A Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog Richmond, British Columbia Neil Davis and Rose Klinkenberg, Editors A project of the Richmond Nature Park Society Ecology Committee 2008 Recommended Citation: Davis, Neil and Rose Klinkenberg (editors). 2008. A Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog, Richmond, British Columbia. Richmond Nature Park Society, Richmond, British Columbia. Title page photograph and design: David Blevins Production Editor: Rachel Wiersma Maps and Graphics: Jose Aparicio, Neil Davis, Gary McManus, Rachel Wiersma Publisher: Richmond Nature Park Society Printed by: The City of Richmond Additional Copies: Richmond Nature Park 11851 Westminster Highway Richmond, BC V6X 1B4 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 604-718-6188 Fax: 604-718-6189 Copyright Information Copyright © 2008. All material found in this publication is covered by Canadian Copyright Laws. Copyright resides with the authors and photographers. Authors: Lori Bartley, Don Benson, Danielle Cobbaert, Shannon Cressey, Lori Daniels, Neil Davis, Hugh Griffith, Leland Humble, Aerin Jacobs, Bret Jagger, Rex Kenner, Rose Klinkenberg, Brian Klinkenberg, Karen Needham, Margaret North, Patrick Robinson, Colin Sanders, Wilf Schofield, Chris Sears, Terry Taylor, Rob Vandermoor, Rachel Wiersma. Photographers: David Blevins, Kent Brothers, Shannon Cressey, Lori Daniels, Jamie Fenneman, Robert Forsyth, Karen Golinski, Hugh Griffith, Ashley Horne, Stephen Ife, Dave Ingram, Mariko Jagger, Brian Klinkenberg, Rose Klinkenberg, Ian Lane, Fred Lang, Gary Lewis, David Nagorsen, David Shackleton, Rachel Wiersma, Diane Williamson, Alex Fraser Research Forest, Royal British Columbia Museum. Please contact the respective copyright holder for permissions to use materials. They may be reached via the Richmond Nature Park at 604-718-6188, or by contacting the editors: Neil Davis ([email protected]) or Rose Klinkenberg ([email protected]). PROJECT SPONSORS PREFACE The idea for a nature park in Richmond began in 1962 when the Corporation of the Township of Richmond recognized the site on Westminster Highway as a potential park. As outlined in detail by Bret Jagger in Chapter 17 of this report, by 1968 a group of local volunteers united under the guidance of Will Paulik and the Richmond Rod and Gun Club had developed the concept and petitioned Council to create a public nature centre for the purposes of environmental education, outdoor exploration and conservation of an undisturbed parcel of Richmond’s once extensive bogs. Within two years the concept became a reality and by 1971 the not-for-profit Richmond Nature Park Committee was established to work with Richmond to develop the park and its programs. A temporary “nature display building” was located on site in 1972, trails were developed, and a basic inventory of the flora and fauna of the park was conducted through the Local Initiatives Program. In 1975 plans were approved for the construction of a permanent nature interpretation centre through the combined resources of the Recreation Department of the Township of Richmond, the Kinsmen Club of Richmond and the Provincial Government. The Richmond Nature House opened November 14, 1976. The bog has defined the history and heritage of Richmond. It was a resource to First Nations and both a challenge and a boon to early colonists. The bog continues to influence the community through agriculture and development, recreation, education, conservation and research. A growing understanding of bogs as sources of pharmaceuticals and gene banks and for their value in carbon sequestering and the potential relationship to global climate change is raising their profile still further. Bogs were once a common feature, encompassing almost half of Lulu Island. Now considerably reduced, they are found in three principle locations: the East and West properties of the Richmond Nature Park and the adjacent Department of National Defence lands, plus several small remnant parcels, including the Northeast Bog Forest. Totaling 86 hectares, the two Nature Park properties protect 2/3 of the remaining boglands on Lulu Island – a fragile remnant of a vanishing environment. Richmond Nature Park exists both as a place to preserve a unique ecosystem in Richmond and for people to explore a personal connection to that environment. For generations who have grown up here or for newcomers alike, the Nature Park is a gateway to nature in Richmond. We are indebted to the visionaries who created this A Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog i Preface opportunity and are grateful to those who continue to give of themselves to ensure the Nature Park remains a vital part of this community. Volunteers have made immeasurable contributions to projects and operations in the Park. Perhaps the most intensive effort, involving thousands of hours of volunteer time, is the biological inventory of the bog which began in 2002 and concluded with the production of this document - a report card on the condition of Richmond’s bogs providing insight into bog ecology and factors that affect it. It is a current inventory of species present or missing from the bog, changes since the first systematic examination of the bog in the early 1970’s and projections for the future. It is a benchmark to gauge changes in the bog and to facilitate informed action. This document is testament to the dedication of so many people who’ve given their time and expertise on behalf of the Nature Park. We welcome this report and know it will be a valuable tool in ensuring there will always be a place for the environment in Richmond. Kristine Bauder Richmond Nature Park Coordinator March 30, 2007 A Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY By Neil Davis A biophysical inventory and evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog was conducted from 2001 to 2008. This report summarizes the results of the inventory and evaluates the bog’s significance as a natural area and contributor to regional biodiversity. Twenty-four years have passed since any inventory was conducted in the Lulu Island Bog and much has changed in the interim. By documenting the flora, fauna, and vegetation cover types present in the bog, this inventory sought to enable informed comparisons with earlier inventory work and provide a baseline for monitoring and responding to future changes. The inventory was carried out in the three properties on Lulu Island that were determined to comprise the largest remaining viable remnants of the Lulu Island Bog: the Department of National Defence property, the Richmond Nature Park, and the Richmond Nature Study Area. Inventory work followed provincial inventory standards and recognised survey techniques. The results of the inventory demonstrate that the bog plays a number of important ecological roles. Bog ecosystem functions and processes persist in parts of the study area in spite of its small size. This is indicated by the continued active growth of Sphagnum mosses in areas where disturbance and drainage effects are minimal, and by the persistence of an associated suite of representative bog species. Because of the loss of natural peatlands on Lulu Island, many of these bog species are no longer found in any abundanceon the island today outside of the Lulu Island Bog. In a regional context, bogs make up less than 5% of the total land area within the Temperate Wetland Region, which covers much of the southwest corner of British Columbia. Thus, the Lulu Island Bog provides representation of an uncommon regional ecosystem. The bog also supports relatively high species numbers for its size, rivaling Burns Bog, which is a much larger bog that incorporates a greater range of bog and wetland habitats. It also hosts several rare, threatened, or endangered species and vegetation communities, including three species listed under the federal Species At Risk Act. More broadly, diverse wildlife populations benefit from the bog as a unique habitat refuge on Lulu Island. The Lulu Island Bog is also a link to Richmond’s natural history and an important educational resource. Bogs covered one third of Lulu Island at the beginning of European settlement in the 1860s. It represents the largest and most intact remnant of these ecosystems. The Nature Park’s trails host between 80,000 – 100,000 visitors A Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog iii Executive Summary each year and the Richmond Nature Park Society delivers environmental education programs to approximately 5,600 children annually. Though the bog serves the roles outlined above, it is significantly threatened by several interrelated forms of disturbance. First, the bog’s hydrological regime has been altered by fragmentation and drainage. Drainage is drying the bog and as a result, a growing portion of the ecosystem is shifting away from an open, heath- dominated bog community towards a bog forest community. Drainage has also enabled the spread of invasive species – the second primary form of disturbance in the bog. Species such as cultivated blueberry, Scotch heather, and hybrid birch are increasingly displacing native bog species, particularly in the Department of National Defence and Richmond Nature Park properties. If nothing is done to mitigate these threats, the study area will continue to evolve away from a bog ecosystem and some of the important roles it currently plays will diminish. Conservation of the Lulu Island Bog would contribute to several local and regional environmental initiatives,