By Joanne Rodgers,
Bruce Peninsula Press
At BPEG’s (Bruce Peninsula Environment Group) September Meeting, presenter Joachim Schmidt talked about the factors that impacted the soil forming processes on the Lion’s Head Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (A.N.S.I.) and Provincial Nature Reserve.
He started off the informative session by giving a brief review of the geology of the Escarpment as part of the Michigan Basin. He explained that some of the factors that lead to soil development are caused by climate, organisms in the soil, relief/topography, parent material such as rocks, fluvial deposits and time.
The intriguing evidence for postulated subglacial meltwater sheet flood events were discussed. He highlighted how the changing postglacial lake levels affected the area by superimposing the rise and fall of the water on a local topography map. He used the example of the berms, located on his Moore Street property and visible on the high resolution topographic relief as historic beach heads, evidence of the different lake levels. Schmidt compared soil profiles on one of the berms with a profile at the toe of the berm. The profile on the old beach head showed many layers of different size textures, from coarse sand to small pebbles, while the profile behind the berm was consisting of finer sandy material.
The presentation concluded by comparing the surface soils under a maple – beech forest with the topsoil under a pine stand.
BPEG’s next meeting is on Karst presented by Jenna McGuire, 1 Oct at 7 p.m, Anglican Church Hall, Lion’s Head.
