Niagara Escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment represents the largest contiguous stretch of primarily forested land in south-central Ontario. The biosphere reserve includes the greatest topographic variability in southern Ontario, with habitats ranging over more than 430 m in elevations and including Great Lakes coastlines, cliff edges, talus slopes, wetlands, woodlands, limestone alvar pavements, oak savannahs, conifer swamps and many others. These habitats collectively boast the highest level of species diversity among Canadian biosphere reserves, including more than 300 bird species, 55 mammals, 36 reptiles and amphibians, 90 fish and 100 varieties of special interest flora.The Niagara Escarpment stretches 725 km along the entire eastern edge of the Bruce Peninsula, a globally significant area covering 1,700 km2 at the tip of which lies Bruce Peninsula National Park. Within the park the escarpment forms the Georgian Bay shoreline and constitutes part of the core area of the biosphere reserve. The park consists of an array of habitats ranging from rare alvars to dense forests and clean lakes, with over 1,000-year-old cedar trees growing among the rugged cliffs. Along with Fathom Five National Marine Park, the Brice Peninsula National Park facilitates access to the shores of Lake Huron, the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world.