Data Loading Completed for Vulnerable, Threatened and Endangered (VTE) Plants, Amphibians, and Reptiles

Thanks primarily to the efforts of NHIC contract staff Jennifer Line and Madeline Austen (hired with the assistance of the Nature Conservancy of Canada), all Element Occurrence (EO) or "occurrence" records for the 56 Ontario plant species, 3 amphibian species, and 10 reptile species currently considered Vulnerable, Threatened, or Endangered (VTE) by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) or Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have now been entered into our databases. This translates to 2001 EO records, and 8226 additional observations (sightings considered to belong to the same occurrence) of 69 species. Each record contains information on the exact location(s) of the occurrence, the accuracy of the locational information, a chronology of sightings, an element occurrence quality rank, references, knowledgeable contacts, habitat, as well as land ownership and other pertinent information where available. When the occurrence is completely or partially within a natural area, the EO record is linked to the NHIC Natural Areas Database.

Knowing where VTE species are located is the first step in ensuring their conservation. A more limited set of this information on the locations of VTE species is available to naturalists, planners, scientists, park managers, and others involved in the conservation of rare species through the NHIC web page http:// www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/nhic.html. Although this general information is widely available to the general public on the NHIC web page, access to precise locations and other sensitive information is only available to qualified users (currently limited to selected MNR district and area office staff and a few NHIC partners) through a password received only after a training session by NHIC staff. Since some VTE species can be exploited by unscrupulous individuals (e.g. commercial harvest of some raptors and reptiles, illegal harvesting of medicinal herbs such as Ginseng), precise locations are made available only to qualified users on a need-to-know basis. Element Occurrence records are also available to qualified MNR users through Ministry’s new NRVIS (Natural Resources Values and Information System) project, an extensive computer database on many natural resource features.

Each Element Occurrence record of a VTE species is assigned an "EO Quality Rank", in order to prioritize conservation action. These ranks are based on the projected long term viability of the occurrence, EO Quality Ranks range from A (excellent projected long-term viability) to D (considered non-viable over the long term), and also include H (historically known, with some likelihood of rediscovery), X (extirpated), and E (presumed extant, but with no information on which to estimate viability). The accompanying table indicates the number of Element Occurrence records and observations for each VTE plant, amphibian, and reptile, as well as their EO Quality Ranks. EO records are continually being updated as new occurrences are documented and additional information is obtained on those already entered. ;

Michael J. Oldham

Changes to Ontario’s Rare Plant List

The first list of Ontario’s rare vascular plants was published more than twenty years ago (Argus and White 1977) by the National Museum of Natural Sciences (now Canadian Museum of Nature). This publication listed 616 species of vascular plants considered to be rare in the province. The list was assembled through consultation with a number of botanists throughout the province. The National Museum continued its pioneering work on rare plants, under the direction of George Argus, and eventually produced similar lists for all Canadian provinces and territories, as well as a publication on rare plants in Canada (Argus and Pryer 1990). Although to date there is no federal Endangered Species legislation in Canada and the listed species have no legal status, these lists have become widely used to assist in the conservation of rare plant species throughout the country.

The second major publication dealing with provincially rare plants in Ontario and also produced by the National Museum was the "Atlas of the Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario" (Argus et al. 1982-1987). This monumental undertaking was produced in four parts between 1982 and 1987. Individual species accounts, which include range maps, selected references, notes on habitat and status elsewhere, were completed by experts in particular groups of plants. Information was gathered on 940 plant species for potential inclusion in the Atlas and 542 were eventually selected and treated. Because the maps in the Rare Plant Atlas are coded by date, one can tell at a glance how rare a particular plant is, in what parts of the province it occurs, and how recent the records are from each area. With recent restructuring at the Canadian Museum of Nature and the retirement of George Argus, the museum unfortunately no longer has a rare plants program.

The arrival of conservation data centres such as the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) in Canada in the 1990’s meant renewed efforts in the listing and conservation of rare plants in the country. The NHIC was officially opened in December of 1993 and in 1994 produced its first listing of provincially rare vascular plants (Oldham 1994), which contained 681 species. Unlike previous lists, the NHIC rare plant list uses international standards to determine a conservation priority rank (SRANK) which is assigned to each plant species. A second edition of the NHIC rare vascular plant list was produced in 1996 (Oldham 1996), containing 720 species. The NHIC rare vascular plant list and other rare species and community lists can be viewed on the NHIC web page at http:// www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/nhic.html. This web page also provides information on how the list was compiled and definitions of the conservation priority ranks used.

Rare plant lists are constantly in a state of flux as our knowledge of the province’s flora improves. In the more than two decades since Argus and White’s 1977 list, dozens of species have been found to be more common than first thought, and have been dropped from subsequent lists. Similarly, other species have been found to be rarer than initially thought and others have been discovered in the province since 1977. The Ontario Rare Plant Atlas project was a more thorough process and most of the species identified in this atlas are still considered provincially rare. However for a variety of reasons some species are no longer considered rare in Ontario by the NHIC. The table below lists those species which appeared in the Rare Plant Atlas (Argus et al. 1982-1987) or the first NHIC Rare Vascular Plant List (Oldham 1994), but do not appear on the most current list (Oldham 1996). Differences between the lists which are based on name changes are not included in the table.

The third edition of the NHIC Rare Vascular Plant List is currently in preparation and anyone with suggestions for species which should be added to or removed from the list is urged to contact the NHIC. ;

Literature Cited

Argus, G.W., and K.M. Pryer. 1990. Rare Vascular Plants in Canada: Our Natural Heritage. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario. 191 pp. + maps.

Argus, G.W., K.M. Pryer, D.J. White and C.J. Keddy (editors). 1982-1987. Atlas of the Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario. 4 parts. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario. Looseleaf.

Argus, G.W., and D.J. White. 1977. The Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario. Syllogeus No. 14, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario. 63 pp.

Oldham, M.J. 1994. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Rare Vascular Plants. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Peterborough, Ontario. 48 pp.

Oldham, M.J. 1996. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Rare Vascular Plants. Second edition. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Peterborough, Ontario. 53 pp.

Sabourin, A., and D. Paquette. 1992. Status Report on Provancher’s Fleabane, Erigeron philadelphicus L. ssp. provancheri, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 35 pp.

Michael J. Oldham

MNR’s Maple Wildlife Research Station Herbarium Finds a New Home

Summer student Laura Franklin spent much of the summer cataloguing the herbarium of the former MNR Maple Wildlife Research Station. The NHIC, in collaboration with the Royal Ontario Museum/University of Toronto herbarium (TRT), is cataloguing the collection of about 12,000 mounted specimens for donation to the TRT herbarium. This valuable research collection was no longer needed following the relocation of MNR’s Wildlife Research Section to Peterborough. Laura worked on repairing damaged specimens, adding locational information lacking on the original labels, and entering the specimen label data into a computer database. Information on rare species in the collection is being entered into NHIC’s Element Occurrence database. ;

Michael J. Oldham

NHIC Collaborates on Botanical Status Reports

This past year NHIC botanist, Mike Oldham, authored or co-authored Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) status reports on six rare Canadian plants. Mike completed a status report on the globally rare Juniper Sedge (Carex juniperorum), an alvar species known from fewer than twenty sites worldwide. Collaboration with British Columbia Conservation Data Centre botanist, George Douglas, resulted in status reports on Toothcup (Rotala ramosior) and Scarlet Ammannia (Ammannia robusta), two small wildflowers known in Canada from only a few sites in southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Mike co-authored three additional status reports with Jay Zhang and David Stephenson of Ecologistics Limited (the latter now with Natural Resource Solutions) and John Semple of the Univeristy of Waterloo. The reports were on Crooked-stemmed Aster (Aster prenanthoides), Short’s Aster (Aster shortii), and Riddell’s Goldenrod (Solidago riddellii). All six status reports are now being reviewed by COSEWIC’s Plant Subcommittee. ;

Michael J. Oldham

NHIC Assists Waterloo Region with Review of Significant Plants List

Like most Ontario municipalities, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo is doing its best to protect significant natural areas and the biodiversity within its jurisdiction. One of the criteria used to identify Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas in the Region’s official plan is significant species, however the Region’s significant plant list is many years out of date. Wasyl Bakowsky and Mike Oldham have been involved for about a year on a technical advisory committee which is recommending a new significant plant species list for Waterloo Region. The committee is composed of university academics, MNR and Grand River Conservation Authority staff, environmental consultants, and naturalists, all with some knowledge of the Region’s plant life. Several criteria are being used to select species for inclusion including NHIC-assigned provincial ranks (all species tracked by the NHIC will be included), species with a high coefficient of conservatism (as listed in the NHIC publication "A Floristic Quality Assessment System for Southern Ontario"), and native species known from few locations in the Region. The improved and updated significant species list, now nearing completion, should be a benefit to planners and others trying to protect the Region of Waterloo’s significant natural habitats. ;

Michael J. Oldham

NHIC Contributes to the "Ontario Plant List"

The "Ontario Plant List" is over 500 pages long and contains complete lists of Ontario’s lichens, mosses, liverworts, and vascular plants, the first such compilation ever undertaken. Although previous checklists of the province’s mosses and vascular plants exist, this is the first attempt at listing the lichens and liverworts. The Ontario Plant List was published by the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Ontario Forest Research Institute (OFRI) in Sault Ste. Marie and includes scientific name, English and French common names, family name, synonyms, and a variety of other information on each species listed. The NHIC contributed information on the global (GRANK) and provincial rank (SRANK) and national (COSEWIC) and provincial (MNR) status for each species as well as the unique identification number which will be used in MNR’s new NRVIS (Natural Resources Values and Information System) computer database. Through an agreement with the OFRI, the NHIC will be responsible for maintaining and updating the database on Ontario plants for possible future revisions to the Ontario Plant List.

The Ontario Plant List is available from MNR’s Natural Resources Information Centre (P.O. Box 7000, 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8M5; 705-755-2000; fax 705-755-1677) for $32.26 ($30.00 + GST). It can be purchased by credit card by phoning 1-800-667-1940. If ordered by phone or fax, $2.34 will be added for shipping, bringing the total to $34.60. A digital version of the Ontario Plant List is also available. For information on the digital database, contact the Ontario Plant List Database, c/o ELC Program, Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5 (705-946-2981 ext. 271; fax 705-946-2030; email ofriin@gov.on.ca). ;

Michael J. Oldham

International Blanding’s Turtle Conservation Conference

In early May 1998, NHIC Botanist/Herpetol-ogist, Mike Oldham, travelled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to represent Ontario at an international conference on the conservation of the Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingi). Mike presented a paper on the distribution, status and conservation of the Blanding’s Turtle in Ontario. The Blanding’s Turtle has the smallest global range of Ontario’s eight native turtle species, occurring in portions of only 18 states and provinces. There is growing range-wide concern over the health of this species and of turtle populations in general. Already the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta), and Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) are officially designated Vulnerable, Threatened, or Endangered in Ontario. Ontario contains more of the global range of the Blanding’s Turtle (19%) than any other state or province, and although it is currently ranked S4 and not tracked by the NHIC, populations may be declining in Ontario as appears to be the case for several other turtles. The Blanding’s Turtle is considered a Threatened species in Nova Scotia, and a COSEWIC status report is being prepared to evaluate its national status. At present Ontario probably has some of the healthiest Blanding’s Turtle populations anywhere, since in all other jurisdictions but two (Nebraska and Michigan, where it is also ranked S4), the species is considered critically imperiled (S1), imperiled (S2) or rare (S3). ;

Michael J. Oldham

Frogwatch-Ontario

Frogwatch-Ontario is an educational program where volunteers collect and submit frog and toad observations which contribute to scientific databases in Ontario. By listening to frog and toad calls, schools, individuals, and communities can record and submit observations that are important in monitoring the health of Ontario’s wetlands. Frogwatch-Ontario is a partnership project between the Toronto Zoo, the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN), and the NHIC. Data can be submitted electronically and contributors can view their observations on a map relative to other recent and historic data on Ontario frog and toad species. The NHIC contributed the historic data, gathered during the Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary project, and the NHIC will archive in an electronic form all records submitted to Frogwatch. For more information check out the Frogwatch-Ontario website at http://www.cciw.ca/frogwatching/intro.html or contact Frogwatch-Ontario, c/o Adopt-A-Pond, Toronto Zoo, 361 A Old Finch Ave., Scarborough, Ontario M1B 5K7; fax: (416) 392-4979; phone1-888-31FROGS. ;

Michael J. Oldham

NHIC Participates in Eastern Massasauga Conservation and Management Symposium

In early October 1998 snake biologists from as far away as Sweden and the southern U.S. gathered at the Toronto Zoo to discuss the conservation and management of Ontario’s only poisonous snake. The Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) is considered globally rare (G4T3T4) by The Nature Conservancy and is being considered for federal listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This snake is already designated Threatened in both Ontario and Canada.

As is the case across its range, the Eastern Massasauga has undergone a marked declined in the province. Mike Oldham, data loading contractor Madeline Austen, and GIS specialist Pete Sorrill presented a paper at the symposium on "A Review and Evaluation of Eastern Massasauga Records in Ontario: Applications for Conservation and Management". This presentation outlined the methodology NHIC is using to convert clusters of sightings ("observations") into Element Occurrences (EOs), then create a boundary around the EOs to form polygonal EOs. In the past species occurrence records in the NHIC database were clusters of points, while in reality these rare species occupy an area of habitat on the ground. In order to move toward polygonal EOs, NHIC staff are developing a GIS-assisted procedure which buffers observations by a species-specific distance (1.5km was used for Eastern Massasauga), taking into account habitat features such as open water and built-up areas (using Landsat satellite imagery), then draws an outer boundary around the observations to create an area (EO polygon) which can then be used by biologists, planners, and managers trying to conserve the species. ;

Michael J. Oldham

In response to growing Canadian and international concern about the protection of the aquatic environment, Parks Canada is proposing a national marine conservation area for the north shore of Lake Superior. National Marine Conservation Areas (NPCA) protect and conserve special marine and freshwater areas representative of Canada’s oceans and Great Lakes, while continuing to provide opportunities for public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the federal and provincial governments to explore the feasibility of a National Marine Conservation Area on Lake Superior in March of 1997. The focus of the NMCA proposal is on the waters between Thunder Cape off Sibley Peninsula and Bottle Point east of Terrace Bay, and the mainland coastline and the U.S.-Canada border.

A scientific expedition to collect information on flora, fauna, geology and archaeology of this area was initiated by Parks Canada, in support of conservation area planning, and included a cross-section of experts from these fields. The NHIC, as a representative of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, was able to send Wasyl Bakowsky to collect information of vegetation and flora as part of this group.

Extensive consultations have been undertaken since the initial announcement, to inform area residents and stakeholders about the initiative and to identify key issues and concerns. Numerous meetings with community organisations and special interest groups were held throughout the year, and a series of Open Houses were held in the fall of 1997. To address the need for more information, a growing mailing list had developed, and to date, two newsletters have been published.

To further develop the proposal beyond the conceptual stage, a Regional Committee, comprised of community representatives and stakeholders of the area has been formed. In developing the plan, this committee brings the views and perspectives of their community forward, and will ultimately be responsible for making their recommendations to the Ministers for discussion.

If you would like more information on Parks Canada’s National Marine Conservation Area program, or would like to be placed on the mailing list, please contact:

Gail Jackson

Parks Canada

214 Red River Road, 3rd Floor

Thunder Bay, ON,P7B 1A6

(807) 346-2904 , fax (807)345-9731

e-mail Gail_Jackson@pch.gc.ca ;

Wasyl D. Bakowsky

Historical Prairie and Savannah Mapping Project

The mapping of rare vegetation communities based on original Ontario land survey records, first reported in NHIC Newsletter 3(2):4, has been essentially completed for prairie and savannah vegetation in southern Ontario.

The NHIC was particularly fortunate this summer in acquiring the services of Patrick McLean through the Summer Experience Program to undertake this task, which has been ongoing at the centre since 1996. Patrick, who is now a 3rd year student at Trent University, showed a strong interest in his work. He enthusiastically sleuthed through the fieldnotes housed in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) Land Survey Records office, in an effort to track down every reference to these rare communities that he could find. Patrick often looked at more than one survey to look for references to vegetation described as ‘plains’, ‘oak plains’, etc., and utilized additional information sources such as survey plans and road, river and shoreline surveys. In some instances it was difficult to determine locations of the survey lines due to confusing statements or a paucity of information, but Patrick was able to locate and georeference these sites by careful analysis, thought, and clues from letters sent by the surveyors. Some areas were mapped based on written descriptions and delimitations from historical documents and diaries, as well as published and unpublished articles.

The accompanying map shows the original extent of prairie and savannah vegetation in Ontario. This map uses digital boundaries mapped on paper at NHIC, then digitized by Ontario Hydro, which is working with OMNR to share resources and information. The figure shows the generalized extent only. The actual mapping distinguishes between 27 different community types which were differentiated by the various surveyors. For example, in addition to prairie and oak savannah, communities include oak-chestnut savannah, and oak-pine-chestnut barrens.

Once the digital data have been checked and the polygons finalized, the digital mapping will be made available as an NHIC product to clients. Patrick also produced a spreadsheet which references all the sources which were used to map each location. ;

Wasyl D. Bakowsky

Rare Communities of Ontario: Great Lakes Arctic-Alpine Basic Bedrock Shoreline

Lake Superior has long been known to support assemblages of arctic plant species along its cold rocky shores, as well as western and alpine species. Some of these were first described by Louis Agassiz (1850) in his exploration of the lake. Later studies of this vegetation include those by Butters and Abbe (1953), Soper and Maycock (1963), Garton and Marshall (1963), and Lindsay (1968). The most comprehensive fieldwork and report of arctic and alpine vegetation along the Lake Superior shoreline was by Given and Soper (1981).

It is thought that the presence of these species here, so widely disjunct from their principal range, is a relictual occurrence. It is hypothesized that their distribution was previously more widespread along the margins of the Wisconsinan ice sheets which formerly covered this region. As the glaciers receded, the vegetation which occurred along the ice margin either disappeared or followed the ice margin northward, to be replaced ultimately in the Lake Superior region by boreal forest.

Only along the colder-than-normal microclimate immediately adjacent to the lake (and a few other specialized locations such as glaciere talus and some open cliff rims) did the cold-climate conditions persist for which these species are adapted. Boreal forest is also prevented from occupying these sites by other factors, including ice-scour and wave wash.

Sites that support arctic and alpine species are variable. In general, they occur on base-rich rocks, such as basalt and diabase. In fact, their distribution along the lake reflects this preference, with large gaps in distribution attributed to shoreline stretches which consist of acidic igneous rocks (Given and Soper 1981). The vegetation is sparse and bare rock dominates. The richest sites usually exhibit the greatest diversity of structure, including crevices, rock pools, boulder fields and shore platforms.

This vegetation, classified as Great Lakes Arctic-Alpine Basic Bedrock Shoreline, is ranked as S3, which is rare to uncommon, usually between 20 and 100 occurrences in the province (Bakowsky 1996).

A number of species are typical in these habitats, including: Yarrow (Achillea lanulosa), Sand Cress (Arabis lyrata), Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Bluejoint Grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), Lenticular Sedge (Carex lenticularis), Umbellate Sedge (C. umbellata), Tufted Hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), Rocky Mountain Fescue (Festuca saximontana), Spreading Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), Common Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), Inland Bluegrass (Poa interior), Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), Three-toothed Cinquefoil (P. tridentata), Mistassini Primrose (Primula mistassinica), Knotted Pearlwort (Sagina nodosa), Tufted Club-rush (Scirpus cespitosus), Rand’s Goldenrod (Solidago simplex ssp. simplex), Trisetum Grass (Trisetum spicatum), and Rusty Woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis) (Bakowsky 1998).

Lichens may be prominent, especially crustose lichens, Reindeer Lichen (Cladina spp.), and the orange lichen Xanthoria elegans. Small seedlings and saplings of trees from adjacent forested areas may also be present, including White Spruce (Picea glauca), White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), White Pine (Pinus strobus), and Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera) (Bakowsky 1998).

At least four species of plants from these rocky shorelines are provincially rare, and tracked by the NHIC. Two are considered to be primarily arctic in their distribution, these are Alpine Chickweed (Cerastium alpinum) and Drummond’s Mountain Avens (Dryas drummondii). Another species, Mountain Fir-moss (Huperzia appalachiana), is a globally rare eastern arctic and alpine species. Ross’s Sedge (Carex rossii) is a western species at its eastern limit here on the lake.

Species which are predominantly arctic in their distribution include: Alpine Milk Vetch (Astragalus alpinus), Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia), Arctic Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), Northern Eyebright (Euphrasia hudsoniana), Short-leaved Fescue (Festuca brachyphylla), Alpine Hedysarum (Hedysarum alpinum), Alpine Bistort (Polygonum viviparum), Knotted Pearlwort, Marsh Groundsel (Senecio congestus), Northern Dandelion (Taraxacum ceratophorum – T. lacerum, taxonomic problems here), Alpine Saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata), and Tiny False Asphodel (Tofieldia pusilla) (Soper and Given 1981).

Numerous other interesting species are also found in this plant community. Some occur in both the boreal, sub-arctic and arctic regions. These species include Hair-like Sedge (Carex capillaris), Common Butterwort, Tufted Club-rush, Trisetum Grass, Bog Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), and Mountain Cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). Northern species, found in both the boreal and sub-arctic regions, are Low Northern Sedge (Carex concinna), Northern Eyebright (Euphrasia hudsoniana), Mistassini Primrose, and Northern Spikemoss (Selaginella selaginoides) (Soper and Given 1981). A western prairie species Prairie Cinquefoil (Potentilla pensylvanica) can also be found in this habitat.

A number of sites along Lake Superior which support Great Lakes Arctic-Alpine Basic Bedrock Shoreline are protected areas. Examples of this vegetation occur along the shores of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, located to the east of Thunder Bay. The Slate Islands, which support some of the richest assemblages of arctic-alpine plants on the north shore, are also protected as Natural Environment Provincial Park. Further to the east, the northern shoreline section of Lake Superior Provincial Park and Michipicoten Island Provincial Park also support excellent examples of this vegetation.

A recent proposal by Parks Canada to establish a National Marine Conservation Area along the north shore of Lake Superior (see article "Marine Park Proposal for Lake Superior") provides an exciting opportunity for protection of Great Lakes Arctic-Alpine Basic Bedrock Shoreline in the central portion of its range. This area supports some of the best examples of this vegetation, and supports a number of plant species which are not found in other protected sites, such as Three-toothed Saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata).

Agassiz, L.1850. Lake Superior: its physical character, vegetation, and animals. Gould, Kendall and Lincoln. Boston. 428 pp.

Bakowsky, W.D. 1996. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Vegetation communities of southern Ontario. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 21 pp.

Bakowsky, W.D. 1998. Significant Flora and Vegetation along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 7 pp.

Butters, F.K. and E.C. Abbe. 1953. A floristic study of Cook County, Northeastern Minnesota, Rhodora 55:21-55, 63-101.

Garton, C.E. and G.R. Marshall. 1963. Arctic flora of the north shore of Lake Superior. Ontario Naturalist 1(3):8-12.

Given, D.R. and J.H. Soper. 1981. The arctic-alpine element of the vascular flora at Lake Superior. National Museum of Canada, Publications in Botany No. 10, Ottawa. 70 pp.

Lindsay, D.R. 1968. Migration and persistence of certain arctic-alpine plants in the Lake Superior region of Ontario. Lakehead University Review 1:59-69.

Soper, J.H. and P.F. Maycock. 1963. A community of arctic-alpine plants on the east shore of Lake Superior. Canadian Journal of Botany 41:183-198. ;

Wasyl D. Bakowsky

Ecological Land Classification for Southern Ontario: First Approximation and Its Application

The NHIC has been collaborating with Harold Lee of MNR’s Southcentral Science Section for over four years to develop an ecological land classification (ELC) for southern Ontario. The initial classification was based on an analysis of over 4,000 descriptions of documented communities. Vegetated portions of the classification were first published by the NHIC in the list of vegetation communities of southern Ontario (Bakowsky 1996).

The classification has since been updated, with changes primarily occurring in the forested vegetation types. These changes reflect refinements to the classification based on preliminary results from quantitative analysis by Harold Lee of over 1,000 10x10 m quadrats, collected by the Southcentral Science Section in the last 3 years.

The first manual to the ELChas been published . It consists of two parts, the classification itself, and a section on the applications of the classification.

The classification section includes background information, keys, community tables, and a photo album of ecosites. The application section provides context to the ELC, and shows how to apply it. It includes a description framework, field sampling methods and data cards, and a soil description section. A case study is also provided, based on the Credit Valley Conservation’s experience in applying ELC to 1997 fieldwork results.

Additionally, a database program in Microsoft Access 95 format has also been developed, and this is included with the manual. It allows one to enter, query and manage natural heritage data. It will also allow a link to the NHIC plant and animal species lists and codes, community codes and ranks, and will generate Floristic Quality Index values from entered plant species lists.

Both the manual (in Adobe Acrobat format) and the database program are available for download from the NHIC web site: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/ MNR/nhic/veg/lists/elc.html. Both have been ‘zipped’ using PKZIP into one file to make them smaller and thus faster to download. The manual will also be available for purchase from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. ;

Wasyl D. Bakowsky

Bakowsky, W.D. 1996. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Vegetation communities of southern Ontario. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 21pp.

A grant request has been submitted to the North American Fund for Environmental Cooperation (NAFEC) by The Nature Conservancy - Great Lakes Program (TNC) to fund biological inventory and site conservation planning workshops, and to support biodiversity conservation projects to be undertaken by local community groups. The bi-national project, titled Community-based Biodiversity Conservation in the Northwestern Lake Superior Landscape, will focus on ecological site district 4W2 (which covers an area of about 30 to 80 km around the city of Thunder Bay) and the adjacent ecoregional sub-section in Minnesota. If the grant is received, key landowners, community conservation groups and resource managers will be invited to attend one of two site conservation planning workshops to be held in late 1999 on each side of the international boundary.

The biological inventory is intended to assist in filling information gaps pertaining to rare species and natural communities. Priority areas for conservation may be identified on both private and public lands. The proposed project will focus on documenting important element occurrences in the area and their ecological needs, as well as social and economic factors affecting their conservation. The project is fundamentally an exercise that educates and empowers local community groups in taking conservation action themselves, while taking into consideration socioeconomic concerns. The project is being led and coordinated by The Nature Conservancy - Great Lakes Program in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy of Minnesota and the NHIC. Support for the project has already been indicated by The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Federation of Ontario Naturalists, Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, Northern Bioscience, MNR’s Natural Heritage Section, the Minnesota state government and several other groups in the U.S.. ;

Jarmo V. Jalava

Natural Areas Database and Wetlands Data

Thanks to huge data loading efforts by Tayarna King, Helen Godschalk, Bonnie Bannerman and Michelle Ness, and funding support from MNR’s Natural Resources Information Branch and the Summer Experience Program, the NHIC Natural Areas Database (NADb) was greatly enhanced over the past year. The total number of natural area records (detailed and location-only) in the database rose to 5,817 in July 1998, up from 3,527 in August 1997. The number of "detailed" records increased by 1,272 over the same period. Over this time, Earth Science ANSI data entry was completed, and locational information for all International Biological Programme (IBP) sites was entered. NHIC has a complete set of IBP checksheets (from the early 1970s). Although somewhat dated, these checksheets contain community and species information, in some cases for areas that have not since been surveyed. In the longer term, they may prove to be a valuable resource for monitoring ecological trends.

Notable advances have also been made in the loading of data from wetland evaluation records to the NADb (see accompanying table). As part of a collaborative effort between Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and NHIC, detailed information on all evaluated Great Lakes coastal wetlands has been entered into the NADb. These data have been a primary source of information for the Coastal Wetlands Database project, for which a publication and maps are forthcoming. Maps for this project were produced by Tanya Pulfer on contract to CWS, with the assistance of NHIC’s Pete Sorrill.

Locational information has been entered for approximately 90% of Ontario’s evaluated wetlands, and full records have been entered for about 60%. Loading of existing data is expected to be completed during the first half of 1999, thanks to financial support in part from MNR’s Natural Heritage Section, and an anticipated major contribution from CWS. NHIC will be collaborating with MNR field offices to develop a system for maintenance and update of wetland data by field office staff.

Some fields of the database are available to the public on the NHIC World Wide Web site. Natural area information can be obtained on the Web Site by zooming in on a part of the province using the Geographic Query function, or by querying a list of natural areas arranged by NTS (topographic) map number. ;

Jarmo V. Jalava

NHIC Participates in Ecoregional Planning for the Great Lakes Basin

During 1998, NHIC staff have been involved in an ecoregional planning exercise for the Great Lakes Basin, coordinated by The Nature Conservancy – Great Lakes Program in Chicago, with the collaboration of heritage program and Conservancy staff from neighbouring United States. The goal of the process is to identify the high priority sites that will provide long-term protection for all elements of biodiversity in the Great Lakes ecoregion. The portfolio of sites that emerges from this exercise will help guide on-the-ground conservation activities.

The process involves several steps. First, conservation targets are identified. The targets are all natural communities, regardless of global rank, all G1 to G3G4 taxa, and more common (G4-G5) species that are disjunct in the Great Lakes Region. Next, regional conservation objectives are set. In order to do this, expert opinion is sought to determine how many occurrences of each element would be required to adequately ensure its long term viability. To capture genetic and ecological variability, occurrences were selected across the whole range of each element within the ecoregion. Such decisions are made on the basis of ecological units rather than political jurisdictions. The next step involves assessing the viability of target element occurrences so that the best sites for protecting each element can be selected.

The end result is a huge matrix (which, for Western New York, covered two walls of a classroom-sized room) with all of the target elements listed vertically and all of the sites containing viable occurrences listed horizontally. The most efficient suite of sites is chosen by selecting areas that have multiple viable occurrences. In the portfolio site selection stage, input is sought from people with an intimate knowledge of the areas to ascertain their current condition and any impacts that might make them non-viable in the future. The final step involves an assessment of the urgency of conservation action, threats and management needs at each portfolio site. Site conservation plans are then developed for each portfolio site, using a standard methodology developed by The Nature Conservancy (see the article, "Community-based Biodiversity Conservation…").

So far, portfolio site selection has only been done for the United States portion of the ecoregion. But exposure to the site selection methodology and sharing information on the status of elements and element occurrences using the ecoregional template will assist in setting conservation targets and identifying priority sites in Ontario in the future. ;

Jarmo V. Jalava

Alvar Stewardship Packages

In the spring of 1998, consultant Janet Grand of the Couchiching Conservancy was contracted by The Nature Conservancy - Great Lakes Program to prepare alvar stewardship reports for three alvar regions of Ontario, with International Alvar Conservation Initiative funding. NHIC Natural Areas Ecologist Jarmo Jalava is coordinating the project. The stewardship packages will be modeled on publications produced by the Couchiching Conservancy for alvar landowners on the Carden Plain. Products will include: 1. generic stewardship fact sheets on alvar ecology, unusual plants, conservation options and the significance of alvars; and 2. stewardship reports for alvar landowners on the Bruce Peninsula, Napanee Plain and Smiths Falls Plain. Manitoulin Island alvar researcher Judith Jones has prepared similar packages for landowners in her area. Additionally, Anthony Goodban, a researcher of alvars near Flamborough, is producing a pamphlet on alvars for the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON). ;

Jarmo V. Jalava

Conservation Data Centre Network Goes Coast-to-Coast in Canada

With the recent formation of the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, located in Sackville, New Brunswick, the network of Conservation Data Centres (CDCs) in Canada now extends from coast to coast. Although there are not yet data centres in any of the Canadian territories, this brings to seven the number of CDCs in Canada. The Atlantic Canada CDC is being coordinated by Kate Bredin; Stefen Gerriets is Data Manager. The NHIC would like to wish the Atlantic Canada CDC continued success in helping to conserve the significant biological diversity of Canada’s maritime provinces. For further information contact the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre at Box 6227, 17 Waterfowl Lane, Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1G6; 506-364-5029; fax 506-364-5062; email: stefen.gerriets@ec.gc.ca. ;

Niagara Peninsula Data Maintenance/Gap Analysis Project

The Natural Resources Information Branch (NRIB) provided funding to initiate a new Southern Ontario Data Maintenance Project. NHIC is hoping for support in 1999/2000 from MNR, other agencies, and NGOs to expand this project to update element and areas information for all of southern Ontario. Up-to-date data are critical for land-use and conservation planning in the province. As part of this larger southern Ontario gap analysis project, contractors Madeline Austen, Jennifer Line, and Helen Godschalk investigated natural areas for NHIC-tracked species in the Niagara Peninsula area of southwestern Ontario. In collaboration with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Madeline, Jennifer, and Helen are assembling information on the natural features of the area. Inventory visits to Conservation Authority properties in the region are being used to supplement existing information. Natural area and rare species and community records will be entered into the NHIC databases to enable an analyse of the degree of protection required for these elements in the Niagara Region. Watch the NHIC Newsletter for periodic updates on this important project. ;

NHIC Boreal West "Lands for Life" Contribution

In July of this year, NHIC was asked to provide information on significant prairie and savannah vegetation in northwestern Ontario, for consideration by the Boreal West Round Table. NHIC responded by producing a brief report that described the vegetation, significant species, and importance of sites where they occur.

The report documented two types of prairie, three types of savannah, and 60 plant species tracked by NHIC! It also included information on 28 prairie indicator species found in northwestern Ontario, as well as an additional 23 other noteworthy species. This information highlighted the importance and significance of many shoreline sites in the Lake-of-the-Woods and Rainy River areas. ;

NHIC Staff Assist Ontario Parks Staff in "Lands for Life" Field Surveys

Over the summer, NHIC staff Don Sutherland, Jarmo Jalava, and Mike Oldham assisted Don Cuddy of Ontario Parks with inventory work at a natural heritage site originally identified by NHIC in the gap analysis for "Lands for Life", a provincial land-use planning exercise for public lands. The large, undeveloped site is at the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. The area consists of extensive granitic rock barrens, scattered lakes, bogs and other wetlands, interspersed with a broad range of forest types representative of this part of Ontario. Some of the lake shores harbour Atlantic Coastal Plain plant species, and other rare flora were found. At the time of publication, the future of this area was under consideration by Cabinet, and thus the exact location cannot presently be divulged. However, even if the candidate is not ultimately chosen for protected status, valuable ecological information will have been gathered on a relatively unexplored wilderness in south-central Ontario. ;

NHIC to Collaborate on "The Big Picture: Cores and Connections in Canada’s Carolinian Zone"

NHIC has committed to participating in a project that aims to map core natural areas and potential or existing natural connectors between the cores in the Carolinian Zone of extreme southern Ontario. Objectives include: 1. An updatable GIS data base combining relevant natural heritage information for core area and connection analysis, and associated hard copy map products; 2. A broad-ranging multi-agency partnership that agrees on the validity of the core-connection mapping for use as a guiding tool in conservation initiatives for Carolinian Canada; and 3. Communications, pilot projects, monitoring and evaluation relating to the effectiveness of the core-connection map. The project is being co-ordinated by Parks Canada’s Regional Conservation Biologist Bill Stephenson in his capacity as a member of Carolinian Canada Coalition. NHIC has offered to supply and maintain the data and to assist with analyses and production of maps. As well, NHIC staff Jarmo Jalava and/or Pete Sorrill will be members of the Project Working Group and Expert Panel. It is expected that "The Big Picture" will dovetail well with the NHIC "Data Maintenance and Gap Analysis Project for Southern Ontario", should both these projects receive the funding support currently being sought. ;

Jarmo V. Jalava

Great Lakes Alvar Conservation Workshop

From June 10 to 12, alvar researchers and conservation practitioners from across North America convened at the Tobermory Community Centre on the Bruce Peninsula to discuss alvar ecology and conservation, and to visit some of the world’s finest alvars at the peak of their bloom. More than one hundred people attended the workshop that included presentations by NHIC’s Jarmo Jalava and Wasyl Bakowsky. Jarmo also organised the field trips to Cabot Head, Scugog Lake and the Federation of Ontario Naturalists Bruce Alvar Nature Reserve. A post-conference field trip to Manitoulin Island alvars led by Judith Jones was, by all accounts, an outstanding experience for all who were fortunate enough to go. ;

NHIC Assists Environment Canada’s "Pelee Island Ecosystem Recovery Project"

In the spring of 1998, NHIC was approached by biologist Dr. Kent Prior of Environment Canada (EC) for information and advice relating to an EC project on Pelee Island to map critical endangered species habitats and to work with the local community to ensure their preservation. NHIC involvement to date has included provision of element occurrence information, guidance relating to inventory priorities, database structure and Geographic Information Systems applications, and advice relating to site conservation planning. ;

NHIC Receives Conservation Award

At an awards ceremony on April 24th in Ottawa, the Natural Heritage Information Centre was given a Conservation Award from the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club "in recognition of outstanding achievement in natural history conservation". A plaque was accepted by Mike Oldham on behalf of the NHIC. The centre is extremely honoured to be given this prestigious award. ;

NHIC Botanist Receives Canadian Wildlife Service Award

At the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) 20th anniversary annual meeting in April 1998, NHIC botanist, Mike Oldham, received an award from the Canadian Wildlife Service in recognition of his contribution to COSEWIC. Mike has authored a dozen COSEWIC status reports and currently sits on both the Reptile and Amphibian and the Plants subcommittees of COSEWIC. ;

NHIC (Finally!) Publishes ANSI Bibliography

The long-awaited publication, "Bibliography of Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest in Ecological Site Regions 6E and 7E, Southern Ontario" by J. Riley, J. Jalava, M. Oldham, and H. Godschalk was completed early in 1998 and released in June. The Bibliography provides information on published and unpublished literature dealing with documented natural areas in southern Ontario, with a focus on provincial and regional Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI). It also includes many general natural history references and literature citations on identified natural areas that are not ANSIs. Copies can be purchased for $15.00 in person from the MNR Natural Resources Information Centre, 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8M5, telephone (705)755-2000; or from Room M1-73, Macdonald Block, 77 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 2C1 telephone (416) 314-2000. ;

NHIC Collaborates on FON’s "Heritage Woodlands Project"

In the spring of 1998, NHIC agreed to collaborate with the Federation of Ontario Naturalists on the "Heritage Woodlands Project". This project aims to: 1. document and highlight the most exceptional upland forests remaining in southern Ontario; 2. to demonstrate the importance of forest quality as a consideration in land-use planning; and 3. to develop criteria for municipalities to use to assess forest quality. The project is being coordinated by John Riley of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, with contractor Brendon Larson undertaking the majority of the work in 1998. Brendon conducted extensive field work, which included point-quarter sampling of high-quality stands in every ecological site district in southern Ontario. NHIC Natural Areas Consultant Helen Godschalk was hired to compile ecological and land ownership information, and to assist the project in other ways. NHIC is contributing in-kind support of staff time and expertise, as well as use of computers and access to data. Not surprisingly, one of the preliminary results is that old-growth forests have been all but wiped out in southern Ontario over the past two centuries; however, a number of exceptional, high-quality forest stands have been identified. ;

NHIC Contributes to Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)

NHIC biologists have been working with other biologists from Ontario, Ohio, and New York to identify ways in which wildlife and its habitat are impaired in the Lake Erie Basin. This information will be used to come up with a Lakewide Management Plan for Lake Erie in order to address some of the problems faced by wildlife in the basin. ;

Cataloguing Local Biodiversity - NHIC "Big Days"

In each of the past five years during May, NHIC staff have taken a day off and conducted a Peterborough County birding "big day". During a big day, participants split up into teams to birdwatch in a particular geographic area, in this case Peterborough County. This year on May 21, nine NHIC staff and contractors split into three groups to bird the county. Despite a cool and windy day a collective total of 144 bird species was observed, with the central area team (we divided the county into three roughly equal north-south areas with each group covering an area) of Jarmo Jalava, Jennifer Line, and Tayarna King taking top honours with 124 species.

Our big day activities took on an added purpose this year with local naturalist Peter Burke’s initiative of compiling a 1998 Peterborough County natural history summary. This report, which will hopefully become an annual event, will focus on birds but also include other groups and will summarize the year’s natural history observations. The data gathered during the year are being stored electronically in a database and will be used for a variety of projects by students taking Erica Nol’s ornithology course at Trent University.

After a highly successful bird big day in May and with the annual natural history summary in mind, plans were made to do a mid-summer big day with a focus on plants rather than birds. It wasn’t until August 31st that busy schedules enabled us to conduct the first annual NHIC plant big day. On this date fourteen observers (including NHIC staff, contractors, summer students, and friends) split into three teams to scour the county for plants. None of the participants had ever done a "plant big day", but everyone agreed it was a fun and productive experience. Our cumulative total of 768 vascular plant species exceeded everyone’s expectations. This time the East group of Don Sutherland, Bill Crins, Jennifer Line, and Patrick McLean prevailed, recording 564 plant species.

Although each big day has had a primary focus (birds or plants to date), information is collected on other natural history groups (e.g. mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, etc.) and this information is entered into a database. It is hoped that over time these big days will contribute information which will improve our knowledge of local biodiversity and identify trends in species abundance and distribution within the county. ;

Michael J. Oldham

Staff Notes

Since its inception, George Van Drunen has capably managed the NHIC’s databases. He recently accepted a new position within MNR’s Natural Resources Information Branch in Peterborough. Although George will assist the NHIC with data exchanges and some other aspects of database management, his duties will be largely assumed by Pete Sorrill. We wish George all the best in his new position and thank him for all he’s done to support the NHIC. ;

NHIC Natural Areas Consultant Tayarna King, who in a short time became widely known throughout MNR and beyond as the person with the most intimate knowledge of wetland evaluation data in the province, left the NHIC in July to give birth to her first child, Lachlan. Tayarna’s outstanding work ethic, keen desire to learn, devotion to detail and organisational skills will be missed by all who have had the pleasure of working with her—for as long as Tay has the will to keep her distance from the NHIC computers! ;

Tanya Pulfer has been around the NHIC almost as long as the NHIC itself. She started as a summer student in 1995 and has worked in various capacities with NHIC off and on since then. Several recent projects have benefitted from Tanya’s strong GIS-based cartographic and analysis skills. Tanya assisted Pete Sorrill and Jarmo Jalava with work on the Lands For Life gap analysis project and most recently worked with Mike Oldham on the Atlas of Ontario Amphibians and Reptiles project. Tanya’s diverse talents and cheerful outlook will be missed at the NHIC while she attends Trent University in pursuit of her Bachelors of Science degree. Thanks Tanya! ;

The NHIC staff would like to express our gratitude to all summer staff who worked with us this past summer. Some such as Patrick McLean, Laura Franklin and Michelle Ness have been mentioned in previous articles in this issue. However, the work of three others deserves great recognition: Julia Radcliffe, Bryce Matthews, and James Pulfer.

The NHIC was very fortunate to have had Summer Experience Program (SEP) student Julia Radcliffe on staff this past summer. Over the course of the summer, Julia’s time was divided primarily between database work and helping to organize the zoology manual files, and conducting searches of specific journals in the NHIC’s holdings for pertinent literature on ‘tracked’ animal species. Together, the databasing of zoology files and the literature search resulted in over 2,000 citations being entered into the NHIC "references" database. The databasing of the literature and correspondence contained in the zoology manual files now enables us to, among other things, assemble a bibliography of VTE animal species. In addition to all of this, Julia provided assistance to staff in MNR’s Natural Heritage Branch, in support of the Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program (CLTIP), by mapping breeding occurrences and significant habitat of the nationally and provincially endangered ‘Eastern’ Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus migrans). Julia’s considerable effort and close attention to detail in each of these endeavours is greatly appreciated.

This past summer, the centre also benefitted greatly from the skills of two talented individuals working on the (computer) systems side of centre life….

Bryce Matthews, Natural Areas GIS Technician, worked on the centre’s Geographic Information System (GIS). Initially, he created polygonal boundaries for rare vegetation communities. This data will be used internally, by our clients through our web page geographic query, and ultimately by MNR district staff through the Natural Resources Values Information System (NRVIS). Digital boundaries created for alvar vegetation will enable us to meet our commitments to the Great Lakes International Alvar Conservation Initiative, a partnership spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy (US) among several Great Lakes-bordering states and Ontario.

For the final portion of Bryce’s SEP contract and later through MNR funds, Bryce worked on an ARCVIEW interface to facilitate mapping needs within the NHIC. His development skills in ARCVIEW’s programming language, Avenue, were of great use to accomplish this, and his work will be continued and expanded upon in the future. This system will assist with the ongoing task at the NHIC of checking rare species and community data by providing quick and ready access to spatial distributions of species and spaces, as well as the means to modify the polygonal data associated with each record.

James Pulfer, Web Data Technician, worked on updates to our web page, including getting our last newsletter up on the web. James’ assistance proved invaluable in developing important aspects of our web pages that we would not otherwise have had the time or expertise to develop.

James also developed web-based report forms to display data from our central databases in a similar format to our NHIC internal MS Access report forms. These forms will be used by MNR district biologists to service clients, requests that would formerly have been passed on to us. The biologists will be able to get access to the same level of detail available at our centre. James also worked on the creation of web-based data entry forms, but these proved too time-consuming to load over the Internet. ;

Consultant Helen Godschalk has been associated with the NHIC since June 1996 - shortly after graduating from the University of Waterloo (B.E.S. in Environment and Resource Studies, Co-op). Her primary task (along with contract staff and summer students) has been to improve and add information to the Natural Areas Database, and to organize the natural areas files in the NHIC Resource Centre. This intimate knowledge of the NHIC collections has enabled her to collaborate with the NHIC on joint projects with its partners such as the Woodland Heritage Project, sponsored by the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON) (see article "NHIC Colloborates on FON’s Heritage Woodlands Project"). Helen is pleased about the recent release of the Ecological Survey of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve (Riley, Jalava and Varga, 1996), a report on which she did extensive proof-reading, data verification and editing, both as a co-op student (in 1995) and more recently at the NHIC. NHIC Natural Areas Ecologist Jarmo Jalava and Helen Godschalk used the data from the Niagara Escarpment report to design a methodology for prioritising sites along the Niagara Escarpment; this methodology was presented as a paper and presentation at the "Leading Edge ’97: The Edge and the Point" conference. Other projects/contracts include the Niagara Peninsula Data Maintenance/Gap Analysis Project (see pg. 15) and the ANSI Bibliography (see pg. 16). After growing up in Indonesia and moving around Ontario for university co-op terms, Helen is delighted to call Peterborough home for a while. ;

Information Requests to NHIC Staff Continue at the Usual Rate

NHIC staff catalogued 981 information requests during the first six months of 1998, compared to 1006 for the same period in 1997. This slight decrease can be attributed to several factors, none of them suggesting an actual decline in the number of requests received and serviced. Because of the challenge of consistently recording every request in the database as it is received, there were significantly fewer staff recording requests at any given time 1998. Also, Karen Ness and George Van Drunen were no longer employed full time with NHIC and did not record requests in 1998. Because of the inconsistencies in recording requests, the following averages were calculated only for periods during which a given staff member was regularly recording requests (22 out of a possible 30 person-months of recording requests).Average number of incoming requests per month: 223 Average number of incoming requests per staff member per month: 44.6Average number of serviced requests per month: 187Average number of serviced requests per staff member per month: 37Average number of hours per request: 1.5Average number of hours spent servicing requests (NHIC total) per month: 280.5Average number of hours per staff member spent servicing requests per month: 55.5Based on these averages, the total number of incoming information requests during the first half of the year may actually have been closer to 1,300, with close to 2,000 hours of staff time spent servicing them. ; Jarmo V. Jalava

Publications

Sims, R.A., and K.A. Baldwin. 1996. Sphagnum Species in Northwestern Ontario: A Field Guide to their Identification. NODA/NFP Technical Report TR-30, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. 51 pp. + appendix.

Sphagnum mosses are one of the best known groups of bryophytes and they are important plants in a variety of wetland habitats. This new guide should enable the user to identify the 20 Sphagnum species known to occur in northwestern Ontario, many of which range widely in North America. Single copies are available free of charge from: Publications Services, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, P.O. Box 490, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 5M7.

Holmgren, N.H. 1998. Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist’s Manual : Illustrations of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 937 pp.

Botanists who have been trying for years to obtain a copy of the long out-of-print 1952 edition of the "New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada" need search no longer. This single volume replaces the 3-volume Britton and Brown treatment, but is much more than a simple reprinting. Many species not treated in the 1952 edition are included as well as new illustrations for other species. The "Illustrated Companion" is not a stand-alone publication (it contains no keys, descriptions, or synonyms) but is designed for use with the new edition (1991) of Gleason and Cronquist’s "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada". The Illustrated Companion is available for U.S. $125.00 plus $12.55 postage and handling. The New York Botanical Garden is currently offering both The Manual of Vascular Plants and the Illustrated Companion, if purchased together, for U.S. $150.00 plus $14.35 postage and handling. They can be ordered by Visa/Master Card by faxing your card number and expiration date along with your order to 718-817-8842, or you may send a check or money order (drawn on a US bank only) to: The New York Botanical Garden, Scientific Publications Dept., Bronx, NY 10458.

Goward, T., I.M. Brodo, and S.R. Clayden. 1998. Rare Lichens of Canada: A Review and Provisional Listing. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa. 74 pp.

Lists of rare vascular plants have been available in Canada for more than two decades (see article on "Changes to Ontario’s rare plant list"), although very little information is available on the status of non-vascular plant groups. This publication on rare Canadian lichens will undoubtedly stimulate the preparation of provincial and local lists of rare lichens and therefore help in their conservation. For information on obtaining this publication contact the COSEWIC Secretariat, c/o Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3.

Layberry, R.A., P.W. Hall, and J.D. Lafontaine. 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario. 280 pp.

Publications like Godfrey’s "Birds of Canada", Banfield’s "Mammals of Canada", and Scott and Crossman’s "Freshwater Fishes of Canada" are landmark publications in Canadian natural history. Now Canadian butterflies have an authoritative treatment. "The Butterflies of Canada" is a magnificent book covering the almost three hundred butterflies known from the country. Colour plates, dot distribution maps, and detailed species accounts make the book indispensable for the serious naturalist or anyone with an interest in Canadian butterflies. The book retails for $29.95 (softcover) and is available at bookstores throughout Canada.

NHIC Information Products

[The following publications, authored by NHIC staff, have been prepared since the previous listings (NHIC Newsletter 2(1):10, 3(1):9, 4(1):16).]

Bakowsky, W.D. 1998. Significant Flora and Vegetation along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 7 pages.

Bakowsky, W.D. and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Significant Prairie and Savannah Vegetation in Northwestern Ontario. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 11 pages.

Burke, P. and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Contributing information to the annual Peterborough County Natural History Summary. The Orchid 44(4):5.

Douglas, G.W., and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Status Report on the Toothcup (Rotala ramosior (L.) Koehne in von Martius) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 21 pages.

Douglas, G.W., and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Status Report on the Scarlet Ammannia (Ammannia robusta Heer & Regel) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 21 pages.

Holder, M. and D.A. Sutherland. 1998. Tracking rare insects in Ontario. Ontario Insects 3(2):28-32.

Jalava, J. and J. Line. 1998. Early Mourning Dove. The Orchid 44(4):3.

Jalava, J. 1998. Travels with My Tape Recorder. Birders Journal 7(3):160-162.

Jalava, J. 1998. Site Assessment of the Taylor Property, Concession XI, Lots 20 and 21,Cavan Township. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Peterborough, Ontario. 10 pp.

Lee, H.T., W.D. Bakowsky, J. Riley, J. Bowles, M. Puddister, P. Uhlig and S. McMurray. 1998. Ecological Land Classification for Southern Ontario: First Approximation and Its Application. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southcentral Science Section, Science Development and Transfer Branch. SCSS Field Guide FG-02.

McKenney, D.W., B.G. Mackey, J.P. Bogart, J.E. McKee, M.J. Oldham, and A. Chek. 1998. Bioclimatic and spatial analysis of Ontario reptiles and amphibians. Ecoscience 5(1):18-30.

Newmaster, S.G., A. Lehela, P.W.C. Uhlig, S. McMurray, and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Ontario Plant List. Forest Research Information Paper No. 123, Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. 550 pages + appendices.

Oldham, M.J. 1997. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Amphibians and Reptiles, November 1997. CAH/ACH (Canadian Association of Herpetologists/Association Canadienne des Herpetologistes) Bulletin 11(2):3-9.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Treasures of Little Lake. The Orchid 44(1):3.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Peterborough County, Ontario. The Orchid 44(4):7-8.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Status report on Juniper Sedge, Carex juniperorum Catling, Reznicek and Crins (Cyperaceae), in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 17 pp.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Distribution, Status and Conservation of the Blanding’s Turtle in Ontario. Paper presented at the Blanding’s Turtle Conservation Workshop, J.F. Bell Museum of Natural History, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 7 and 8, 1998.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Preliminary Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Peterborough County, Ontario. Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. 35 pp.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Assessment of Species Diversity in the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone: Amphibians and Reptiles. Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) (http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/reports/publications/Mixedwood/herps/herps01.html).

Oldham, M.J. 1998. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Amphibians & Reptiles. Ontario Herpetological Society News 74:21-25.

Oldham, M.J. 1998. New Ontario Plant List Published. FBO (Field Botanists of Ontario) Newsletter 11(2):12.

Oldham, M.J., J.K. Morton and J.M. Venn. 1998. Recent botanical discoveries in Ontario. FBO Newsletter 11(1):9-12.

Oldham, M.J., M.J.W. Austen, and P.J. Sorrill. 1998. A Review and Evaluation of Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Records in Ontario: Applications for Conservation and Management. Paper presented at the Second International Symposium and Workshop on the Conservation of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Sistrurus c. catenatus: Population and Habitat Management Issues in Urban, Bog, Prairie and Forested Ecosystems. October 2-3, 1998, Toronto Zoo.

Riley, J.L., J.V. Jalava and S. Varga. 1996. Ecological Survey of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve. Volume I. Significant Natural Areas. Volume II. Technical Appendices. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southcentral Region, Peterborough, Ontario. Open File Site Report SR 9601. V + 629 pp., vii + 310 pp.

Riley, J.L., J.V. Jalava, M.J. Oldham and H.G. Godschalk. 1997. Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Bibliography of Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest in Ecological Site Regions 6E and 7E, Southern Ontario. First Edition. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Centre, Peterborough. 156 pp. + 3 maps.

Sutherland, D. 1998. Prairie Warbler survey 1997. OFO News 16(2):4.

Zhang, J.J., D.E. Stephenson, J.C. Semple and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Status Report on Species at Risk in Ontario, Short’s Aster, Aster shortii Lindl. in Hook. (Asteraceae). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 22 pages.

Zhang, J.J., D.E. Stephenson, J.C. Semple and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Status Report on Species at Risk in Ontario, Crooked-stemmed Aster, Aster prenanthoides Muhl. (Asteraceae). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 26 pages.

Zhang, J.J., D.E. Stephenson, J.C. Semple and M.J. Oldham. 1998. Status Report on Species at Risk in Ontario, Riddell’s Goldenrod, Solidago riddellii Frank (Asteraceae). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Ottawa, Ontario. 24 pages.