Deciduous Swamp
A landmark agreement for the acquisition, maintenance, and dissemination of natural heritage information has been signed by Ontario Hydro and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). MNR has a mandate and policies to protect and provide information about natural heritage resources. MNR's Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) maintains a permanent and dynamic atlas and data bank on the character, distribution and conservation status of natural areas,
Deciduous Swamp |
These parties (Ontario Hydro, NHIC, and Parks Ontario) have come together in a Memorandum of Understanding to digitize provincial park boundaries, the external boundaries of the provincial and regional life science ANSIs, provincial earth science ANSIs, and wetlands within southern Ontario. The parties have agreed to exchange data, information and knowledge to facilitate the conservation of Ontario's natural heritage and biodiversity. To guard against improper distribution or misuse of the data during the exchange of data and information between the parties, the Memorandum includes provisions of data ownership, distribution, use and security that will be in effect during the life of this agreement .
 Smooth Fleabane (Erigeron glabellus) Stanley, Ontario |
Prairies in northwestern Ontario? You bet! Although not widely recognized, grasslands and related open woodland communities, similar to those found much farther west in the Canadian prairie provinces and bordering U.S. states, occur as rare disjuncts in this area characterized by transitional Boreal / Great Lakes - St. Lawrence forests. Fieldwork this summer by NHIC biologists produced valuable information on rare species and communities in this region, including these western relicts.
There has been an increasing awareness and understanding in Ontario that tallgrass prairie, savanna and woodland formerly occurred over fairly extensive areas in southern Ontario, perhaps occupying as much as 500 to 2,000 km2 prior to European settlement.
It is less widely known that rare examples of western mixedgrass prairie and open woodland also occur in northwestern Ontario: here, these communities are much smaller in extent and exhibit some floristic differences from western grasslands, such as a lower percentage of western species and a higher percentage of boreal species.They occur on deep soils, such as sandy and gravelly spillway outwash, river terraces, and silty/sandy levees in the Thunder Bay and Rainy River areas.
Western mixedgrass prairie and open woodland are thought to have originated approximately 8,000 years ago during a post-glacial warming period known as the Hypsithermal Interval, when many prairie species are believed to have migrated eastward. They have persisted in sites that are rapidly drained or experience summer drought, are exposed to a warm microclimate, and are periodically burned.
 Bur Oak Woodland, Stanley, Ontario |
The original extent of these communities is difficult to estimate, due to conversion of land to agriculture and forest succession brought on by fire suppression. Additionally, the huge land area of this region remains largely unexplored by botanists and ecologists, so it is likely that other examples of this vegetation type exist, but are as yet undocumented. Elements of this vegetation also occur on open rocky sites, such as rock barrens, and on diabase cliff rims of the flat-topped Nor'Westers mountain range along the Ontario-Minnesota border.
The Stanley area along the Kaministiquia River just west of Thunder Bay has long been known to harbour numerous rare prairie species. Relicts of both grassland and oak woodland occur in this area. An example of fescue grassland occurs near the junction of Highways 17 and 588. Fescue grassland (G3?S1), characterized by Hall's Fescue (Festuca hallii, G3S1), is a typical community of the northern mixedgrass prairies of Saskatchewan and Alberta. It also occurs rarely in Manitoba, where about a dozen grassland patches between 30 to 120 ha in size occur within the forested landscape of Riding Mountain National Park, some 800 km west of Stanley!
Much of the Stanley fescue grassland is now pasture. The palatability of this species is well-known, and it is grazed out readily; Hall's Fescue consequently no longer forms a dominant
 Hall's Fescue (Festuca halii ) Stanley, Ontario |
Numerous western prairie species also persist in this grassland. Two new native species for Ontario were recently discovered: Needle-grass (Stipa comata, S1) and Smooth Fleabane (Erigeron glabellus, G4S1). Additional rare prairie species present include Drummond's Thistle (Cirsium drummondii, G5S1), Pasture Sage (Artemisia frigida, G5?S2S3), Flodmann's Thistle (Cirsium flodmannii, G5S2?), and Large White-flowered Ground Cherry (Leucophysalis grandiflora, G3G4S3S4).
Other western prairie species include Western Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya), Prairie Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana), and Rigid Sunflower (Helianthus rigidus ). Other species which are found both in western shortgrass prairies and eastern tallgrass prairies are Hay Sedge (Carex siccata), Richardson's Sedge (Carex richardsonii), Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), and Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata).
Nearby, an example of Bur Oak-Saskatoon Berry (Quercus macrocarpa /Amelanchier alnifolia) Woodland (G2S1) occurs on a gravelly terrace. The Stanley Bur Oak Stand ANSI (Area of Natural and Scientific Interest), is under an active aggregate license, and much of it has been destroyed by quarrying.
The woodland is characterized by open-grown Bur Oak, with an understory dominated by low shrubs including Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and Prickly Rose (Rosa acicularis). Taller shrubs such as Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier spp.) and Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) are also common. Forbs are the most common type of herbaceous species, including Pale Vetchling (Lathyrus ochroleucus) and Veiny Pea (Lathyrus venenosus), Fringed Blue Aster (Aster ciliolatus), Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea), and Tall Meadow-rue (Thalictrum sp.).
Prairie species found here include White Snakeroot (Polygala senega), Hoary Puccoon, Drummond's Thistle, Richardson's Alum-root (Heuchera richardsonii), Bastard Toadflax and Hay Sedge.
 Needle Grass ( Stipa comata) patch, Stanley, Ontario |
In addition to Little Bluestem and Flodmann's Thistle, prairie species here are Heart-leaved Alexanders (Zizia aptera, G5S1), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and Richardson's Muhly (Muhlenbergia richardsonis, G5S2S3). Other species frequent in Ontario prairies and sand barrens include Pale-spike Lobelia (Lobelia spicata), Pale Vetchling, Veiny Pea, Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), Sand Violet (Viola adunca), and Kalm's Brome Grass (Bromus kalmii).
The native status of this community is presently uncertain. While it has a high complement of prairie species, including several which are provincially rare, it is possible that the community has developed from a western seed mix used by the highway ministry for roadsides. The status may become more clear with additional fieldwork in this locality.
The southwesternmost portion of Ontario bordering Rainy River also harbours a number of western community types. Silty levees along this river in places support Bur Oak Deciduous Forest and Woodland. The understory is shrubby, consisting of Chokecherry, American Hazel (Corylus americana), Downy Arrow-wood (Viburnum rafinesquianum) and Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier sanguinea). In canopy openings, herbaceous vegetation dominated by Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica), Fringed Blue Aster, and Wild Strawberry has developed. Numerous western and prairie species are also present, including: Leiberg's Panic Grass (Panicum leibergii, G5S2), Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota, G5S1), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis), and White Snakeroot.
At present, information on the composition, structure, and extent of these communities in northwestern Ontario is incomplete. It is likely that additional examples exist throughout the Rainy River and Lake-of-the-Woods areas, and possibly farther north into Red Lake District along the Ontario - Manitoba border.
This vegetation is structurally and floristically related to other types found in dry openings in Ontario, such as sand barrens, Jack Pine barrens, tallgrass prairie and savanna, cliff rims, and rock barrens. These communities clearly represent interesting and important elements of biodiversity.
To date, due to a lack of information about the nature and extent of these open community types, they are not well-represented in Ontario's protected areas. Basic inventory and research into these communities needs to be supported, and this information provided to park planners as part of Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas Strategy.
Wasyl Bakowsky
References
Bakowsky, W.D. 1994. Oak Ontario. Wildflower Magazine 10(4):28-31.
Carbyn, S.E. and P.M. Catling. 1995. Vascular flora of sand barrens in the Middle Ottawa
Valley. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109(2):242-250.
Looman, J. 1980. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. II. The grasslands. Part I.
Phytocoenologia 8:153-190.
Maycock, P.F., D.R. Gregory and A.A. Reznicek. 1980. Hill's Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) in
Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 94(3):277-285.
Nature Conservancy, The. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States:
An initial survey. D.H. Grossman, K.L. Goodin and C.L. Reuss, eds. [Prepared for the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service by The Nature Conservancy.] 620 pp.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 1988. Stanley Bur Oak Stand Area of Natural and
Scientific Interest. Pamphlet, 4 pp.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 1995. W.D. Bakowsky and M.J. Oldham Field Notes.
NHIC, Peterborough.
Webber, J.M., D. McLeod and R.S.W. Bobbette. 1985. More new and interesting grass records
from Southern Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 99(2):141-146.
A partnership has been established between the NHIC (principal investigator Mike Oldham), Canadian Forest Service (principal investigator Dan McKenney), and the University of Guelph (principal investigator James Bogart) to work towards a better understanding of the relationship between Ontario's amphibian and reptile species and the forests they inhabit. The "Spatial Distributions and Ecological Relationships of Herpetofauna in Forest Ecosystems of Ontario" project has received $170,000 in funding from the Richard Ivey Foundation for use over the next three years. Using selected portions of the Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary (OHS) database, some supplementary herpetofaunal field data, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) databases and statistical models, the project team will be identifying and mapping potential habitat locations for the major forest-based species of Ontario's herpetofauna.
The analyses will operate at two scales or resolutions. The first is a province-wide perspective where the required GIS analyses can be done at a 100 metre resolution. This province-wide perspective is essential for understanding the ecological context in which many management decisions are made. This component of the project will make use of the existing OHS database and supplementary fieldwork at selected Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) Plots throughout the province. The main role of the NHIC will be to provide carefully checked data from the OHS database for analysis. To assist with this portion of the study, Beverley Shiels of Peterborough, a Trent University Environmental Studies graduate, will be working at the NHIC over the next six months.
The second scale is much finer - down to a 20 metre resolution. For these analyses we will be working in two research areas, one in northern Ontario, and the other in southern Ontario. The northern Ontario site is the 900 square kilometre Rinker Lake study area near Thunder Bay and the southern Ontario site is the Queen's University Biological Station north of Kingston. We will be conducting herpetological field work in these two study areas and combining this information with existing detailed information from other studies. Using these two areas for the fine-scaled analyses will permit an interactive multidisciplinary approach to the project.
Models generated from this project can be used as "decision support systems" to help guide future surveys. Project outputs will include: a) updated, refined province-wide species maps linked to other spatial data (e.g., surface hydrology, forest cover types); b) predictive models of species abundance based on analyses of the site data; and c) finer resolution species distribution models for the two detailed study areas. Watch the NHIC newsletter for updates on this project.
 Alvar Pavement, Manitoulin Island |
The NHIC is a partner in the International Alvar Initiative, a collaborative effort involving both American and Canadian heritage programs and researchers. It is directed toward the range-wide identification and conservation of these globally-rare ecosystems, which in North America are restricted to the Great Lakes region.
Alvars are areas of thin, discontinuous soil which overlay limestone/dolostone pavement, and are characterized by a distinctive flora, fauna and vegetation, including rock pavement, grassland, and savanna.
Susan Crispin of The Nature Conservancy Great Lakes Program successfully applied to the Great Lakes Protection Fund, which provided money to support this project. It is to be applied on a matched dollar basis for work both in Ontario, where most alvars are found, and in the other Great Lakes states which have alvars, primarily New York, Michigan, and Ohio.
This money is being used to document and evaluate the most significant alvar sites in the province. The intention is to determine the range of variation that alvars exhibit, in terms of vegetation, flora, and fauna, and to identify those sites which best represent these features. The study will also collect land ownership information, develop conservation strategies for the protection and stewardship of alvars in partnership with key institutions from public and private sectors, increase public awareness of the uniqueness and value of Great Lakes alvars, and provide a replicable model for regional collaboration in the identification, understanding, and conservation of biodiversity.
 Northern Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) alvar grassland, Manitoulin Island |
Claudia Schaefer is currently completing graduate work on alvar ecology at the University of Guelph, and is quite familiar with those found on the Bruce Peninsula. An important part of her work involves the collection of lichens, moss, and algal species. These poorly-known groups are significant components of some alvars.
Judith Jones is an experienced botanist who lives on Manitoulin Island, and is familiar with both the land and its people. Judith's work this summer identified and inventoried many of the best and most extensive sites on the island.
Wayne Grimm is a consulting malacologist/biologist who became interested in alvars after he collected snails from the Burnt Lands Alvar near his home in eastern Ontario, and was surprised to find them most unusual indeed! Some of the species were apparently disjunct, with affinities to areas far removed from the Great Lakes, such as the Arctic, Gulf Coast and Ozark Plateau. Even more surprising was the discovery that a number of molluscs were apparently new to science! This summer, Wayne conducted fieldwork in three alvar regions: Manitoulin Island, Smiths Falls, and the Napanee Plain. Molluscs from these areas were collected, as well as selected other invertebrate rare taxa found mostly in alvars.
The Couchiching Conservancy, a land trust group based in Orillia and a partner in the Alvar
 Lakeside Daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis) a globally and provincially rare species (G2S2) restricted to alvar ecosystems. |
Most of the existing information on alvars in Ontario is the result of work published by Dr. Paul Catling and Vivian Brownell. Dr. Paul Keddy at the University of Ottawa and graduate student Joyce Belcher (now with the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre) have also documented and published information for a number of alvars based on quantitative sampling and analysis.
Entomologists at the Department of Agriculture in Ottawa have contributed significant
 Eastern Red Cedar alvar savannah, Salmon River |
Wasyl Bakowsky
References
Belcher, J.W., P.A. Keddy and P.M. Catling. 1992. Alvar vegetation in Canada: a multivariate
description at two scales. Canadian Journal of Botany 70:1279-1291.
Catling, P.M. 1995. The extent of confinement of vascular plants to alvars in southern
Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109(2):172-181.
Catling, P.M. and V.R. Brownell. 1995. A review of the alvars of the Great Lakes region:
distribution, floristic composition, biogeography, and protection. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109(2): 143-171.
An herbarium is a collection of pressed and dried plant specimens. Most larger universities and museums have herbaria for research and educational purposes.
The NHIC has established a relatively small herbarium to assist staff with plant identification, for research purposes, for use in MNR, educational and training programs, and as a repository for specimens documenting significant botanical discoveries. At the moment, this herbarium consists of 6,571 accessioned vascular plant specimens housed in four herbarium cabinets. In addition, the NHIC herbarium includes several hundred Ontario bryophyte specimens. These specimens are on long-term loan from the personal herbarium of Mike Oldham. The vast majority of specimens are duplicates of specimens deposited in larger institutional herbaria in Canada and the United States.
The NHIC herbarium contains specimens from 131 plant families, 543 genera, and 2,566 species. Cyperaceae (sedges) is the best represented family, with 2,645 specimens of 644 taxa (395 of these are from the genus Carex). Although most specimens are from Ontario, the Cyperaceae holdings include material from throughout North America. Specimens were collected during fieldwork by NHIC biologists and through exchanges with other herbaria and individual botanists. NHIC herbarium holdings are computerized and can be searched by species, family, collector or location. The NHIC has been working closely with Trent University (Dr. Roger Jones) on the possible expansion and computerization of the Trent University herbarium, particularly in connection with an ongoing study of the flora of Peterborough County. Specimens from the NHIC herbarium are available on loan to qualified researchers. Contact Mike Oldham for further information on the NHIC herbarium.
The horizontal datum has switched from North American Datum (NAD)27 to NAD83 for Energy, Mines and Resources NTS 1:50000 scale topographic maps printed since 1992. Projected map coordinates, based on the NAD27 set of parameters for representing the earth have had to be revised. In practical terms, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates read from the new map editions will have approximately 200 metre larger Northings than coordinates read from the old editions based on NAD27.
Also affected by the datum change are 100 km 'square' values. For example, the square 17MV used to include part of the Bruce Peninsula; now the square 17MV is several hundred kilometres to the north, including part of the James Bay shoreline.
When collecting coordinates, it becomes important to indicate which datum (NAD27 or NAD83) is being used; otherwise, it would be difficult for anyone to return to the site at a later date with any degree of confidence. For those storing coordinates in a database, either indicate in any documentation what datum was used, or include a field for indicating the datum for individual records.
To find out which datum an NTS map is published in, check to the right of the scale in the bottom part of the map.
Notes:
In the home-grown software department, George Van Drunen has been busy developing a system named "Natural Areas Database". The system will be used by various parties to enter and store information on natural areas such as wetlands and nature reserves. It is a Windows-based application created using Microsoft Access database software, and has plenty of Windows features like pop-up lists, push buttons, and scroll bars.
A prototype of the system has been distributed to various potential users for evaluation. It is hoped that future users of the system will provide data to the NHIC in exchange for use of the software for their own purposes.
Over the past year, draft maps and species accounts have been prepared for 21 Ontario amphibian and reptile species under the supervision of NHIC Botanist/Herpetologist, Mike Oldham. This project was funded through MNR's Timber Management Environmental Assessment project, via Fiona McKay and Margaret McLaren of Terrestrial Ecosystems Branch. Seburn Ecological Services was hired to help write the species accounts and Sonya Gerkema was employed at the NHIC to prepare maps and work on other aspects of the species accounts. The species accounts rely heavily on information gathered through the Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary (OHS) project, and the maps have been generated from records contained in the OHS database. These species accounts are designed to get distributional, habitat, life history, and management-related information in the hands of MNR field staff who are managing the province's forest resources. Due to funding cuts, the draft species accounts have not yet been finalized, but time permitting we will be trying to complete them over the next few months. It is hoped that portions of these species accounts will be suitable for inclusion in a provincial amphibian and reptile atlas, currently in preparation.
Susan Tschirky and Wasyl Bakowsky have produced a draft report on rare plant species and the ecosites they are found in, as a background document for forest planners. MNR Southern Region's ecosite classification was used as the framework. The ecosite each species occurs in was identified, using specimen label habitat descriptions from the Atlas of Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario database and personal observations. From this, a species habitat matrix was created. Additionally, a more detailed matrix was created for forested communities, which further differentiated forest types by their substrate. Lastly, a rare species by Forest Management Unit (FMU) matrix was also created, which indicates the species which occur in each FMU, as well as which species may possibly occur, based on the occurrence of rare species in adjacent FMU's. An appendix lists the individual habitat descriptions for each species as additional information. The matrices are accompanied by text which outlines the purpose and methodology of the report, and how to use the matrices. The report is presently in draft. Once it has been reviewed, it will be published by the NHIC.
MNR, as part of its obligations under the Timber EA, will be managing forests on an ecosite level. Currently, only forested ecosites have been classified for the 'Area of the Undertaking', based on quantitative studies undertaken by the Ministry's Forest Ecosite Classification program over the last decade, although the Northwest Region Science and Technical Transfer Unit (STTU) has also developed a wetland ecosite classification for their region. A preliminary ecosite classification for the EA Area is being prepared by the NHIC, using the methodology employed by NHIC and Southern Region STTU to compile an ecosite classification for southern Ontario. Bert Ffrench, Sue Tschirky, and Wasyl Bakowsky are currently involved in this project. The work involves listing all of the dominant species of communities described from the Area. These have been taken from existing inventory reports, such as park inventories, ANSI reports, consultant reports, and scientific literature. They are being grouped by the EA staff into the broad ecosite categories created in the Southern Region exercise. When sufficient material has been listed, Wasyl will organize this information. Some ecosites will be similar to those found in Site Regions 6 and 7, but many more will be new types not found further south. Not only will the Ministry be able to use this as a first step in ecosite delineation and sampling stratification, but the ecosites will also be used by NHIC to track and rank communities in northern Ontario.
The collection and cataloguing of existing natural heritage information for the Timber EA Area has been completed for Central and Northeastern Regions. It is estimated that 65% of the information has been collected for Northwestern Ontario, prior to the loss of the Natural Heritage Biologist position for this region through spending constraints. References collected have been compiled into a bibliographic database. The NHIC will be creating a bibliographic catalogue listing these natural heritage references for the Timber EA Area for use by timber management planners, biologists, and consultants after a review of the draft. The catalogue will also be made available in digital form.
A community classification and catalogue for southern Ontario, developed in conjunction with the Southern Region Science and Technology Transfer Unit (STTU), has been completed, and distributed for review. Rarity ranks, based on estimates of the community occurrences, the total areal extent, and the range of the community within the province have been assigned by the NHIC and separately distributed for review. Once comments have been received and ranks updated, the first release of the community classification and rarity ranks will be available for distribution.
Ian Kirkham, our coordinator at the NHIC, has accepted a two year assignment in Harare, Zimbabwe as the Senior Environmental Advisor, Zimbabwe Natural Resources Management Programme (ZNRMP). Ian will be the Field Team Leader for the Research and Technical Branch Project of the ZNRMP and will act as the Ministry's senior Zimbabwe based administrator for all Ministry of Natural Resources human resources and executing agency functions in the Programme.
Ian helped establish the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), as a two year partnership and guided it through the transition to a permanent province-wide operation and core program of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The creation of the centre has proven to be a model partnership between the Ministry and non-government conservation organizations.
Ian, we thank you and wish you every success in your new endeavour!
Rob Parry is the new acting coordinator of the NHIC, a position he will fill on a part-time basis in Ian Kirkham's absence. Rob was formerly in charge of the Natural Resources Inventories Program based in Sault Ste. Marie. Rob will be bringing to the NHIC his years of production and GIS mapping experience. His management and analytical skills will prove to be an asset in guiding the NHIC.
Welcome to the NHIC, Rob!
In January 1995, MNR's Executive Committee approved the transition of the NHIC partnership from a two-year agreement to a permanent, province-wide operation, with the Ministry assuming full responsibility for core funding and staffing by January 1, 1996.
In July 1995, interviews were conducted for six permanent MNR Centre staff positions. George Van Drunen, Mike Oldham, Don Sutherland, Wasyl Bakowsky, and Pete Sorrill were successful applicants for the permanent positions. Jarmo Jalava was hired for the Stewardship Ecologist position to administer site and managed areas information within the centre, and coordinate information exchanges with outside agencies.
Over the summer months we were fortunate to secure approval for three Summer Experience Program (SEP) positions, two at the centre, one at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).
Tanya Pulfer was the successful applicant for the position of Administrative Assistant. Tanya has been a cheerful addition to the centre's staff and a good worker who has adapted to many different software programs. Tanya assisted the Office Administrator in the re-organization of the Centre's library, computerizing the centre's filing system and learned skills to successfully fill in during vacation periods. She has also provided support to others on staff at the centre on a variety of projects. Tanya is completing her co-op as a volunteer at the centre and will return to Georgian College in January, 1996.
Lisa Milsom worked as a data entry technician for the Community Ecologist. She entered information on rare communities in Ontario into a word-processing template, which can then be uploaded into the Biological and Conservation Data System (BCD) after being verification by the ecologist. Information on the location, composition, soils, and environmental features of prairie and savannas in Ontario were databased, and the location of each was mapped and filed in the community element files. As a result of Lisa's work, the NHIC now has a current database of these rare communities in southern Ontario.
A Summer Experience Program (SEP) intern, Alana Danko, was hired by the NHIC to enter data from the Ontario Nest Records Scheme (ONRS) into the ONRS computerized database. Under the supervision of the scheme's coordinator, Dr. George K. Peck, data contained on approximately 4,500 nest record cards were entered into the scheme's database between July and early September. This cooperative effort between the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the NHIC is of direct benefit to both organizations; assisting the ROM with the on-going task of digitizing nest record data, while providing the NHIC with occurrence data for Vulnerable, Threatened, or Endangered (VTE) and/or S1-S3, SH and SX-ranked bird species.
Housed in the ROM's Department of Ornithology, the ONRS is among the largest datasets documenting the province's nesting bird species. To date, the scheme contains nearly 106,000 cards, documenting nesting for 281 bird species in the province, contributed by naturalists, professional biologists, and academic researchers, since 1956 (Peck 1995). The ONRS contains not only relatively recent documentation, but a wealth of historic nest records extracted from ROM field logs, and naturalists' diaries and field note books.
The NHIC is extremely grateful to the the SEP for providing funding for this position.
References
Peck, G.K. 1995. ONRS 26: Ontario Nest Records Scheme Twenty-sixth Report (1956 - 1994).
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. 20 pp.
In late September, the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington hosted two conferences dealing with amphibian decline: NAAMP II (2nd meeting of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program) and DAPCAN V (5th annual meeting of the Task Force on Declining Amphibian Populations in Canada). At these meetings amphibian biologists (herpetologists) from throughout Canada and the United States discussed questions relating to declining amphibian populations.
The main purpose of the NAAMP II conference was to come up with standardized protocols for monitoring North American amphibian populations. Participants discussed calling amphibian surveys, larval surveys, desert and other dry land surveys, and terrestrial salamander surveys. At DAPCAN V participants heard about ongoing research on Canadian amphibians. Several papers presented information on the effects of UV-B radiation on amphibian eggs and larvae, and all reported on the harmful effects on amphibians of this component of sunlight. The consensus among those present was that some Canadian amphibian populations were definitely in decline, but that declines were attributable to known rather than unidentified factors.
In May 1995 the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON) held their annual conference at Trent University in Peterborough. Ian Kirkham gave a presentation on the Natural Heritage Information Centre, and tours of the NHIC were available for conference participants. In addition, NHIC biologists helped to lead four different conference field trips.
In 1994, the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) was established by the Ministry of Natural Resources. This is a technical review committee led by MNR's Policy and Program Division and reporting to the directors of Terrestrial Ecosystems Branch and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch. Its purpose is to ensure a uniform, scientifically-based, defensible provincial approach to status evaluations and recovery work for species at risk in Ontario. The committee is composed of 10 members of MNR's permanent staff. Representation is as follows: Policy and Program Division (4 members), Operations Division (3 members), and Science and Information Resources Division (3 members). The current members are: Irene Bowman (chair), Ted Armstrong, Don Cuddy, Alan Dextrase, John Harcus, Martyn Obbard, Mike Oldham, Paul Prevett, Norm Quinn, and Don Sutherland. One of COSSARO's roles will be to recommend species for addition to and deletion from the official MNR list of Vulnerable, Threatened, and Endangered species.
Many of Ontario's local naturalist clubs publish a newsletter. These newsletters contain interesting information on local natural history, often information which is not available elsewhere. As part of its role as a repository for natural history information in Ontario, the NHIC is interested in being placed on the newsletter mailing lists for as many of the province's nature and conservation groups as possible. We have instituted a newsletter exchange program with the following local nature clubs: Black Creek Project ("The Kingfisher"), Halton/North Peel Naturalist Club ("The Esquesing"), Kawartha Field Naturalists ("Kawartha Field Naturalists Newsletter"), Lambton Wildlife Incorporated ("Earthways"), McIlwraith Field Naturalists of London ("The Cardinal"), Niagara Falls Nature Club ("Nature Niagara News"), Nipissing Naturalists' Club ("The Woodland Observer"), Owen Sound Field Naturalists ("Harts Tongue Herald"), South Peel Naturalists' Club ("South Peel Naturalists' Club Newsletter"), Thunder Bay Field Naturalists ("Nature Northwest"), and Toronto Field Naturalists ("Toronto Field Naturalist"). We receive their newsletters and in exchange have added these clubs to our newsletter mailing list. The NHIC would be pleased to enter into a similar exchange with additional nature clubs in Ontario.
Under an Environmental Youth Corps project, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists hired Julie Ottewell this past summer to work on a plant checklist for Bruce and Grey Counties. With the assistance of Joan Crowe, Lorraine Brown, and Betty Ker of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, Joe Johnson of Wiarton, Bob Gray of the MNR Owen Sound office, and Mike Oldham of the NHIC, Julie put together a draft list which is now in the final stages of preparation. The finished list will be jointly published by the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Saugeen Field Naturalists. Watch the NHIC newsletter for information about the availability of the finished list.
Thanks to Al Harris of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, and Lakehead University, the NHIC has been provided a computerized catalogue of all Thunder Bay District plant specimens contained in the Lakehead University Herbarium. Data entry was funded by MNR Northwest Region Site Region Planning and Science and Technology offices. The database also contains records from the MNR "Ecological Data Repository". At present the database contains 37,394 records of 925 species including several hundred records of rare plants tracked by the NHIC. In exchange the NHIC has provided MNR Thunder Bay with a database containing plant records obtained during NHIC fieldwork in Thunder Bay District, and the Lakehead University Herbarium with plant specimens collected during NHIC fieldwork.
NHIC has been assisting Adam Moreland of Bruce Peninsula National Park with the preparation of a vegetation management plan which will address the Park's 22 provincially rare plant species. Bruce Peninsula National Park has been provided with copies of relevant literature and information from the Biological and Conservation Database on the Park's rare plants, and the park has provided NHIC with a copy of their GIS database containing over 400 specific records of rare plants in the park. The NHIC hopes to work with other parks and agencies to further biodiversity conservation efforts in the province.
In 1995 the Canadian Botanical Conservation Network (CBCN) was initiated as a partnership between the Royal Botanical Gardens, Environment Canada, McMaster University, and corporate partners Merck Frost Canada Inc. and Glaxo Canada Inc. The CBCN is a new national program to link botanical gardens, arboreta, and other organizations and individuals concerned with the protection of endangered plant species and the wise use of plant genetic resources. The NHIC has been in contact with the CBCN to discuss potential joint projects and is assisting the CBCN with a study on the genetics of the endangered Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum).
For further information on the CBCN, contact Dr. David Galbraith, Coordinator, Canadian Botanical Conservation Network, Royal Botanical Gardens, P.O. Box 399, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3H8 (905-527-1158 ext. 295, fax 905-577-0375, e-mail D.Galbraith@genie.geis.com.
The long-awaited Ecological Survey of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve, a comprehensive inventory of the Niagara Escarpment's most significant natural areas, is nearing completion. Reviewers' comments are presently being incorporated, with publication expected before the end of 1995.
The joint Ontario Heritage Foundation / MNR project is meant to serve as an update to a 1976 study by Cuddy, Lindsay and Macdonald (1976), and will contribute to the informed stewardship of the Escarpment's natural areas, to the protection of its biodiversity and to ecologically-based land-use planning for Canada's sixth biosphere reserve. The report contains detailed descriptions of the Escarpment's five biophysical sections, as well as 105 site summaries. Also included are technical appendices that document more than 50,000 floral, faunal and vegetation community occurrence records derived from the extensive fieldwork of the project, and from earlier studies. The two-volume report will be an invaluable reference on the natural history of one of Ontario's most outstanding natural features.
Reference
Cuddy, D.G., K.M. Lindsay and I.D. Macdonald. 1976. Significant Natural Areas along the
Niagara Escarpment. MNR, Parks Planning Branch, Division of Parks. Unpublished Manuscript. 426 pp.
Bider, J.R. and S. Matte. 1994. Atlas des Amphibians et des Reptiles du Québec.
Société d'histoire naturelle de la vallée du Saint-Laurent,
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec. 106 pp.
Karstad, A. 1995. A Place to Walk. Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc., Toronto. 159 pp.
McHattie, B., M. Taylor, D. Hoysak, C. Seburn, D. Seburn, D. Dennis, C.A. Bishop, P.J. Ewins and D.V. Weseloh. 1995. Habitat Rehabilitation in the Great Lakes: Techniques for Enhancing Biodiversity. Environment Canada, Ontario Region, Toronto. 102 pp.
Cooperrider, T.S. 1994. The Dicotyledoneae of Ohio: Part 2. Linaceae through Campanulaceae. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, Ohio. 656 pp.
The NHIC would like to thank the following individuals who have recently provided information on rare plant, animal, and community locations in the province and/or provided review comments which assisted with ranking and status summary updates:
Gary Allen, Ted Armstrong, Jann Atkinson, Madeline Austen, Jeff Black, Sean Blaney, Hans Blokpoel, Jane Bowles, Dawn Brenner, Donald Britton, Peter Burke, Peter Carson, Bill Crins, Alan Croxall, Don Cuddy, Stephen Darbyshire, Joanne DiMaio, Al Dextrase, Bruce Duncan, Jim Duncan, Tim Dyson, Wayne Fiset, Michelle Fletcher, Bruce Ford, Jean Gagnon, David Galbraith, George Gale, Mary Gartshore, Anthony Goodban, Wayne Grimm, Al Harris, Audrey Heagy, Mark Hendrick, Brian Henshaw, Tom Hince, Matt Holder, Dale Hoy, Colin Jones, Judith Jones, James Kamstra, Andrea Kingsley, Richard Knapton, Dave Kraus, Frank Kurczewski, Larry Lamb, Anne Lambert, Bill Lamond, Brendon Larson, John Lemon, Vicky Lightfoot, Jackie Litzgus, Tom Lobb, Sarah Mainguy, Dave Martin, Jon McCracken, Darryl McLeod, Dave McLeod, Doug McRae, Adam Moreland, Rob Nisbet, Todd Norris, Annette Page, Ron Pittaway, Ben Porchuk,Tony Reznicek, Michael Richardson, Ron Ridout, John Riley, Michael Runtz, Claudia Schaefer, Fred Schueler, Jeff Skevington, Barry Snider, Ken Stead, Bill Stewart, Roel Teunissen, Bruce Thacker, Jeff Thompson, John Thompson, Tim Tully, Steve Varga, Andrew Walde, Beth Wallace, George Wallace, Wayne Weller, Steve Wilcox, Nancy Wilson, Kelly Withers, Allen Woodliffe, and Alan Wormington.
The NHIC would like to welcome its new Stewardship Ecologist, Jarmo Jalava. For the past five years, Jarmo has worked at the MNR's Southern Region office as a natural areas biologist with the Niagara Escarpment Parks/ANSI Inventory Project. He has co-authored numerous ANSI reports as well as the soon-to-be-published "Ecological Survey of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve". Jarmo has worked as an environmental consultant, as a biologist with the Ecological Survey of the Rouge Valley and with the Peregrine Falcon Re-introduction Program, and as an assistant at the Long Point Bird Observatory. Jarmo is also a prose writer and former editor of the international literary magazine Exile. He has been a naturalist and birder in Ontario for most of his life.