The Réserve faunique des Chic-Chocs is a wildlife reserve of Quebec located in east of Parc national de la Gaspésie, in the administrative region of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in Quebec, Canada.
Location
Réserve faunique des Chic-Chocs is a wildlife reserve of Quebec located in the region of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine on the backbone of the Appalachian chain of Chic-Chocs, specifically in the regional county municipality of Haute-Gaspésie. Parc national de la Gaspésie borders the reserve to the west and the free territory borders the reserve to the east where part of the reserve is inside the park. This geographical location, on the outskirts of a protected territory where only the Gaspé Peninsula is not subject to the exploitation of natural resources (e.g.: forest and wildlife) is cataloged one of the main tourist regions of Quebec. To get there, you have to take route 299 from Mont-Saint-Pierre and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. Another option is to take route 198 via L’Anse-Pleureuse.
Description
The Chic-Chocs wildlife reserve is part of the network of wildlife reserve of Quebec which covers a territory of . This reserve was created in 1949, becoming the seventh oldest reserve in the province. It covers an area of which is divided into two distinct territories of 82.42 and , respectively. It is managed by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq). The creation of this reserve was intended to create a buffer zone in Gaspésie Park, while preserving an exceptional territory for wildlife and allowing better use of the territory. In other words, the preservation of wildlife habitats and natural landscapes in a perspective of integrated resource management.
Climate
Between 1981 and 2010, the Sainte-Anne-Des-Monts health resort, located from the reserve, reported a maximum daily temperature of in the month of July. The lowest daily minimum temperature was reported in February (). In this period of years, the month with the highest value of precipitation was that of July (). On the other hand, the snowfall varies from per year and the accumulation can reach in the area. southern part and double in the north.
Topography and hydrology
The territory is characterized by the Chic-Choc and McGerrigle mountain ranges. In this massif, about of altitude, are the Mont Jacques-Cartier which is the second highest summit of Quebec and the Hog's Back mountains (), Brown (), Vallières-de-Saint-Réal () and Blanche-Lamontagne () of altitude. The different altitudinal gradients, in addition to creating various microclimates which favor an exceptional diversity of species, form the most important hydrographic basins of the territory (the rivers Madeleine, Mont-Louis, Sainte-Anne, Mont-St-Pierre, Marsoui, small Cascapedia and Bonaventure rivers). These basins are very branched by virtue of streams which form more than linear. This wealth of water resources is also made up of , which represents 1% of the extent of the reserve (approximately ). In terms of biodiversity, these formations shape landscapes characterized by tundra on the tops of high mountains with vegetation that constitutes the habitat of a herd of wood caribou, the last representatives of this species south of the St. Lawrence River. The Chic-Chocs wildlife reserve is part of the ecological domains of the balsam fir to white birch and balsam fir to black spruce.
Forest cover
In the Chic-Chocs wildlife reserve, there are three bioclimatic domains, two of which are in the north of the reserve and the tundra on the highest peaks. A bioclimatic domain is a territory characterized by the nature of the vegetation where the balance between it and the climate is the main criterion for distinguishing between. domains.
Fir forest with black spruce
The Fir stand with black spruce is a forest cover characterized by old coniferous stands (fir stand), where the height growth of conifers is limited by the harsh climatic conditions that influence the Chic-Chocs mountain range. The trees have a reduced size (less than ) and signs of damage which are characterized by the position of the branches on one side only, by a digging and a sinuous trunk and multiple heads, including several dead.
Fir forest to white birch
To the northeast, the fir-white birch stand forms a forest landscape, characterized by stands of fir and white spruce, mixed with white birch at mesic sites. Forest dynamics in this area are encouraged by spruce budworm, as balsam fir is abundant there.