The Manicouagan Uapishka Biosphere Reserve is a
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in Canada.. The area was designated as such by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007.
The landscape of the Manicouagan – Uapishka Biosphere Reserve is dominated by the
Saint Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...
to the south and the
Manicouagan reservoir
Manicouagan Reservoir (also Lake Manicouagan) is an annular lake in central Quebec, Canada, covering an area of . The lake island in its centre is known as René-Levasseur Island, and its highest point is Mount Babel. The structure was create ...
to the north, forming a circle visible from great distances, even from space. They are linked by a web of rivers, which flow through vast woodlands.
Ecological Characteristics
The Manicouagan – Uapishka Biosphere Reserve was formed by the erosion of millions of years, combined with the collision of a huge meteorite, the crushing passage of glaciers and an ancient sea that smoothed the land. The impact of the meteorite formed the crater and circular lake that characterize this biosphere reserve.
The hinterland of the Manicouagan – Uapishka area consists of a vast dry plateau. Its surface is formed by hills ranging between 400 m and 600 m, separated by rectilinear valleys and surrounded by the Groulx Mountains massif, which is characterized by about 30 mountains over 1000 m in height.
The salt marshes of the Manicouagan – Uapishka reserve are among the most productive habitats on the planet, acting as important resting places for more than 200 migratory birds. Fauna characteristic of boreal forests in the area include the vulnerable boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and the threatened wolverine (Gulo gulo) and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas).
Socio-Economic Characteristics
The largest city in the area is
Baie-Comeau
Baie-Comeau (; 2021 city population 20,687; CA population 26,643) is a city located approximately north-east of Quebec City in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River nea ...
with a population just under 23,000. The main economic activities include timber transformation, agriculture, aluminum production, mining, commercial fisheries and merchant shipping. A huge hydroelectric power plant also creates employment opportunities.
The area also contains an
Innu reserve with a resident population of about 2,500 inhabitants. The Manicouagan population along the coastline has over time become almost exclusively French with the descendants of ancient Indigenous families living on the
Pessamit reserve.
See also
*
Biosphere Reserves of Canada
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are environment-protected scientific-research institutions of international status that are created with the intent for conservation in a natural state the most typical natural complexes of biosphere, conducting backgrou ...
*
Uapishka Biodiversity Reserve
The Uapishka Biodiversity Reserve (french: Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka) is a protected area in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec.
It is one of five biodiversity reserves in the province.
It is to the east of the Manicouagan Reservoir and in ...
References
Sources
External links
Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association: Manicouagan UapishkaAerial exploration of the Manicouagan crater.
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Biosphere reserves of Canada