Project Summary

This project is meant to document the biodiversity in Parc Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne, a park in Montreal, QC, Canada. The park is located on the "northern flank" of Mount Royal, also known as Outremont Summit.

The project filters for all observations made within the park that are Research Grade or Need ID.

Motivations

I began this project because the park is one of my favorite natural spaces on the island. It is right in the center of the city, but is somewhat secluded and cut off from the main Mount Royal park. Compared to other parks in the city, Parc Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne appears to be relatively "untouched". Other than the constructed Belvédère Outremont outlook, located atop an old ski hill, and a handful of small grassy areas, the park is primarily woodland that doesn't seem to be heavily landscaped or manicured.

Additionally, the park is the only green space (apart from heavily landscaped cemeteries), that is located on the northern (northwestern) flank of the Mount Royal hill, meaning it receives less sunlight on average than the similarly forested Mount Royal park to the south. It also marks one of the highest points in the city, second only to the Mount Royal summit. And finally, along with various native flora, fauna, and funga, the park is home to some aggressively invasive species (such as garlic mustard - Alliaria petiolata and buckthorn - Rhamnus cathartica) which should be monitored. Note: Les Amis de la Montagne organize conservation efforts in this regard in Mount Royal park, and sometimes in Parc Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne.

All of these factors make the park a compelling place to observe unique biodiversity in the city.

Tangentially, there is not much information about the various hiking/walking trails within the park. Recently, maps and signs have been installed in the park with information, but they highlight only the main Chemin de Ceinture (beltway) path that runs through the park and continues on around the mountain ("Tronçons 4C et 5" in this document). While it is important for visitors to stay on the main trails (in all parks) in order to help preserve the natural landscape, there are a handful of well-established footpaths within this park that could be better demarcated in order to discourage visitors from unintentionally creating new ones. As explained in the Future Actions below, I hope to use some of the data from iNaturalist to inform a map of the park that includes established footpaths and information about the ecological characteristics of each.

About the Park's Biodiversity

Plants & Fungi

Parc Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne is a wooded area populated primarily with maples and oaks, but also containing elms, ashes, cottonwood, and basswood, as well as groves of aspens and birches. Among native low-lying flora, trilliums, early meadow-rue, solomon's plume, bloodroot, various brambles, staghorn sumac, and goldenrods are common. Ferns and various fungi also thrive within the understory.

Animals

Regarding fauna, numerous bird species can be found within Parc Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne, including various songbirds and a few birds of prey (hawks and owls). Along with squirrels and chipmunks, groundhogs, rabbits, raccoons, and red foxes (these have not been officially observed on iNaturalist but I have seen them in the park myself, though I think they live in the neighboring cemeteries) make up some of the park's mammalian members. Only a couple reptiles (snakes) and a singular amphibian observation have been documented in the park so far. And, of course, insects love the place.

Check out the species list here!

Future Actions

• Preliminary data analysis to look for trends, populations, characteristics, etc.
• A park map that documents well-established footpaths, points of interest, and areas with unique biodiversity and/or ecology/geology.

Posted on April 25, 2024 06:46 PM by jakemahr