As you walk look for differences among the trees in the woodland.
On the higher, drier ground there are mainly hardwoods: sugar maple, walnut, ash, oak, and butternut. There are also the invasive species, buckthorn and Norwegian maple.
On the lower, wetter areas of the fen, there are softwoods such as cedar and tamarack. There are also water-tolerant hardwoods: red maple, willow, alder and swamp oak.
The distinction is botanical rather than physical. All needle-leaved, cone-bearing trees are scientifically classified as softwoods, while broad-leaved, deciduous trees are classified as hardwoods.
However, balsa, a deciduous tree that is classified as a hardwood, is actually the lightest and softest of all woods. Boxwood, a dense, slow-growing conifer that is classified as a softwood, is the second hardest wood in the world!
Trees are the longest-living organisms on the planet. Near the Garry Fen Trail, you will find trees that are more than 100 years old. Trees are one of the world’s greatest resources:
❍ They produce approximately 20% of the atmosphere’s oxygen.
❍ Their extensive root systems prevent soil erosion.
❍ They regulate and improve water quality, provide shade and store carbon.
❍ As they grow and decay they build the soil.
Friends of
Glengarry Trails Association
L’Association des
amis des sentiers
de Glengarry
P.O. Box 108,
Alexandria, Ontario,
K0C 1A0
info@glengarrytrails.com
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