on
theory and the actions of those administering other reserves that do not
necessarily have much in common with the Molson Reserve. As research continues
on the Molson Reserve, other variables are likely to prove worthy of observation
whereas some suggested here may prove irrelevant to the desired goals.
It should be recognized that the monitoring scheme proposed here is merely
a suggestion and that the actual monitoring plan adopted will likely have
many differences. It is our sincere hope that the recommendations made
here will serve as a starting point for future research into the management
of the Molson Reserve and that our efforts will be of benefit to those
who wish to learn more about this valuable resource.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Melanie Simard
Don Leffers
