HomeThe highlands of Gatineau Park are roughly defined by the Ottawa River to the south and the Gatineau River to the north. In the triangle formed by these two rivers, the Park acts as a protected enclave for diverse wildlife and vegetation.
Two key management principles of Gatineau Park as a conservation area are:
- not to intervene in the natural process unless necessary (with some exceptions such as the beaver management program)
- to only permit recreation that is environmentally respectful
In years to come, as the vital diversity of plants and animals in the world comes under increasing pressure, even more effort will be made to protect this park and preserve its rich biodiversity.
Major Ecosystems
The Park is home to a variety of natural ecosystems that fall into the following three physiographic units:
- the Gatineau Hills, with their temperate climate, which include deciduous forests dominated by maple, beech and oak trees along with white pine in various proportions
- the Eardley Escarpment, which runs along a geological fault line, marks the south-west border of the Canadian Shield, associated with a hot and dry micro-climate that favours rare, southern plant species such as the red cedar
- the Eardley Plateau, a wide expanse of flat land with a cool and damp climate that houses, in the heart of the Park, mixed boreal forests as well as a concentration of marshes, swamps and peat bogs
Flora and Fauna
The wide range of plant and animal species found in Gatineau Park reflects the breadth of available habitats. The Park’s biodiversity is extremely rich, with a variety of species and habitats, including:
- 53 mammal species
- 234 bird species
- 11 reptile species
- 17 amphibian species
- 52 fish species
- More than 1,000 invertebrate species
- 53 tree species and more than 1,000 plant species
- The forest ecosystem: Approximately 80% of the Park’s total area is covered by forest, including a hardwood forest that accounts for roughly 55% of the total area
- The aquatic ecosystem: The Park boasts some 50 lakes, one river (La Pêche) and numerous streams and creeks
- The wetlands ecosystem: The Park contains hundreds of swamps, marshlands, beaver ponds and peat bogs, covering approximately 4% of its total area
- Cultivated fields, bare land and open areas
The Park also offers habitats that are essential to several species rarely found in Canada or Quebec, including 80 plant species and 42 animal species classified as endangered in 2004. The Park is the natural protected area in Quebec that hosts the largest number of endangered species.
Natural Features
Lusk Cave
Caverns formed in marble pockets in crystalline limestone
Pink Lake
A rare meromictic lake, site of conservation and interpretation
Natural Resources Management Program (NRMP)
The NRMP constitutes a definite commitment by the NCC to protect the diversity, integrity and quality of the Park’s ecosystems and components. The objectives of the program are to define the reference framework and determine the strategic guidelines that will structure the NCC’s efforts to protect the Park’s biological integrity.
The program identifies:
- the reference framework, which is composed of five international conventions, 13 federal laws, regulations, policies and strategies and six provincial laws, regulations and policies
- the main environmental and public safety issues
- sources of information (previous studies and programs) and the objectives of the program
The NRMP will be reviewed as the natural resources conservation plan is prepared (2005–2008).
For Researchers
Gatineau Park is a laboratory for scientists from universities and other public agencies. A particular area of interest is natural resources management.
Researchers require a land access permit.
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