Peat bogs of Terrebonne

The peaty of Terrebonne are vastest interior moist environments of all the metropolitan region of Montreal. They are located at Terrebonne, in the northern suburbs of the town of Montreal.

Located between the Autoroute 640 and an agricultural zone on the North-South axis and between two park industrialists on the East-West axis, these public grounds belonging to the federal government have the considerable size of 633 hectares, which is equivalent to more: 1260 grounds of football.

Description

A little more half of this vast natural space is occupied by moist environments four types, Tourbière S, Marécage S, Marais and pond S. the peat bogs dominate clearly, occupying more of two thirds of the total surface area of moist environments, they are followed by the marshes which occupy almost all space remaining hardly leaving a hectare for the marshes and the ponds. The remainder of the 633 hectares public grounds is occupied by diversified forests and River.

The exceptional ecological characteristics of these 633 hectares make of it a mosaic of habitats without comparable for the fauna and the local Flore. It should be understood that many animal species depend at the same time on moist environments and the wooded grounds since they pass certain parts of their life in the two mediums. Summary inventories made it possible to identify several species with precarious status on the site.

Environmental questions

The peat bogs of Terrebonne play an important part at the regional level in what milked with the water quality and of the habitats of the rivers of the Thousand-Islands and Mascouche. It is important to know that many brooks take their source directly in these mediums which are divided into two basins slopes. The pure water restored by the peat bogs of Terrebonne is thus redistributed towards the two rivers. Thus, these moist environments influence the quality and the quantity of the contributions of water towards the rivers which are essential with the populations like with the faunal habitats and floristic which is there.

The Ministry for Sustainable development, the Environment and the Parks of Quebec (MDDEP) recognizes these moist environments as being of national importance and also recognizes the impact of this medium on the species most threatened of its territory, the Chevalier coppered. This fish species is only the vertebrate endemic one in Quebec. The coppered Knight was designated besides as in the process of disappearance by the government of Canada. The factors which contribute to its decline are the increase in the sediments in the rivers, the pollution and the construction of stoppings. The world population of the coppered Knight is estimated at a few hundreds of individuals and the peat bogs of Terrebonne contribute concretely to the maintenance of the habitat of this fish.

The peat bogs of Terrebonne are currently not protected by some designation that it is. Industrialist development projects are being studied in the sector. In July 2006, a large company of restoration had been struck of a fine of 300000$ to have built a distribution center without authorization moist environments belonging to this ecosystem

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