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The
shoreline of the State Park North Shore Loop Trail is known as The Alvar.
Alvars are unusual landforms which occur in glaciated regions of the
Northern Hemisphere. They were
once thought of as barren but are now known to contain numerous and
distinctive plants and animals. The
formation of soil and resulting growth of woody plants are hampered by
drought-induced by the porous bedrock. Alvars
are subject to constant scouring by waves and ice and temperature extremes.
Globally rare, there are about 120 alvar sites across the Great Lakes
region. Elsewhere in the world,
alvars are found in the Baltic region of Europe or Estonia and on islands off
the coast of Sweden. Alvar
describes a natural community as wetland describes a moist area. A mosaic of
characteristic herbaceous plants adapted to this harsh environment defines
Alvar communities. The Kelleys Island Alvar, one of Ohio’s Natural Areas and
Preserves, is the finest, intact alvar community in Ohio. It is home to
state-endangered northern bog violet, which in Ohio only grows on the Lake
Erie islands; showy orange lichen, squaw weed; other distinctive plants and
uncommon wildflowers; as well as mosses, lichens, and many varieties of
grasses, sedges and some stunted trees. Glacial striations/scrapings are also
visible along The Alvar. Many
varieties of bird specie have been spotted from The Alvar.
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Natural Areas:
| Glacial
Grooves | North Shore Loop |
The
Alvar | East Quarry |
| Scheele
Preserve | North Pond Nature Preserve
| Inscription Rock | Home
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Last updated on
July 31, 2006
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