Houghton's Goldenrod Ontario Recovery Strategy
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Photo: Michael Patrikeev Houghton’s Goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii) in Ontario Ontario Recovery Strategy Series Recovery strategy prepared under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 2015 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry About the Ontario Recovery Strategy Series This series presents the collection of recovery strategies that are prepared or adopted as advice to the Province of Ontario on the recommended approach to recover species at risk. The Province ensures the preparation of recovery strategies to meet its commitments to recover species at risk under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada. What is recovery? What’s next? Recovery of species at risk is the process by which the Nine months after the completion of a recovery decline of an endangered, threatened, or extirpated strategy a government response statement will be species is arrested or reversed, and threats are published which summarizes the actions that the removed or reduced to improve the likelihood of a Government of Ontario intends to take in response to species’ persistence in the wild. the strategy. The implementation of recovery strategies depends on the continued cooperation and What is a recovery strategy? actions of government agencies, individuals, communities, land users, and conservationists. Under the ESA a recovery strategy provides the best available scientific knowledge on what is required to For more information achieve recovery of a species. A recovery strategy outlines the habitat needs and the threats to the To learn more about species at risk recovery in survival and recovery of the species. It also makes Ontario, please visit the Ministry of Natural Resources recommendations on the objectives for protection and and Forestry Species at Risk webpage at: recovery, the approaches to achieve those objectives, www.ontario.ca/speciesatrisk and the area that should be considered in the development of a habitat regulation. Sections 11 to 15 of the ESA outline the required content and timelines for developing recovery strategies published in this series. Recovery strategies are required to be prepared for endangered and threatened species within one or two years respectively of the species being added to the Species at Risk in Ontario list. There was a transition period of five years (until June 30, 2013) to develop recovery strategies for those species listed as endangered or threatened in the schedules of the ESA. Recovery strategies are required to be prepared for extirpated species only if reintroduction is considered feasible. RECOMMENDED CITATION Jones, J.A. 2015. Recovery strategy for the Houghton's Goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario. vi + 31 pp. Cover illustration: Houghton's Goldenrod on the Bruce Peninsula by Michael Patrikeev. This photo may not be reproduced separately from this document without permission of the photographer. © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2015 ISBN 978-1-4606-5718-8 Content (excluding the cover illustration) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the source. i AUTHORS Judith Jones, Winter Spider Eco-Consulting, Sheguiandah, Ontario ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Previous versions of some of the material in this document were prepared by Judith Jones, Jarmo Jalava, and Holly Bickerton under the direction of the Bruce-Manitoulin Alvar Recovery Team and Parks Canada Agency. The author gratefully acknowledges the following people and agencies for sharing information: Theodore Flamand (Wikwemikong Department of Lands and Natural Resources), G'mewin Migwans (United Chiefs and Councils of M'nidoo M'nising), Will Kershaw (Ontario Parks). Thanks to Michael Patrikeev for the use of his photo for the cover. ii DECLARATION The recovery strategy for the Houghton's Goldenrod was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). This recovery strategy has been prepared as advice to the Government of Ontario, other responsible jurisdictions and the many different constituencies that may be involved in recovering the species. The recovery strategy does not necessarily represent the views of all of the individuals who provided advice or contributed to its preparation, or the official positions of the organizations with which the individuals are associated. The goals, objectives and recovery approaches identified in the strategy are based on the best available knowledge and are subject to revision as new information becomes available. Implementation of this strategy is subject to appropriations, priorities and budgetary constraints of the participating jurisdictions and organizations. Success in the recovery of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that will be involved in implementing the directions set out in this strategy. RESPONSIBLE JURISDICTIONS Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Environment Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Houghton’s Goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii) is listed as threatened under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007. It is listed as special concern on Schedule 1 of the Federal Species at Risk Act. It has a global and subnational (Ontario) conservation rank of G3S2. Houghton’s Goldenrod is a perennial plant in the Aster Family that has a cluster of narrow, strap-shaped, smooth-margined leaves growing on the ground. It produces an upright flowering stalk with leaves that become smaller toward the top. Flower heads with rough stalks are arranged in a flat-topped cluster. Flowering occurs in late August through September. Houghton's Goldenrod is very similar to the Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago ohioensis) which may grow in the same habitat. There are 33 populations of Houghton’s Goldenrod in Canada, all in Ontario in the Manitoulin Island region, with one occurrence on the Bruce Peninsula. Many populations are on lands belonging to or claimed by First Nations, and roughly one third of populations are on corporately-owned land. There is no information on population trends because most sites have had only one observation. Houghton's Goldenrod is primarily found in alvars, on bedrock shorelines, and in a few degraded alvars that resemble old fields, except on Cockburn Island where the species occurs on low sand dunes. Suitable habitat may be part of at least eight different vegetation community types. Moisture is an important feature of suitable microhabitat. Knowledge gaps for Houghton's Goldenrod include the status of populations, trends, population viability levels, the effects of current threats, and techniques for reintroductions. As well, genetic work is needed to know whether the Cockburn Island population may be a separate species. Other gaps pertain to habitat requirements and dynamics and potentially the effects of climate change. Threats to Houghton's Goldenrod include development and construction, logging and industrial activities, quarrying and aggregates extraction, off-road vehicle use, grazing and browsing, invasion by exotic species, damage to alvars as a result of a lack of public awareness and the use of herbicides and mowing. The recovery goal for Houghton's Goldenrod is to maintain the current abundance and distribution of all populations of Houghton's Goldenrod in Ontario by maintaining and protecting habitat, reducing other threats, and augmenting populations if necessary. Protection and recovery objectives include: 1. assess threats and undertake actions for mitigation and reduction; 2. use policy tools, where appropriate, to protect and maintain Houghton's Goldenrod habitat and plants; 3. raise awareness about Houghton's Goldenrod and its sensitive habitats; and 4. fill knowledge gaps. iv A number of approaches to recovery are presented in the text. The area recommended to be considered for a habitat regulation for Houghton's Goldenrod includes: 1. all areas where Houghton's Goldenrod is present and any new areas that are discovered; 2. on sand: the entire Ecological Land Classification (ELC) dune or beach vegetation community type polygon; 3. on bedrock beach: the portion of the ELC bedrock beach vegetation community type polygon in which Houghton's Goldenrod is present, bounded on the inland side as per the ELC, but bounded at the ends at 50 m beyond the presence of Houghton's Goldenrod plants; 4. on alvar: the entire ELC alvar vegetation community type polygon; 5. in degraded, old field habitat and where the vegetation is predominantly non- native plant species: all of the continuous area around Houghton's Goldenrod plants in which there are patches of vegetation shorter than the flowering stalks of Houghton's Goldenrod (approximately 60 cm tall); 6. in all situations above: all of the area within a minimum radial distance of 50 m from the plants, including suitable and unsuitable habitat, so that if individuals occur at the edge of a polygon, there will be sufficient distance from activities in adjacent areas to prevent the risk of impacts. It is recommended that existing infrastructure not be prescribed as habitat. v TABLE OF CONTENTS RECOMMENDED CITATION ........................................................................................... i AUTHORS ........................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................ii