Uisge Ban Falls EarthCache

Nova Scotia has a rich diversity of landscapes not found in many areas of comparable size in Canada.

The landscape surrounding Uisge Ban Falls is a product of incredibly powerful forces which have shaped and reshaped the area over 5 billion years. Formation of the earth's landmasses, tremendous volcanic activity, collision of continents, mountain-building, massive erosion and glaciation, have all played a role in shaping Nova Scotia's landscapes.

Traditionally, the term "landscape" has been viewed as an artistic or aesthetic concept, being an expansive area of scenery observed from a single vantage point. Today, "landscape" is also used to describe areas which have common patterns of topography (or landforms) and vegetation. Individual landscapes may contain many different landforms, each having its own characteristic or particular mix of vegetation. The combination of a specific landform and its associated vegetation is known as a "landscape ecosystem". Thus, each landscape is composed of a recurring pattern of landscape ecosystems.

Within the immediate vicinity of Uisge Ban Falls, you will encounter three distinct landscapes: (1) The Cape Breton Boreal Plateau, (2) The Interior Steep Slopes, and (3) The Central Cape Breton Hills.

1. THE CAPE BRETON BOREAL PLATEAU
The Cape Breton Boreal Plateau is an extensive, elevated, relatively level surface, which is bounded by steep, sometimes cliff-like slopes and is surrounded by much lower lowlands. This landscape has few lakes and is moderately dissected by slow-moving rivers. Its generally well drained, shallow, sandy loam soils are derived from very old granite, gneiss, and schist rock types.

As a result of its high elevation (300 to 450 meters above sea level) and its being surrounded by major water bodies, the climate of the Cape Breton Boreal Plateau Landscape is cool, moist, and windy year round. This type of climate produces a "maritime boreal forest". Unlike the continental boreal landscape of central Canada, with its white and black spruce and jack pine forests, the Cappe Breton Boreal Plateau Landscape is dominated by balsam fir. White spruce, white birch, and mountain ash are minor but consistent components of this landscape.

The two major landscape ecosystems of this landscape are the well-drained gently undulating coniferous (balsam fir forests)terrain; and the poorly drained flat coniferous(balsam fir, black spruce forests) terrain.

2. THE INTERIOR STEEP SLOPES
The Interior Steep Slopes Landscape is a complex of steep canyons. It forms the interface between the elevated Cape Breton Boreal Plateau and the lower Central Cape Breton Hills landscapes. Major river systems, such as the Baddeck River, originate in the boreal plateau, plunge down the steep slopes (approximately 300 meters in height), to eventually empty into the Bras d'Or Lakes. Soil and rock types of this landscape are simliar to those found in the boreal plateau - well drained shallow sandy loams derived ancient granites, gneiss, and schists.

Major landscape ecosystems found in the Interior Steep Slopes Landscape are steep-sided canyons with deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. Dominant tree species include sugar maple, yellow birch, beech, white spruce and balsam fir. Pockets of pure eastern hemlock forests can be found along the lowers slopes of many of the major canyons. Provincially rare and uncommon plants occur in the canyons.

3. THE CENTRAL CAPE BRETON HILLS
The Central Cape Breton Hills Landscape, bounded to the north by the steep slopes associated with the Boreal Plateau and to the south by the waters of the Bras d'Or Lakes, is characterized by rolling hills and large river valleys. The northern portion of this landscape is dissected by the lower valleys of the Baddeck River and the North River. Soils consist of deep, well drained sandy loams developed from conglomerates and sandstones and of poorer drained clay loams developed from shales.

Follow the trail through the canyon to arrive at the earth cache site.

1. Upload a picture of you and/or your GPSr at the upper plunge pool (the top of the lower falls)
2. Estimate the total height of the falls
3. Describe the vegetation in the canyon near the falls.

(if you can't do the climb to the upper plunge pool, don't worry about it...just a pic of the falls from the trail will do)