Thousand Islands National Park

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The landform of the current Thousand Islands National Park was created in two stages; the folding of the Frontenac Axis which created an ancient mountain range which is an extension of the Canadian Shield to the Adirondack Mountains in New York, and the continental glaciation erosion that scraped and rounded the tops of the mountain range. During the receding of the glacier, a channel was carved out to the Great Lakes basin, where the dammed water and meltwater of the glacier filled the channel now known as the St. Lawrence River. The channels and paths between the eroded tops of the mountain range, which at the time formed a rolling landscape, were flooded with the travelling river, forming what we now call the St. Lawrence River.

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Lawrence River to the surrounding islands, creating a microclimate on some larger islands. The annual temperature of the park is 7° C, and endures an annual precipitation of approximately 970 mm, with most of it falling in the form of snow during the winter months. During the winter, the park has an average temperature of about -6.5° C and most of the river surrounding the islands freezes apart from some sections in which the current is very fast. The ice typically melts during late March - early April, but the land masses take quite a bit of time to warm up due to the climate moderation from the river. This pattern continues through the summer, where the temperature is moderate due to the climate moderation. The effects of climate moderation creates microclimates, which promotes a large habitat diversity in the small area of Thousand Islands National Park. The average frost-free period of the park’s islands is about 160 …show more content…

One of the major proposed plans is habitat restoration of land that has been previously disturbed due to agriculture. As a result of this land use, habitat damage has ensued, and so park managers would review current habitats to develop ecosystem restoration plans that will enhance the habitat quality over a sustainable period of time. They would use methods such as controlled hunting to reduce the population of white-tailed deer, and fire to remove vegetation which is dominating the landscape. Another proposed long-term plan would be for the park to work with its partners such as MEC and local businesses to understand the structure of the Thousand Islands region as a whole, which will lead to more informed and prepared management decisions that can have a lasting beneficial

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