Pointe-Platon Ecological Reserve

IUCN Category Ia - Strict Nature Reserve

The water's edge of the St. Lawrence

The Réserve écologique de Pointe- Platon is furnished on an area of ​​59.38 ha in 1995 reserve in the south of the Canadian province of Quebec.

It is in the MRC Lotbinière on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River on the territory of the commune of Sainte- Croix. It protects a representative region of the riverine area, which is within reach of the tide.

The area forms two layers, which are separated by a cliff relatively sharply from each other. The deeper level is the Tidenzone. At the end of the last ice age about 12,000 years ago the glaciers Tillit left especially on the upper terrace, while the bottom is rather characterized by alluvial deposits. Since the area in the aftermath raised, found tree species such as the red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica ), the network - willow ( Salix reticulata ) and alder favorable locations. The peuple here deltoide called Canadian black poplar (Populus deltoides) preference is sandier sites, whose water flows faster.

The sugar maple preferred the cliffs that separate the two terraces another, of which there's often Asarum canadens or Canadian wild ginger from the kind of subungulates. The sugar maple prefers brown soil that does not dry out too much. The poplar Populus grandidentata, which is here called Peuplier à grandes dents, made ​​it a young forest above the reserve. The riverine zones are more dominated by Spartina pectinata from the kind of mud grasses.

43 plant species have so far been detected only in the Tidenzone. Four of the eight endangered plant species in the reserve are threatened. These are the Isoetes tuckermanii from the kind of Brachsenkräuter ( Isoetes ), the Lindernia dubia var inundata Pennell, which is called in Quebec lindernie litigieuse variété estuarienne, the à fleurs blanches Zizanie var naine, a Wasserreisart and Cicuta maculata var de Victorin from the kind of water hemlocks. The latter is endemic, that is found only here. Extremely rare in Québec is also living here philadelphicus Erigeron L., here called Vergerette de Philadelphie. It belongs to the genus of herbs profession.

The fauna is so far little explored. Many migratory birds seek the swampy Marais in spring and autumn. In many cases, you can meet at the Canada herons and numerous seabirds. Also, the white-tailed deer and elk can be found here. Nine species of amphibians, including six salamander species have so far been detected. Among these, the salamander Desmognathus fuscus Schwarzbäuchige Bach is at risk, which is here called Salamander sombre du Nord.