Southern James Bay
Encyclopedia
Southern James Bay is a Canadian coastal wetland
complex in northeastern Ontario
bordering James Bay
and Quebec
. It was designated as a wetland of international importance
via the Ramsar Convention
on May 27, 1987. The shallow waters of the James Bay region represent an important late autumn
staging area for migratory, Arctic-breeding waterbirds
.
Two migratory bird sanctuaries are located in the complex: the 14.6 square kilometres (5.6 sq mi) Moose River Bird Sanctuary is at the mouth of the Moose River
, and the larger 238.3 square kilometres (92 sq mi) Hannah Bay Bird Sanctuary on the eastern coast of Hannah Bay at the mouth of the Harricana River
. As many as 75,000 geese of various species may simultaneously use the staging area in autumn, and large populations of ducks are also easily observed. "Substantial numbers of diving sea ducks occur offshore." The sites are located on Ontario Crown land, except for outlying islands that are part of the Northwest Territories
, which are federal Crown land. They are demarcated to prevent hunting within their boundaries, a policy which is enforced. Hunting is permitted in adjacent land.
Southern James Bay lies within the flat sedimentary basin of the Hudson Bay
lowland in the Hudson Plains
ecozone
, and its coast is "characterised by a sequence of mudflat
s, intertidal marsh
es and supertidal meadow-marshes, which grade through a willow-alder shrub area into a drier forest interspersed with fen
s and bog
s". Gradually rising inland from sea level, it attains elevations of no more than 50 metres (164 ft).
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
complex in northeastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
bordering James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It was designated as a wetland of international importance
Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance
This is the list of wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.The Convention...
via the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on May 27, 1987. The shallow waters of the James Bay region represent an important late autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
staging area for migratory, Arctic-breeding waterbirds
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
.
Moose River (Ontario)
The Moose River is a Canadian river in the Hudson Plains ecozone of northern Ontario which flows 100 km northeast from the junction of the Mattagami and Missinaibi Rivers into James Bay. Its drainage basin is 108,500 km² and it has a mean discharge rate of 1370 m³/s. Its full length...
, and the larger 238.3 square kilometres (92 sq mi) Hannah Bay Bird Sanctuary on the eastern coast of Hannah Bay at the mouth of the Harricana River
Harricana River
The Harricana River is a river in western Quebec and northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is long, has a drainage area of , and has a mean discharge of 570 m³/s...
. As many as 75,000 geese of various species may simultaneously use the staging area in autumn, and large populations of ducks are also easily observed. "Substantial numbers of diving sea ducks occur offshore." The sites are located on Ontario Crown land, except for outlying islands that are part of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, which are federal Crown land. They are demarcated to prevent hunting within their boundaries, a policy which is enforced. Hunting is permitted in adjacent land.
Southern James Bay lies within the flat sedimentary basin of the Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
lowland in the Hudson Plains
Hudson Plains
The Hudson Plains Ecozone is a sparsely populated Canadian subarctic ecozone extending from the western coast of Quebec to the coast of Manitoba, encompassing all coastal areas of James Bay and those of southern Hudson Bay, stretching to about 50°N latitude. It includes the largest continuous...
ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
, and its coast is "characterised by a sequence of mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s, intertidal marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and supertidal meadow-marshes, which grade through a willow-alder shrub area into a drier forest interspersed with fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s and bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s". Gradually rising inland from sea level, it attains elevations of no more than 50 metres (164 ft).