Vascular flora of sand barrens in the middle Ottawa Valley

Abstract

In order to provide information relevant to the protection of native vegetation of dry sandy openings in the middle Ottawa valley, species lists were produced for seven sites and descriptions based on quadrats wer obtained for four of these. The dominant species in terms of cover at four sites were Carex lucorum, Comptonia peregrina, Danthonia spicata, Prunus susquehanae and Vaccinium angustifolium. There was variation between sites in both species composition and cover as well as overall richness, the number of native species ranging from 34 to 63. Twelve regionally rare and four provincially rare species were recorded in the seven sites. The sand barrens are apparently long persisting, distinctive natural habitats dominated by native species, and they have been under-emphasized in planning for representative habitat protection. -from Authors