USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY TO INFORM THE RECREATIONAL DESIGN OF THE MILTON LIMESTONE QUARRY A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by MARK A. TAYLOR In partial fulfilment of requirements For the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture December, 2007 © Mark A. 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Canada ABSTRACT USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY TO INFORM THE RECREATIONAL DESIGN OF THE MILTON LIMESTONE QUARRY Mark Taylor Advisor: Dr. Robert Corry University of Guelph, 2007 Committee: Sean Kelly Located on the Niagara Escarpment at the edge of Milton Ontario, the decommissioned Milton Limestone Quarry provides an opportunity to test landscape ecology principles for rehabilitation of the land and inclusion of diverse objectives like recreation. A conceptual rehabilitation masterplan for the site is developed using a structured site analysis and designing utilizing landscape ecology principles. The themes discussed reflect the municipal owners' needs, focusing on recreation, and incorporating elements such as trails and landscape patches that are contiguous with neighbouring sections of the Niagara Escarpment. Feedback on the design used assessment of experts from Conservation Halton. A questionnaire and general discussion was administered utilizing spatial response scales and written responses to collect data. The results, reinforced by experts, suggest how landscape ecological principles such as 'aggregate- with-outliers' may be used to inform rehabilitation design at multiple scales and with a diverse range objectives. KEYWORDS: landscape ecology, quarry rehabilitation, landscape design, expert assessment ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are a number of people that I would like to recognize who have assisted me along the way and supported me while being employed full-time and working on my thesis part-time. Thanks to Rob Corry for being my advisor and all your guidance and assistance. I am fortunate that you were flexible and able to meet outside of regular hours and have different pick-up and drop off options for revisions. It has been a great learning experience for me and you have pushed me all the way. Thanks also to Sean Kelly for being on my committee and meeting after hours for discussion. Thanks to the University of Guelph, who has raised me on an educational, leadership and professional level through my undergraduate and graduate careers. Thanks to my parents for their ongoing support, even if they didn't know or understand what I have been working on, this final product will hopefully explain a lot. Most of all thanks to my wife Melanie, who lent an ear when I was frustrated and stressing out or pushed me when I was procrastinating. Thanks for your offers to edit and general support when I just needed to focus and get things done. I'll have to find some new hobbies to keep me busy now that for the first time in 23 years I am no longer a student. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements i Table of Contents ii List of Figures iv List of Tables vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.0 BACKGROUND 1 1.1 GOAL & OBJECTIVES 2 1.2 STRUCTURE OF THESIS 3 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4 2.0 AGGREGATE RESOURCES ACT 4 2.1 NIAGARA ESCARPMENT 4 2.1.1 Ecology 6 2.1.2 Recreation 10 2.1.3 Regulations 11 2.2 SCALE 12 2.2.1 Scale Hierarchy 13 2.2.2 Scale Considerations 14 2.3 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 15 2.3.1 Landscape Elements 16 2.3.2 Aggregate-with-outliers Principle 19 2.4 RECREATION DESIGN 21 2.4.1 Experience 21 2.4.2 Activity 22 2.5 REHABILITATION DESIGN 24 2.6 EXPERT ASSESSMENT 25 2.7 SUMMARY 26 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 28 3.0 INVENTORY & ANALYSIS 29 3.0.1 Site context 31 3.0.2 Photographic overview of existing conditions 35 3.0.3 Physical 40 3.0.4 Biological 42 3.0.5 Cultural 45 3.1 DESIGN PROCESS 48 3.2 APPLICATION OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 49 3.3 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 50 3.4 DESIGN EVALUATION 50 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS 52 4.0 DESIGN 52 4.0.1 Forest 54 4.0.2 Meadow 56 n 4.0.3 Wetland 57 4.0.4 Beach 58 4.0.5 Water 59 4.0.6 Lawn 60 4.0.7 Roads and Parking 61 4.0.8 Camping 62 4.0.9 Climbing 63 4.0.10 Trails 64 4.0.11 Lookouts 65 4.0.12 Facility 66 4.1 CRITIQUE BY CONSERVATION HALTON 67 4.2 FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH 70 CONSERVATION HALTON CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION 71 5.0 ANALYSIS OF FEEDBACK 71 5.0.1 Landscape Ecology 71 5.0.2 Conservation Halton 72 5.0.3 Niagara Escarpment 73 5.0.4 Recreation 73 5.0.5 Access 75 5.0.6 Education 75 5.0.7 Questionnaire summary 76 5.1 DIRECT DISCUSSION WITH 76 CONSERVATION HALTON 5.2 METHODOLOGY 78 5.2.1 Regulations 78 5.2.2 Landscape Ecology 79 5.2.3 Recreation 80 5.3 APPLICATION OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 80 5.4 LIMITATIONS 82 CHAPTER 6 IMPLICATIONS 84 6.0 IMPLICATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE 84 ARCHITECTURE 6.1 FURTHER RESEARCH 85 CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY 87 References 90 Appendix A Presentation to Conservation Halton 93 B Questionnaire 99 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Description / Source Page 2.1 Niagara Escarpment Map 6 NEC, 2007 2.2 Niagara Escarpment land classification for Milton area 8 NEC, 2007 2.3 Core Conservation areas 9 Switzer et al, 1998 2.4 Illustration of changing grain size and extent 15 Turner et al, 1989b. pg. 154 2.5 Ecologically "optimum" patch shape 16 Dramstadet al, 1996 2.6 Five corridor functions 17 Forman, 1995. pg. 86 2.7 Boundaries and edges 18 Forman, 1995. pg. 86 2.8 Aggregate-with-outliers principle 20 Forman, 1995. pg. 437 2.9 Trail design configurations 23 Brown, 1996. pg. 4.7-4 3.1 Land Planning and Design Process 28 LaGro, 2001 Adapted by: Mark Taylor 3.2 Aerial image of analysis extent 31 Source of image: Google, 2007 Adapted by: Mark Taylor 3.3 Site context 32 Created by: Mark Taylor 3.4 Existing Site Conditions 36 Created by: Mark Taylor 3.5 Existing topography 41 Created by: Mark Taylor iv Figure Description / Source 3.6 Vegetation communities 44 Switzer et al, 1998 3.7 Kelso Trail Map 46 Conservation Halton, 2007 4.1 Conceptual Masterplan 53 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.2 Site Design - Forest 54 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.3 Site Design - Meadow 56 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.4 Site Design - Wetlands 57 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.5 Site Design - Beach 58 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.6 Site Design - Water 59 Created by: Mark Taylor A.l Site Design - Lawn 60 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.8 Site Design - Roads and Parking 61 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.9 Site Design - Camping 62 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.10 Site Design - Climbing 63 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.11 Site Design - Trails 64 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.12 Site Design - Lookouts 65 Created by: Mark Taylor 4.13 Site Design - Facility 66 Created by: Mark Taylor Figure Description / Source Page 4.14 Summary of scaled response component of questionnaire 68 Compiled by: Mark Taylor VI LIST OF TABLES Table Description / Source Page 2.1 Definitions of scale-related terminology. 13 Adapted from: Turner et ah, 1989a, pg. 246 3.1 Population growth predictions for Milton from 1996-2021 34 Regional Municipality ofHalton, 2007. Adapted by: Mark Taylor 4.1 Summary of written responses to questionnaire 69 Compiled by: Mark Taylor vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 BACKGROUND This research serves to test the application of landscape ecological principles in an approach with multiple objectives towards the rehabilitation of a specific site. Themes relating to legislation, the Niagara Escarpment, scale, landscape ecology, recreation, rehabilitation and expert assessment will be reviewed and discussed.