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Furbish's
Lousewort: Rare Plant of the Saint John
River
It has a very peculiar name - and some
very fussy habits. The tall (75 centimetre),
spiky perennial herb with tubular yellow
flowers, known as Furbish's Lousewort, a
member of the snapdragon family, is found
nowhere else in the world but the Saint
John River valley. It grows only on the
river's upper stretch, in the area of Perth-Andover,
New Brunswick and Aroostock County, Maine,
and it demands highly specialized habitat
conditions, preferring north or west-facing
areas at the foot of sloping, shaded riverbanks.
It is not surprising, given its ecological
eccentricities, that Furbish's Lousewort
is classified as an endangered species in
both Canada and the United States. It is
considered to be "narrowly endemic"
to the Saint John River, because it is restricted
to a small geographic region.
Naturalist's Nickname - When the
species was discovered in 1880 by Maine
naturalist and botanical artist Kate Furbish,
Harvard University botanist Sereno Watson
named it in her honour. Although he called
it "Miss Furbish's Wood Betony,"
the plant became commonly known by the less
noble name of Furbish's Lousewort, reflecting
its affiliation with at least 500 other
species of lousewort around the world. A
few sporadic collections of the species
were made during the following decades,
but a 1975 American report on its status
described it as "probably extinct."
Researchers conducting an environmental
impact study in the area in 1976 were surprised
to "rediscover" the unusual plant.
Recent estimates of the New Brunswick population
of Furbish's Lousewort have placed the number
of plants at less than 1,000, occurring
within 3 sites between the international
boundary above Grand Falls and the mouth
of the Aroostook River. Population densities
are higher in Maine, with several thousand
plants in the area between Big Black River
and Fort Kent.
Please Disturb! - When it comes
to habitat, Furbish's Lousewort is high-strung
and discerning, demanding growing conditions
that only a few sections of river valley
can provide:
• It grows only in areas that are subject
to natural disturbance by flooding, ice-scouring,
and "slumping" of earth, trees
and brush. The plant relies on disturbance
to eliminate competing vegetation and create
new areas for colonization. Its deep roots
keep it anchored to the bank, allowing it
to survive when other vegetation is torn
away.
• It prefers relatively steep, moist,
north or northwest-facing slopes that are
shaded for most of the day by a continuous
canopy of trees (Eastern Spruce/Fir or Aspen/Birch)
higher up the riverbank.
• It is pollinated by only 1 species
of bumblebee, Bombus vegans.
• It requires well-drained, sandy loam
soils with high calcium, low nitrogen, and
a pH ranging from 5.2 - 7.8.
Conservation Connections: Riverside
development, forestry, littering and recreational
use of the riverbank are all threats to
the survival of the fragile Furbish's Lousewort.
In 1990, the Nature Conservancy of Canada
acquired a lousewort site near Andover and
deeded it to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
In 2002, the New Brunswick Department of
Natural Resources and Energy established
a team of biologists, stakeholders and government
representatives to develop a recovery strategy
for the species. And in Maine, volunteer
task forces and landowner education programs
are contributing to Furbish Lousewort conservation.
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An
Uncertain Future for the Yellow
Rail
Smaller than a Meadowlark, a
little larger than a sparrow,
the similarly chunky, short-tailed,
round-winged Yellow Rail, with
its streaked, tawny-coloured
back, buff yellow breast and
yellow bill, is an elusive marsh
bird that is in danger of losing
its habitat. The species' main
breeding grounds are on James
Bay and western Hudson Bay,
although limited populations
occur in the southern prairie
provinces and the St. Lawrence
Valley. In New Brunswick, a
small breeding population of
about 100 Yellow Rail is found
in Grand Lake Meadows
on the Lower Saint John River.
The area's shallow marshes and
grassy floodplains provide made-to-order
habitat for this solitary and
very secretive bird. But a dwindling
supply of wetland habitat across
Canada, and a critical shortage
of wintering grounds in the
southern United States (now
just 7% of breeding habitat)
are threatening the species
as a whole; in 1999, the Committee
on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
designated the Yellow Rail as
Vulnerable. |
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Mild Meadows of the Lower
Saint John
Just past Woodstock, New Brunswick, the
south-flowing Saint John River turns east,
into the southern centre of the province.
As it heads toward the city of Fredericton,
and the tidal influences that reach as far
inland as the Mactaquac Dam, it begins to
broaden. Below Fredericton, between the
communities of Oromocto and Lower Jemseg,
the river settles into a low-lying basin
and spreads over the floodplain into an
area of marshy islands, creeks and backwaters,
before heading south into its tidal estuary
and the Bay of Fundy. In contrast to the
harsher climate and rugged highlands of
its northern New Brunswick stretches, the
Lower Saint John is a mild and mellow waterway,
fringed with reeds and filled with an abundance
of waterfowl and wildlife.
Largest Lake: On the northeast side
of the river, in the Sheffield/Jemseg area,
lies the entrance to Grand Lake. At 16,500
hectares, Grand Lake is New Brunswick's
largest inland body of water; it acts as
a heat sink, moderating temperatures and
creating a warm, dry micro-climate that
supports tree species - bur oak, ironwood,
basswood, butternut, white ash, green ash
and silver maple - that are almost exclusive
to the ecoregion.
Largest Wetland: Along
the floodplain of the Saint John River itself,
extending from Upper Maugerville to the
north and Lower Jemseg to the southeast,
stretches Grand Lake Meadows, Atlantic Canada's
largest wetland. It is a rich, temperate,
abundant area of deciduous forest, freshwater
marshes, freshwater streams and salt and
brackish marshes. The significance of the
Meadows in the Lower Saint John ecosystem
has been recognized by 3 official designations:
• Grand Lake Meadows Protected
Area - An 11,617 hectare site within
the 20,000 hectare Meadows, officially established
by the New Brunswick Ministry of Natural
Resources and Energy in May of 2000. Recreational
activities such as fishing, hunting, trapping,
motorized boating, hiking and bicycling
are permitted in the area, but forestry,
mining, sand and gravel extractions, and
construction of new infrastructures are
not allowed.
• Portobello Creek National Wildlife
Area - A 1,970 hectare reserve near
the Saint John River at Oromocto, just south
of Fredericton. Paddle your canoe through
the area's waterways to see Osprey, Belted
Kingfisher, Northern Waterthrush, Spotted
Sandpiper, Great Blue Heron, and Beaver.
• Lower Saint John River (Sheffield/Jemseg)
Important Bird Area - Bird Studies Canada,
BirdLife International and the Canadian
Nature Federation have identified the Oromocto
section of the Saint John River as an Important
Bird Area of Canada (IBA), based on it breeding
population of the nationally vulnerable
Yellow Rail and its nationally significant
populations of Black Tern and Greater Scaup.
The River that
Runs Backwards
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Trees
of the River's Edge
Rare stands of Bur Oak, a member
of the White Oak group of hardwoods,
have been identified in several
locations along the Saint John
River riverbank and floodplain
between Perth-Andover and the
city of Saint John. The trees
are not common to the rest of
New Brunswick and are more typical
of warmer, southern climates.
The moderated temperatures of
the Lower Saint John River support
hardwood species not found in
other part of the province,
including Silver Maple, Basswood,
Butternut and Ironwood. Researchers
suggest that temperate species
such as Bur Oak were once abundant
in the Saint John River Valley,
but have been drastically reduced
by agriculture, logging and
hydroelectric developments. |
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No other river in the world reaches its
mouth in such a dramatic and remarkable
fashion. After flowing calmly and expansively
through its estuary for at least 100 kilometres,
the Saint John reaches the city of Saint
John and the Bay of Fundy. Just as it nears
its end, it is squeezed through a narrow
gorge that drops down into a deep pool.
Between Fallsview Park and a landmark pulp
and paper mill in Saint John, the funneled
water tumbles wildly into the Bay of Fundy,
forming a thunderous series of rapids and
whirlpools.
But that is only the beginning of the spectacle.
The Bay of Fundy, which receives not only
the water of the river, but also the tides
of the Atlantic Ocean, is shaped like a
funnel in the opposite direction.
Just as the water of the river is squeezed
down into the bay, the rising tidewater
of the ocean is squeezed up by the
steadily narrowing sides and ever-more-shallow
bottom of the bay. The incoming tide eventually
reaches the height of the falling river,
and for 20 minutes, the forces of nature
seem to hold their breath. The noise of
the river's rapids is silenced, and the
surface of the water is perfectly still.
Then, a startling phenomenon occurs. The
water level in the Bay of Fundy continues
to rise above the level of the river. The
force of the incoming tide overpowers the
current of the outgoing river, and the water
of the Saint John begins to flow upstream
- completely in reverse. New rapids form
in the river, flowing in the other direction,
and the effect of the tide is felt as far
upriver as the city of Fredericton, almost
120 kilometres northwest of Saint John.
Finally, the bay tides begin to fall and
the upstream flow of the river gradually
lowers to the level of the river. After
another period of complete calm (known as
a "slack tide"), the bay tides
continue to fall, and the river begins to
flow back out into the bay. At low tide,
the rapids below the river are once again
at full boil.
The tide in the Bay of Fundy
rises and falls once about every 12 ½
hours. View the natural wonder of the "reversing
falls" from a vantage point at Saint
John's Fallsview Park, and learn more about
the tidal phenomenon at the Reversing Falls
Visitor Information Centre. Speedboat rides
through the rapids and sightseeing tours
of the falls and port of Saint John can
be arranged with a private tour company. |
