Nova Scotia Soil Tour

Site 1 is located in Pockwock Lake Watershed (the main water supply area for Halifax) and is typical of a granite (granodiorite) till soil in Nova Scotia, except this site is on the high end for surface and subsurface stoniness. These dry to fresh, poor to medium soils generally support conifer forest – white pine and black spruce on poor/dry sites, and red spruce and eastern hemlock on fresh/medium sites. By area, these well-drained granite (Gibraltar) soils are the most common in the province.

Site 2 is located on agricultural land adjacent to a gypsum mine. It reflects some of the typical features of karst topography – sinkholes and nearby bedrock exposures. The main soil in this association is the imperfectly drained Queens series derived from a loam to clay loam till containing shales and sandstones. But where local sources of gypsum have been incorporated into the till (as is the case here), internal drainage is improved, and the soil is classed as moderately-well drained Falmouth series. Queens soils are an important agricultural soil in Nova Scotia and is ranked third by area, but gypsum influenced soils only make up about 3% of this total.

Site 3 is associated with historically important dykeland soils created from reclaimed salt marsh by French Acadian settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. They achieved this through hard work and the ingenious use of constructed dykes with built in aboiteaux (wooden sluices) that allowed drainage of fresh water from raised fields during low tide, but prevented inundation of saltwater at high tide. After several years, this natural flushing resulted in fertile farmland with reduced salinity. The soil described here is a poorly drained example between raised fields.

Site 4 is located in Blomidon Provincial Park and is part of the North Mountain basalt formation, a 200 km, 200 million year old volcanic deposit that runs parallel to the Bay of Fundy. Soils derived from this bedrock and related shallow till are some of richest in Nova Scotia, but are generally too shallow or cobbly for agricultural use. Instead, rich hardwood forests of sugar maple, yellow birch, beech, and white ash are commonly found along this unique landform.

Site 5 is located in one of the many vineyards found in the Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia. It highlights the importance of soil in the suite of environmental factors (terroir) that influence how different grape varieties grow and – more importantly – the flavour and quality of the wine produced by these grapes. Matching grape variety to soil type is a critical component of successful viticulture.

Site 6 is associated with a large area of sandy, sometimes gravelly, glaciofluvial outwash found in parts of the Annapolis Valley that was laid down by glacial meltwater. Sands in the Cornwallis series described here are generally medium to coarse, and the soil is gravel-free. These soils are easily worked so are sometimes used for agriculture, but droughtiness and fertility are a problem. Natural forest cover is dominated by deep-rooted, nutrient-efficient pine species.