Animal habitats in rural Quebec - Floristic analysis

Hedgerows, woodland edges, oldfields, woodlots, and ditches constitute important habitats for wildlife (including plants). They also play an important role in connecting larger areas in the increasing fragmented rural landscape. The intensification of agricultural practices and increase in herbicide use in some regions of southern Quebec has caused the destruction of several habitats and has lowered habitat quality by reducing plant diversity. Nevertheless, the floristic composition of these habitats is poorly known. This study aims at evaluating the structural composition and describing the associated flora of such habitats in the St. Lawrence lowlands. Point-intercept and line-intercept methods were utilized. In total, the flora of the herbaceous, shrub, and tree layers of 35 woodlots, 54 woodland edges, 65 hedgerows, 49 oldfields, and 47 ditches have been described. The herbaceous layer of dominant species of hedgerows, oldfields, and ditches was relatively similar compared to woodlots. Although several annual and introduced species were found in disturbed habitats such as hedgerows, ditches, and oldfields, species associated to climax forests (sugar maple-hickory, basswood, and yellow birch forests) were also discovered in these habitats, a fact that enhances their value with respect to the maintenance of plant biodiversity in rural habitats.