Forgotten Forestsof the Prairies

Fort DuFFerinemersonmanitoba, CanaDa

Self-guiding interpretive trail

Forgotten Forestsof the Prairies

Welcome! You are about to enter a rare and unique ecosystem - the riverbottom forest. these strips of forest lining our prairie waterways provide us with important ecological services.

Watch for the number posts along the trail to read along in this brochure. it takes approximately 3/4 hour to walk one way, 1.6km. You can return by the trail - it is surprising how the trail looks different walking in the other direction - or return on the road along Manchester avenue.

On the trailin summer bring along and watch for poison ivy and stinging nettles.Wear blaze orange during deer hunting season - September to december.

fort dufferin

Old Campground

Fort Dufferin trail systemtrailheadsstops 1-9Forgotten Forests trail 1.6 kmPoints West trailtrans Canada trail

Explore the forest in different seasons:

sPring - the riverbottom forest is wet, slippery, newly emerged from the swollen river, and in some places still impassable. plants are bright green, not the dark greens of summer or the earth tones of autumn or the stark greys on white of winter. You will see tangles of bare skeletons - bone yards of trees - piled throughout the forest.

summer - in the heat of summer you step into another world - dark, damp, hidden. it is like a tropical jungle with patches of thick vegetation, birds calling, water crossings, poisonous plants, vines climbing trees and bugs swarming around your head.

Fall - the forest is rich and warm, full of earthy colours and smells. leaves are decaying, bringing nutrients to the forest floor and into the food chain - harvest time in the forest.

Winter - the forest is still and quiet, shelter from the wind. a jackrabbit pads softly on snow, leaving prints like big bedroom slippers. at dusk the great horned owl glides silently down the trail, breakfast firmly gripped in its talons.

from the summer buzz of mosquitoes to the silence of winter - the forest is full of contrasts. visit often and in every season to understand and appreciate our forgotten riverbottom forests.

stinging nettlesYou will find this irritating plant (Urtica dioica) in the riverbottom forest. It is armed with hairs like poison spears. Each tiny hair is hollow. At the base of the hair is a wee drop of formic acid. When you brush against the plant the hairs break and inject their acid. This causes a burning or itching feeling. The First Nations used the stem to make cord, harvesting it after the frost when there was no more sting.

stop 1: beforeBefore the waves of settlers came to the prairies to work the land and feed the world, the plain was a sea of grass and wildflowers. Before settlers planted trees and shrubs for shelter, nothing but grassland stretched out before you. Before settlement, wildfires - called the red buffalo - raged across the land consuming grass, shrubs and trees.

the only place trees and shrubs managed a foothold were along the rivers and streams of the prairies. these ribbons of trees are the riverbottom forests - the forgotten forests of the prairies.

You are standing on the terrace of the riverbottom forest - the upper level. to the west were the grasslands of the great plains. this is the edge of the forest - marked by the stately oaks. the bur oak, with its thick corky bark, could withstand the grass fires so it grows here on the dry upper edge of the forest. look closely at the trees around you - can you see the charred marks of past fires?

Weevils, wood ducks, white-tailed deer and every colour of squirrel love to eat acorns.

Bur Oak (QUErcUs mAcrocArpA)

WilD graPeAs you walk down from the terrace onto the floodplain and across the clearing, look to your right at the wild grape (Vitis riparia) covering the fallen tree. Like most wild fruit the native grape is more flavourful and tart than the cultivated variety. They make great jelly. Watch for wild grapes along the trail – make sure you have the right plant if you plan on picking them. Wild grape looks similar to poisonous Virginia creeper.

Oak trees can live up to 300 years in Manitoba. these oaks are likely 100 to 120 years old. When steamboats and settlers poured into the province, most riverbottom forests were clear-cut for fuel and building.

arChiveS O

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terraCe flOOdplain Channel Shelf

Bur OakBasswood

green ash

Manitoba Maple

american elm

Cottonwood

Willow

Waterway

Can

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Fo

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stop 2: terrace - Floodplain - Channel shelfas you walked deeper into the forest you have moved from the terrace down onto the floodplain - the second level of the riverbottom forest. the trees and understorey plants are thicker here. to know which level you are on, look at the tree species around you.

The floodplain, as the name suggests, is a flat plain on either side of the river that floods frequently. When the river floods it deposits nutrient-rich sediment carried along in the water. every spring and during heavy rains, fertile sediment is deposited on the floodplain. the rich sediment encourages lush growth, but it also brings undesirable nonnative plant seeds with it.

the lowest level of the riverbottom forest is the channel shelf next to the water. You will see that further down the trail - watch for the big cottonwoods.

unWelComeIn the open areas where the trees have fallen and the sun can penetrate to the forest floor, you find common burdock (Arctium minus) taking over – choking out native plants. In spring ghostly stems of last year’s plants tower over you, like stick fingers pointing to the height they will reach in summer. Burdock leaves look like rhubarb leaves. They become massive by midsummer, adding to the jungle feel of the riverbottom forest. This nonnative plant has spread considerably in the last 150 years – which is no wonder when a plant can produce 18,000 seeds. Are you carrying any seeds? Look for burrs on your sweater.

You have reached the intersection with the trans Canada trail - turn to your right (south) and follow this historic trail for a while. Maps

for the tCt in Manitoba are available at www.geomapmanitoba.com or www.canadamapsales.com.

stop 3: unique & rarethin ribbons of green are stitched along the rivers of the grasslands on north america’s great plains. Our riverbottom forests are unique and rare ecosystems. they are unique because they are forests in the grassland of the prairies ecozone. they are a blend of grassland, forest and aquatic ecosystem side by side. riverbottom forests are becoming rare because of landscape changes - clearing for city and agricultural expansion as well as the effects of dutch elm disease and invading nonnative plants.

The three levels of forest - terrace, floodplain and channel shelf - make for a diverse habitat within a narrow width. the lush growth in the floodplain, from the annual spring sediment deposit, increases the diversity. add to that the presence of water and you have one of the most productive and diverse wildlife habitats on the prairies.

there are many unique features of the riverbottom forest that you will not commonly find in other forests, like the abundance of vines. look for the virginia creeper climbing a tree.

virginia CreePer

(Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

berries are poisonous to people but not birds. The flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds.

The yellow tall coneflowers (rudbeckia laciniata) you see along the trail are found in riverbottom forests and other moist places.

Forest vinesTarzan might not be swinging through the riverbottom forest but there is no shortage of vines. Woody and non-woody vines are characteristic of riverbottom forests and are most often found on the floodplain level, like the wild grapes. Vines are well adapted to grow in forests with thick canopies, where they climb other plants to reach the nourishing sunlight. some of the other native and nonnative vines and climbers to look for in our prairie river forests are:

Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) hog peanut (Amphicarpa bracteata)

Carrion flower (smilax herbacea)Wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)

common hops (Humulus lupulus)Wild peavine (Lathyrus venosus)

clematis (clematis sp.)

COMMOn hOpS(HUmULUs LUpULUs)

CarriOn flOWer(smILAx HErBAcEA)

YellOW tall COneflOWerS(rUdBEckIA LAcINIATA)

stop 4: D.e.D.Our forest is changing. the american elm was once the dominant tree in the riverbottom forest. But the elms are dying. dutch elm disease (d.e.d.) is caused by a fungus that blocks water movement in the tree, like something blocking your blood vessels, killing the tree. the disease has been travelling from the united States down the red river, carried by elm bark beetles contaminated with the fungus spores.

if you are wondering if a dead tree is an elm, break off a piece of bark. a cross-section of elm bark is like a stack of Oreo cookies - alternating light dark light dark.

as the elms die they are replaced with green ash, or in some places basswood, as the dominant tree. You are witnessing a change in the forest; your grandchildren may not know the magnificent elms that we see today. Their riverbottom forest will likely be dominated by green ash. no one is predicting how the change will affect the understorey plants.

BaSSWOOd(TILIA AmErIcANA)

aMeriCan elM (ULmUs AmErIcANA)

elM Beetle

To find out more about D.E.D. contact Manitoba Conservation or the City of Winnipeg. if you have elm trees you would like to protect, there is a fungicide injection. unfortunately, it would be too expensive to treat all the elms in the riverbottom forest.

Forest banDitoUnder the cover of darkness the masked bandit leaves the forest to forage in field and garbage can. raccoons are omnivores – like humans they eat a little of everything. Their preferred haunt for foraging is along the riverbank and riverbottom forest, unless there are easy pickings nearby. In the forest they munch on grapes, gooseberries, frogs, mice, grasshoppers, crickets and their favourite – crayfish. during the day the raccoon rests in its den – a hollow in an elm, maple or basswood – about three metres off the ground. Look for an opening 20cm to 40cm across. Nothing says riverbottom forest like the raccoon.

green aSh (FrAxINUs sUBINTEgErrImA)

BaSSWOOd(TILIA AmErIcANA)

stop 5: Forest giantsOn the lowest level of the forest, the channel shelf, you find willow and the giant eastern cottonwoods. Cottonwoods can also grow in wet areas of the floodplain. This huge giant is 508cm or 200 inches around. there are some that are even bigger in this forest.

if you are a landowner with a riverbottom forest woodlot, it is best not to harvest the cottonwoods or willows from the channel shelf. these trees, and any others along the shelf, are important for bank stability and preventing erosion. they are also important wildlife habitat for birds, small mammals and aquatic life. Manitoba Conservation can provide woodlot owners information on managing riverbottom forest.

Cottonwoods provide food for the tiger swallowtail caterpillar.

eaStern COttOnWOOdS (popULUs dELToIdEs)

Jungle DuCkThe colourful male wood duck is a fitting bird for a jungle. The wood duck’s iridescent feathers shimmer with rich greens, blues and purples. The wood duck is canada’s only perching duck. It nests in tree cavities created by large woodpeckers, often in old giant cottonwoods. shortly after the young ducklings hatch, the mother coaxes them to jump from their safe nest down to the ground. From there she leads them to the river where they learn to feed on aquatic plants. Wood ducks often return to the same nesting cavity year after year. riverbottom forests are ideal habitat for the wood duck.

WOOd duCkSfeMale and Male

stop 6: earth’s arteriesa river starts as a trickle pulled downhill by gravity. it becomes a stream. Streams join and flow into a river, growing deeper, broader and more diverse. to better understand a river, we should also look back up the streams from where it came.

rivers are earth’s arteries. they circulate water and nutrients through the land. like our blood vessels they need to be kept healthy. What goes into the system in one place will be transported downstream through the system. What is added to many streams will concentrate in the river.

riverbottom forests are the walls of the arteries. they keep the system healthy and functioning. they provide structure, keep the walls strong, filter and cleanse.

granDmas oF the riverLike great sea turtles, these grand old beasts leave the water and slowly make their way through the forest in search of sandy soil to lay their eggs, then trudge back again. You might see one warming itself in the sun on an old log or foraging for plants and carrion at the river’s edge. The snapping turtle can live to be fifty years old and has a reputation for being grumpy. If you encounter one on shore, keep your distance. They are nicknamed snappers for a reason. The muddy red river is ideal habitat for the snapper, our largest reptile.

Without a vegetation buffer strip beside a stream or river, the channel spreads out and becomes shallow. the forest provides structure for the channel. look across the river to the other bank. Can you see trees that have slid into the water? Red River gumbo, a mixture of clay and silt, is a weak cohesive for riverbank material. You often see bank failures or large blocks of the riverbank sliding into the water, particularly on the outside bend - where you are standing. if the forest was removed it is likely these high steep banks would soon slump into the river.

Snapping turtle

stop 7: home to millionsMillions of creatures live in and along the river, from single-cell life forms to insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. riverbottom forests are the most productive and diverse wildlife habitats on the prairies.

Bring your binoculars and bird book - riverbottom forests are great places for bird watching - and see how many species you can count on your walk. it is estimated that 130 bird species use riparian (river’s edge) areas in Agro-Manitoba - 96 species nest here, 75 species use it during migration and 21 species use it in winter. approximately 60 species of neotropical migrants can be found in these forests.

early european explorers reported elk bugling up and down the riverbottom forests of the Red River. You will not find elk here today but there are plenty of white-tailed deer. this forest is vital for the deer, providing cover and critical winter shelter. as you come to the next stop by a clearing - approach quietly. You often find deer bedding in the long grass during the day, especially fawns in spring and summer.

not far up the trail you will turn right, off the trans Canada trail - watch for the opening and marker.

YellOW-ruMped WarBler

home sWeet snagsnags, or dead standing trees, are abundant in the riverbottom forest. To you it might not seem like much, but a snag has lots going on under the surface. To a woodpecker the snag is home and picnic basket. The impressive pileated woodpeckers need snags with large diameters in which to build their homes. smaller species like the downy or hairy woodpecker excavate cavities in smaller trees, all of which can later be used by other animals. Watch for snags along the trail to see who might be stopping in for a meal or nesting. snags are home to many other animals – wood ducks, merganser, goldeneye, nuthatches, flying squirrels, bats…

stop 8: nature’s gifthave a seat and relax. this clearing is full of nonnative grasses telling us that it was once part of a homestead - perhaps a barn site. the forest has not grown back because it was a highly disturbed area. in time nature can repair some areas but not others. the riverbottom forest you walked through has grown back after being cleared 120 years ago.

any landowner will tell you we cannot control the weather, nor the flooding of the river. Our best bet is to use what nature provides us to minimize the impacts.

riverbottom forests are important for minimizing the impact of floods. As snow melts or heavy rains fall, they flow downhill. Before the water reaches the river, the forest vegetation slows the runoff, allowing it to be absorbed into the soil to recharge the aquifer. When runoff is slowed, flood peaks are reduced.

SMOOth BrOMe graSS (BromUs INErmIs)

COMMOn MilkWeed (AscLEpAIs sYrIAcA) iS hOSt tO the MOnarCh ButterflY

As the river water rises onto the floodplain, the forest slows its velocity or speed - reducing erosion and its destructive power. doubling the velocity of a river quadruples its erosive power and gives it 64 times more sediment-carrying power.

The forest also filters sediment from field runoff and river water. roots of the cottonwoods and other plants hold the riverbanks together and the forest can sometimes contain the destructive ice floes of spring floods.

After the 1997 flood, the International Joint Commission report recommended that “The natural floodplain ecosystem must be protected as part of the solution to reduce flood damage.” To find out more about flooding along the Red River visit the Flood of the Century exhibit at the red river floods interpretive Centre at Ste. agathe.

rich fertile land along our rivers is a gift of nature. nature also gives us riverbottom forests to help mitigate the effects of floods.

slime anD slitherWhat jungle would be complete without frogs and snakes? several species of amphibians and reptiles call our riverbottom forest home – none are poisonous. With water, woods, grasslands and lots of insects and other invertebrates to eat, this is a great habitat for frogs and toads. Have you seen any wood or leopard frogs along the trail? Where you find frogs and toads you will find the western plains garter snake to keep them in check. Leave the frogs and toads where they are – we need all of nature’s mosquito-eaters in the riverbottom forest.

WOOd frOg

leOpard frOg

stop 9: ConclusionOur forgotten forests are unique and rare ecosystems that provide many valuable ecological services. How many can you name? Check your list against ours.

if you want to contribute to the health of our riverbottom forests consider what you might do for them.

if you are a homeowner who lives near a creek or river, consider naturalizing your yard to reflect the native species found in a riverbottom forest.

if you are a landowner with property adjacent to the river consider leaving a buffer strip that includes all three levels of the forest - a strip of upper terrace is important to the functioning of the forest ecosystem. there are programs to help - Manitoba has an innovative riparian tax Credit. Some landowners may want to protect their land through programs offered by Manitoba habitat heritage Corporation or nature Conservancy of Canada.

You can sit and watch the wildlife here on the terrace or head back by either taking the trail out to the road or back along the way you came. if you take the trail back, count how many wildlife species you can hear or see on the way.

visit the forgotten forests of the prairies often to understand and appreciate their gifts.

riverbottom forest valuable Services:

flOOd MitigatiOn

· Slows runoff from spring melt or heavy rains - improving infiltration

and aquifer recharge while reducing flood peaks

· Slows river velocity - reducing erosion and sedimentation

· roots provide bank stability

· Can reduce impact of ice floes during spring flooding

CritiCal WilDliFe habitat

· Most productive and diverse wildlife habitat on the prairies

· important movement and migratory corridors

· permanent or seasonal source of water

· Can provide in-stream shade to reduce water temperatures and

benefit fish

· provides greater diversity of microhabitats including breeding and

feeding sites

· provides edge effect between forest and grasslands - great for deer

· provides cover and shelter, including crucial winter cover

· important for protecting aquatic habitat

CruCial Part oF a healthy rural lanDsCaPe

· Controls erosion and provides structure to the river channel,

preventing loss of land

continued on next page...

· Maintains water quality and filters non-point source pollution such

as sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen

· prevents loss of topsoil to river from water and wind erosion

· helps groundwater recharge, allowing water to be available later

in the season when needed

· leaves from deciduous trees bring energy to the food chain -

microbes and macroinvertebrates convert them to energy

· reduces greenhouse gases

· Selective harvesting in woodlots provides extra farm income

· provides a source of game

· provides a continuum of greenspace from the u.S. boundary to

lake Winnipeg

· provides local tourism opportunities

· Contributes to sustainable farm practices

Pleasure

· unique and rare place to explore in all seasons

· great place to watch an estimated 130 bird species

· provides wild fruit, nuts and mushrooms to harvest

· provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and a healthy

lifestyle

· provides outdoor education opportunities

For more information on riverbottom forests contact:

rivers West - red river Corridor association inc. (204) 987-4356

www.riverswest.ca & www.routesonthered.ca

Other organizations of interest:

manitoba habitat heritage Corporation - (204) 784-4350www.mhhc.mb.ca

the nature Conservancy of Canada - (204) 942-6156www.natureconservancy.ca manitoba Conservation, Forestry branch - (204) 945-7989www.gov.mb.ca

City of Winnipeg Forestry - (204) 986-7623www.city.winnipeg.mb.ca

manitoba Forestry association - (204) 453-3182 www.mbforestryassoc.ca

Canadian Wildlife Federation - 1-800-563-WilDwww.wildaboutgardening.org

two guidebooks for the area are:

plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen parkland by Johnson et al.

manitoba Birds by Bezener and de Smet

please return this brochure to the box to be reused if you do not wish to keep it.

the forgotten forests interpretive trail is brought to you through the support of Manitoba’s Sustainable development innovations fund

S. Dangerfield: Trail design, research & writingideaMonsters: graphic design & illsutrationgeoMap Manitoba: mapping

printed on recycled paperrivers West 2004

rivers West 2004