Reserve national fauna of the course Tourmente

Localization

The national reserve of fauna of the course Tourmente is located at Saint-Joachim, close to the town of Holy-Anne-of-Bowsprit. It is on northern bank of the Fleuve the St. Lawrence, to about fifty kilometers in the North-East of the town of Quebec, in the regional Municipalité of county of the Coast-of-Bowsprit and thus in the area of the Capital-Main road in Quebec (Canada).

It is possible to reach it by the road 138 Is connecting Quebec and the area of Charlevoix, via the Royale avenue of Saint-Joachim.

Four farms will be érigées there;: The Small-Firm , the Firm of the Rascal , the Firm of the end of the course and the Firm Knight . A fifth building, the Large-Firm , established in 1866 and recognized historic building by the Ministry for the culture and the communications of Quebec on July 28th, 1975, is located near the territory of the reserve.

Of 1747 with 1760, Joseph-Michel Junior, known as Caddé, becomes the new foreman with Small-Firm. It is named Boucher of the general King and “ munitionnaire of the News-France ” what gives him the responsibility to provide in material and equipment the colony and the King. He quickly becomes the richest man of News-France, which is worth a banishment of nine ans to him;: it is discovered that it sold at a disproportionate price with the King by sharing the profits with the intendant François Bigot and thus harming the interests of the colony.

The entry, free until in 1985, becomes paying and sudden then increases until in 1991, then in 1999. The cost of entry remains however lower than that of other sites of sport and ecotourism of the area of Quebec.

Site

The reserve of course Tourmente covers: 2,399 Hectare S (that is to say 23.99 km2) including 620 of Marsh in intertidal zone on the banks of the River the St. Lawrence, with the meeting of the geological areas of the Low-grounds of the St. Lawrence and the plate or shield laurentien. The meeting of the Cliff and the first kilometers of the Estuaire of the river causes a Microclimat where the winter is slightly less less cold but wetter than in the neighbouring areas and the fresher summer.

Four principal zones of the reserve can be distinguées :

the “marsh” with Scirpe of America, or intertidal marsh, whose extent is strongly influenced by the tides of the river, is located on the edges of the St. Lawrence. It is the principal place of food of the white geese at the time of their passage. The intertidal marsh and the coastal marsh are separated by the variation , a sudden unevenness a height varying between one and two meters.
the “marsh coastal”, normally with dryness, is covered by the highest tides with the autumn and spring. It makes only approximately 200 meters broad and is inhabited by many species of fond of delicacies wet ground birds.
the “plain”, agricultural sector lasting of the centuries, is inclined soft inclined towards the river. It is the site of hunting of several birds of prey which nourish there small Mammifère S.
the “cliff”: with the foot and on the slopes of cliff is a diversified mixed forest cash 22 forest settlements distincts : érablière, bétulaie, prucheraie, cédrière, pessière, pine forest, Alder plantation,…

Two small rivers, the brook of Small-Sault and the brook of the Rascal, go down from cliff, traverse the forest and the old fields before flowing in the St. Lawrence river.

Flora and fauna

Flora

Different the ecosystem S from the site comprises each settlement of flora typique ; one finds on the site approximately 700 species different of plants. The intertidal zone account of the important populations of scirpes of America ( Scirpus americanus ), of watery discords ( Zizania aquatica ) and of latifoliate Sagittarius ( Sagittaria latifolia ). Also, the presence of myric balsam trees, commonly called Wood-feel-good ( Myrica scale ), gives its name to the one of the hiking trails of the reserve. The marsh account finally of the Solidage of Canada ( Solidago canadensis ), the Salicaire ( Lythrum salicaria ), the tare jargeau ( Vitiated cracca ), the littoral Prêle ( Equisetum X litorale ) and the Impatiente of the Cape ( Impatiens capensis ). One meets in the fields , populated Céréale S, Saule S, Cerisier S and rough alders ( Alnus incana rugosa ).

The site is with the meeting of two forest areas Québécois. One can count in the érablière with yellow birch, rather present in the low-grounds laurentiennes, the maple with sugar ( Acer saccharum ), the yellow Bouleau ( Betula alleghaniensis Britton ), the Bouleau with paper ( Betula will papyrifera ), the pruche Is ( Tsuga canadensis ), the Hêtre with large sheets ( Fagus grandifolia ), the Western thuja ( Thuja occidentalis ), the Orme of America ( Ulmus americana ), the Peuplier balsam tree ( Populus trichocarpa ), the Ash of Pennsylvania ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica ), the Ash of America ( Fraxinus americana ), the Peuplier false-trembles ( Populus tremuloides ), the Peuplier with large teeth ( Populus grandidentata ) and the red Chêne ( Quercus will rubra ). The cliff shows characteristics of the Sapinière, forest of conifers more septentrional, where one meets the black spruce ( Picea mariana ), the Sapin balsam tree ( Abies balsamea ), the tamarack ( Picea rubens ) and the gray Pin ( Pinus banksiana ).

Reptiles, Amphibians and fish

Only the reptile met with regularity in the reserve is the striped Couleuvre. However, the wet grounds that one finds there are the habitat of several Amphibians like the tree frog crucifère, the Grenouille of wood, the clamping plate of America, the Ouaouaron, the green Grenouille, the Grenouille leopard and the Grenouille of North. Wooded the wet surrounding ones shelter also salamanders like the Salamandre at blue points and the striped salamander.

Several rare species are met with the course Tourmente, whose Bruant of Nelson, the migrating Pie-grièche, the frightens bell-towers and the Petit blongios. The large white goose niche in summer in the Canadian Arctique then establishes its winter quarters on the be-American coast. At the time from its two annual migrations, the whole of the population of large white goose makes halt to be restored on the banks of the Fleuve the St. Lawrence. With the autumn, the national reserve of fauna of the course Tourmente can with it only shelter at the same time of the flights of more than: 75,000 individuals. The large white goose is the subject of run festivals indeed, in particular in the city close to Saint-Joachim (the Festival of Snow goose ), and on southern bank of the river, with Montmagny (the Festival of white goose ).

Activities

The ornithological observation and the hiking belong to the main activities which can be practiced with the course Tourmente. In 2001 - 2002, a little more 56 000 people visited it.

The Center of interpretation of the biodiversity of the course Tourmente presents an exposure and projections on the history, the fauna and the Flore of the site. They are also the starting point several paths and certain activities as well as meeting place and information with naturalists and persons in charge of the site.

More than 25 kilometers of arranged paths allow to traverse different the ecosystem S from the park. The Variation and the Wood-feel-good , in wood pavements, make it possible to approach the banks of the river and to observe geese in hiding places provided with telescopes. The Shoveler duck , the Mocker-cat and the Carouge traverse the plains and côtoient the ponds arranged for the Sauvagine. The Petit-Saut follows the course of the homonymous brook. The Érablière , the Alder plantation , the Prucheraie , the Piedmont , the Cèdrière and the Pierrier explore the various forest settlements. Finally, the Cliff and the Cime make it possible to reach several points of observation to cliffside, giving a sight on the site, the river, the Île of Orleans and on the islands of the archipelago of Montmagny (like Grosse-Île, the Île in Ruaux and the Île with the Cranes.

Since 1972, in season, a Chasse fixed quotas for and strictly regulated with white goose is allowed in certain zones of the park. As the species is now considered in superabundance by the biologists, the objective of this hunting is to control the number of individuals in order to ensure the renewal of the marsh scirpe.

Gallery

The following photographs show various landscapes or interior national reserve of fauna of the course Tourmente.

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