How a windswept forest ecosystem called krummholz could help protect P.E.I.'s shoreline - Action News
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PEI

How a windswept forest ecosystem called krummholz could help protect P.E.I.'s shoreline

A P.E.I. researcher is studying the unique forest ecosystem along the Island's shorelines known as krummholz, and the role it could play in protecting the coastline from future storms caused by climate change.

'They're a unique part of our Island ecology that just hasn't been studied'

Daniel McRae walks through the krummholz near the East Point lighthouse. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

A P.E.I. researcher is studying the unique forest ecosystem along the Island's shorelines known as krummholz.

Daniel McRaeis tryingto learn more about the impact of wind and erosion,and how the stunted, twisted vegetation calledkrummholz can help buffer the Island from increasing storms due to climate change.

"They're fascinating zones. They're a collection of different habitats. They happen in any windy coastal spot across P.E.I., so you have them up in North Cape, right to East Point," said McRae, who is with the non-profit Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project

"They're full of food. Tons of migratory birds, shorebirds. They're a unique part of our Island ecology that just hasn't been studied."

McRae says areas with krummholz have had less damage during extreme storms such as Dorian. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

"There are a lot of really rare interesting plants that you don't find in any other settings. So it has just gotten more and more interesting as we've gone along."

McRae said the word krummholz comes from Germany, where similar conditions appear in mountainous areas.

"My rough understanding is it means bent or crooked knee, and it's describing that shape of the trees which just bend horizontally," McRae said.

"In Newfoundland, they have similar conditions, but they're a more stone-based island, obviously. And so they call them tuckamore there."

Natural erosion buffer

McRae said the krummholz at East Point also points to another of the benefits of the ecosystem.

"They also are a natural erosion buffer. So rather than building a fence that takes a lot of work and then gets eroded away, these are roots setting into the ground," McRae said.

"Some of these trees here are probably over 100 years old, even though they're not that big."

Krummholz is a German word that means bent or crooked knee, which McRae says is how the trees look as they grow horizontally because of the wind. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

"They've been securing the shore, which is eroding quickly. But there's areas of the Island where it's all farmed and there's no krummholzing trees left there. Those are some of the fastest-eroding places on P.E.I."

McRae said Macphail Woods wants to see what selection of native plants grow on the windswept shorelines, and how they can start restoring some of these sites.

"These are really strong coastal habitats that resist these storms that are increasing with climate change," McRae said.

"Instead of putting shoreline rocks up, could we start re-establishing krummholz sites across these windy areas that would provide habitat benefits, pollination, water retention, cleaning our air? Awhole bunch of things as well as erosion."

A man with an orange vest and dark blue shirt points at alpine vegetation near a beach on a sunny day.
Daniel McRae, a researcher with the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, says krummholz is also studied in a lot of alpine settings, such as the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and in Newfoundland, it's known as tuckamore. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

Old forest

Kate MacQuarrie, P.E.I.'s director of Forests, Fish and Wildlife, is also a fan of krummholz.

"My favourite thing about krummholz is it's an example of original forest cover," MacQuarrie said.

"Really it's a habitat that you might expect to see further north or at higher elevation. P.E.I. is not far north by many standards, nor are we high elevation. So it's fun to see that."

Basin Head is another one of the sites where McRae is studying the krummholz as part of his research. (Submitted by Daniel McRae )

"Anywhere where you get that really brutal onshore winds in the winter and salt spray, where there's white spruce, you'll probably find krummholz," she said.

MacQuarrie said thekrummholzresearch is important because ofthe prediction of more storm events because of climate change.

"Krummholz has a really important role to play in protecting our shorelines," MacQuarrie said. "Think of Dorian not that long ago, some of the damage that it did to some man-made coastal forests. But the krummholz forest withstood it very well."

Overhead shot of windswept plants and brush near a beach.
Kate MacQuarrie says there are some plants that you can find in krummholz, such as crowberry and ground juniper, that you don't see everywhere on Prince Edward Island. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

"I'm optimistic that it's going to perform really well and if it does, it may be possible to restore some of the krummholz that we've lost."

MacQuarrie said she appreciates the workMacphail Woods is doing to studykrummholz.

"I think if you describe it, most Islanders will know what it is. I don't think people appreciate how truly important it is. And beautiful."

McRae's research includes looking at the role krummholz could play in protecting the coastline from future storms caused by climate change. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

McRae's research is being funded through a program co-led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the P.E.I. government.