Summer drought may affect fall colours

By April Lawrence

Fall colours may come early and leave quickly this year. Photo by April Lawrence.

The summer’s drought may affect the number of visitors who view autumn colours at provincial parks this fall.

The drought may have caused enough stress to the trees to cause them to turn and drop their leaves earlier and quicker than usual, said Brad Steinberg chief park naturalist at Algonquin Park.

Steinberg said fall is a big season for them. There are programs such as a one-day fall foliage photography workshop in October that depends on the fall leaf change.

“The busiest weekends of the year are usually the last weekend of September and the first or second weekend in October,” said Steinberg. “Where we’ll have literally thousands of people coming through the park museum and hiking our trail and just experiencing the splendour of the leaf change.”

Presqu’ile Provincial Park may not be affected as much as others, said Lisa McPherson, the natural heritage educator leader at the park.

She said it’s possible the drought this summer may cause a dryer shorter period for fall colours this year and leaves may change sooner.

“With the high winds here (Presqu’ile) there is a high possibility that the fall colours will be here one day and gone the next,” said McPherson.

There were over one million visits to Ontario Parks in the fall of 2011. In September the total number of day trips and camping trips at the parks was 870, 859. In October the total number of visits day trips and camping trips included was 294,842 for a total of more than one million visitors, said Lori Waldbrook, the senior marketing specialist with Ontario parks, in an email.

Laura Robson, an ecologist with Ontario Nature, said that the drought wouldn’t have caused too much damage to the trees. She said the tree populations that would be affected most would be saplings and young trees.

Steinberg said that it can’t be predicted how the change will affect the park. He said the leaf change at Algonquin Park seems to be on track, and they are not at the peak of the season yet so he can’t yet say if the drought will affect visitation.