DATA GATHERING

Methods
Background Information
Abiotic Information
Biotic Information
For Further Research

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The data gathering part of our project consisted of obtaining, or trying to obtain, all possible information that exists on the reserve itself or the surrounding area. The methodology of this section consisted of researching and contacting people whom we felt would have some information on the reserve. Fortunately, many professors were available to direct us to different individuals, organizations, or governmental associations that they thought would help us. We also used a variety of research tools, such as libraries and the Internet. Main sources utilized were government publications, scientific studies and map databases.

Data was not analyzed per se but merely recorded as to where it can be found and at what price. Some data was actually collected-small amounts of this data are included in the appendices of this paper. Most data, however, has been placed in a separate binder that will be delivered to our client. Throughout our data gathering process, we discovered that the Molson Reserve has great potential and that is has been the subject of a wide variety of studies. The results are divided into three sections: (1) background, (2) abiotic, and (3) biotic information obtained.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (back to top)

In the mid 1970's, Conservation Ile Perrot, submitted a proposition that the Molson Reserve be acknowledged as an educational and ecological reserve. A report by the Department of Lands and Forests was issued where they concluded, ironically, that the idea of an ecological reserve should be disregarded (1). This report also includes an overview of the physiographical aspects of the reserve such as vegetation grouping and floristic composition, deposit, drainage, and soil.

An internal McGill memorandum was prepared in October 1997 by Dean Buszard regarding the proposed gift of the nature reserve on Ile Perrot (2). In this document, an evaluation of the area, performed by the Saint-Lawrence Valley Natural History Society and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), is attached. The NCC identified four different ecozones, the flood plain, the woodland marsh, the hardwood forest, and the upland forest. These form a vital component of the reserve.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada was a key player in the donation of the reserve to McGill University. They were interested in designating the area a nature reserve and securing its perpetual protection. Saint-Laurent Vision 2000 along with Centre St-Laurent has documented the Molson Reserve .

ABIOTIC INFORMATION (back to top)

Soil
Soil surveys have been carried out both on the Molson Reserve and on the greater Ile Perrot region. A study was done in 1977 by the Government of Quebec that mapped the reserve into regions according to soil and vegetation (1). The main soil types were identified as brunisol, podzol, and gleysol. A soil survey of Ile Perrot was done in 1960 (3). This survey identified the Perrot soils as glacial till derived from Potsdam sandstone with a range in pH from 4.9 in the surface soils to 5.4 at a depth of one foot.

Topographic Maps
Topographic maps can be viewed at either the McGill map library at the Geography Information Centre or the UQAM map library and they can be purchased from a local store (4). The coordinates of Ile Perrot are 31H05-200-0201 or 31H05-100-0301. Most maps are small scale (1:20 000) and show few features. UQAM's collection dates back to the early 1900s and some topographic maps show areas that were inundated by the 100-year flood and the flood of 1974. This information is particularly relevant to the Molson Reserve as it is near water and contains wetland.

Various other maps can also be viewed at Centre-St-Laurent (5) and McGill (Table A1). These include maps from the Geological Survey of Canada, and are generally not very useful because the scale is too small for the size of the Molson Reserve. However, they may be helpful in conjunction with sources such as soil surveys. Other data is available from Resources Canada .

Air Photos
The UQAM map library has a large collection of black and white air photos measuring approximately eight by nine inches. The scale varies from 1:4000 (close-up) to 1:22000 (further away), and dates vary from 1930 to the late 1980s. The McGill map library also has several air photos. Air photos can be purchased from the libraries of the provincial and federal governments or from a local store (4). Air photos can also be enlarged up to eight times. Specific flight lines and photo numbers are indicated in Appendix A (Table A2).

Water quality of the shoreline
A study of the regional park of Ile Perrot shows that the shoreline has a high level of pollutants, likely due to pollution of Lac des Deux Montagnes (6). Data collected shows that the water has a high pH (around 8.4, alkaline), is well oxygenated, and rich in calcium and magnesium. The Centre du Lac des Deux Montagnes provides current information on water quality (7).

Climate Data
Historical climate records are available from several weather stations near Ile Perrot. This data is available from both Environment Canada (8) and Environment Quebec (9)and both of these centers collect data from the following stations:

• Dorval (1941-1999): Daily high and low temperature, daily precipitation, hours of sunshine (daily) wind (hourly), dew point, vapour pressure, and upper air pressure
• Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue (1993-1999): Daily high and low temperature, daily precipitation and wind (hourly)
• Pointe-du-Moulin (1973-1994): Daily high and low temperature and daily precipitation.
• Les Cèdres (1913-1999): Daily high and low temperature and daily precipitation.

Precipitation analysis is also carried out by Environment Quebec and measures ionic concentrations of various compounds, such as sulphates and nitrates (10). Unfortunately, the closest stations are located at Hemmingford, St-Simon, St-Hippolyte, and Ste-Madeleine . These are a fair distance from Ile Perrot and may not be very useful. Nevertheless, it would be worthwhile to access the available data and perhaps carry out some regular monitoring of rainwater at the reserve itself.

Air Quality
The Montreal Urban Community (MUC) analyses atmospheric pollution (11). The nearest MUC station is at the McGill agronomy facility in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Measurements include concentrations of chemicals such as nitrates, sulphates, and ozone. Datasets can be ordered which span several years starting in 1993.

BIOTIC INFORMATION (back to top)
Vegetation
A study of the overstory trees was done on the Molson Reserve in 1976 (12). It records the dominant tree species and their frequencies, and analyses forest maturity. The dominant trees at that time were Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Tilia Americana (basswood), and Fagus grandifolia (beech). Maturity of the forest was given a rank of 9.05 out of 100, indicating a young forest.

A study of the understory plant species was done on the Molson Reserve in 1975 (13). It records the frequency and density of 66 plant species. The main species found were Taxus canadensis (ground hemlock), Dryopteris austriaca var spinulosa and Dryopteris marginalis (shield ferns), and Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern). Plant samples from this study were put in the McGill Herbarium at Macdonald Campus . In 1990 another brief vegetation survey of a small portion of the Molson Reserve was done (14). A vascular plant survey of the Molson Reserve, which began in 1998, should be completed in the summer of 2000 (15)

Birds
In the summer of 1998, while performing a vegetation inventory of the Molson Reserve, a student kept track of the birds seen and/or heard . This checklist contains a total of 66 bird species with their respective status and abundance (16). In addition, there are a variety of websites that indicate which species likely occur in the Ile Perrot region. The Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of the Birds (P.Q.S.P.B.) has a checklist of the Birds of Montreal and the Canadian bird trend database maintains a list of birds that occur in the Mixed woodland plains.

Mammals
There seem to be no records of mammal inventories on the Molson Reserve. However, there are many mammal inventories of the Montreal region and these could approximate which species are likely to occur on the reserve (Appendix B, Table B1). Inventories include a mammal list of the Mirabel airport region northeast of the Molson Reserve, and various publications of mammals of southern Quebec.

Amphibians and Reptiles
In the past, many parts of Ile Perrot were marshy, boggy woodlands, which formed an ideal area for a wide variety of birds and other animals such as amphibians and reptiles (herptiles, herpetofauna). Ile Perrot has attracted many herpetologists and a variety of studies have been performed on the island. A survey of the herpetofauna present on Ile Perrot was completed in the 1970s (17). In 1990, a brief inventory of herptiles was performed in what is now the Molson Reserve site (14). In addition, Saint-Laurent Vision 2000 names a few species of heptiles found on the reserve.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH (back to top)
With limited time and a large amount of data to be gathered, there are still some aspects that need to be researched. These include:

• from the National Soil Database one can obtain computer readable files which contain soil, landscape, and climate data for Canada . It is a national archive for land resources information that was collected by federal and provincial field surveys, or created by land data analysis projects. We are unaware if any information on Ile Perrot is available but it is an avenue worth exploring;
• since Ile Perrot has undergone various changes throughout the years including urban construction, new drainage systems, railroads, etc., historical data could provide valuable insights. All historical land use information on the area should be in the property registry office (18). Research on a specific area can be obtained with the lot numbers;
• ornithological organization that occur in the area can also be contacted;
• professors may also know of research that occured in the area.