|
Mystic Vale is a forested ravine that was acquired by the University of Victoria in 1993 and is located outside the ring road to the southeast of campus. Its tree canopy is dominated by large specimens of Douglas-fir and grand fir. A few western red cedar also occur. Scattered among these conifers are deciduous trees such as bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, and willow. Some Garry oak is present at the forest edge. Canada's only native broadleaf evergreen tree, the arbutus, is also present. Mystic Vale proves to be one of the most popular green spaces on campus as thousands of students and community members use the area each year for recreational. The University is committed to the preservation of Mystic Vale and the surrounding Haro Woods to ensure the long-term health of the area as habitat for local flora and fauna. Several ecoaction groups and sustainability projects have been implemented to preserve the conditions of the ravine, including creating detention ponds to minimize stream bank erosion and removing invasive species like ivy, daphne and holly. From http://www.uvic.ca/anniversary/history/stories/icons/index.php Mystic Vale, 4.7 hectares (11.6 acres) of natural coniferous woodland, can be found in the southeast area of University of Victoria’s campus. Much of Mystic Vale comprises a steep-sided gully with slopes of 20–30° and belongs to the Hobbs Creek Watershed. The university campus is part of the Straits Coast Salish peoples’ traditional homeland. For thousands of years, Mystic Vale was utilized for harvesting plants, hunting and fishing. ==Eco-system== The “sensitive eco-system” of Mystic Vale features over 75 native plant and wildlife species including oceanspray, snowberry, Indian plum and sword fern. In fact, some species, such as rattlesnake plantain, stink currant and vanilla-leaf, are seldom found anywhere else around Victoria. The oldest verified trees in Mystic Vale are approximately 100 to 150 years old but some trees are likely between 350 and 500 years old. A wide-array of mammals inhabit the ravine including black-tailed deer, raccoons, eastern cottontail rabbits and bats. River otter tracks have been spotted along the creek bed and there was a rare cougar sighting in 2005. Birds found in Mystic Vale include the bald eagle, Cooper’s hawk, the great horned owl and five species of woodpeckers. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mystic Vale」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|