An Introductory guide to the Marion and Prince Edward Island Special Nature Reserves; 50 years after annexation

Abstract

This booklet is about the Prince Edward Islands. More specifically, because most readers will visit Marion rather than Prince Edward Island, the booklet is mostly about Marion. Although it attempts to cover as many of the frequently asked questions as we could remember ourselves asking as newcomers to the islands almost 15 years ago, it is by no means comprehensive. Instead its aim is to dweii briefly on a broad array of the natural and human features on the islands, and then to provide pointers to the wealth of information that exists on each of these. With the array of expertise available in the various specific fields, there is little point (or space) in providing numerous colour plates for the identification of the flora and fauna that occur there. Our goals are rather to provide some information on the identity, numbers and biologies of the more common species of animals and plants at the islands, and on how these species interact to form communities. That these communities function in delicate harmony and survive harsh conditions, yet at the same time are vulnerable to unnatural disturbance is a point we make regularly. Alien species pose a remarkable threat to the fauna, flora and ecosystems of these islands. We also provide some information on the islands' geological, glacial, and human histories, because they too are important if a visitor is to gain some understanding of the islands' ecosystems, and why they have attracted and continue to attract humans. In so doing, we hope to provide the reader and visitor to the islands with a phrasebook that will render the natural beauty of the islands more comprehensible and make a stay at the islands more comfortable, yet ensure that environmental compromises are reduced to the minimum.