County of Haliburton Natural Heritage Mapping: A Compilation and Preliminary Assessment Prepared for: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust PO Box 792 Minden, ON K0M 2k0 May, 2007 Prepared by: Glenside Ecological Services Limited 2490 Horseshoe Lake Rd. R.R.#1 Phone: 705-286-3181 Minden, Ontario Fax: 705-286-6582 Canada K0M 2K0 Email: [email protected] Web: www.glenside-eco.ca Project 07009 County of Haliburton Natural Heritage Mapping TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................4 Background.................................................................................................................................. 2 Purpose and Scope of Study ........................................................................................................ 2 Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................... 3 THE GREAT LAKES CONSERVATION BLUEPRINT.....................................................4 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 5 Aquatic Biodiversity......................................................................................................................... 5 Terrestrial Biodiversity..................................................................................................................... 6 Results.......................................................................................................................................... 7 Priority Stewardship Areas............................................................................................................... 7 Other High Scoring Polygons........................................................................................................... 7 FOREST RESOURCE INVENTORY ..............................................................................11 Forest Resource Inventory......................................................................................................... 12 WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE HABITAT............................................................................20 Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat .................................................................................................... 21 Avifauna......................................................................................................................................... 21 Herpetofauna .................................................................................................................................. 21 Mammals........................................................................................................................................ 21 Species at Risk ............................................................................................................................... 21 Wildlife Habitat Suitability Matrix............................................................................................ 22 OTHER DATA SETS ......................................................................................................35 Provincially Significant Wetlands ............................................................................................. 36 Enhanced Wetland Mapping...................................................................................................... 36 Lochlin Wetland............................................................................................................................. 37 Burnt River Wetland ...................................................................................................................... 38 Marsden Complex .......................................................................................................................... 38 Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest..................................................................................... 38 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................41 Summary and Recommendations .............................................................................................. 42 APPENDIX A: HALIBURTON AVIFAUNA.....................................................................44 Haliburton Avifauna & .............................................................................................................. 45 APPENDIX B: HALIBURTON HERPETOFAUNA .........................................................50 Haliburton Herpetofauna & ....................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX C: HALIBURTON MAMMALS ....................................................................52 Haliburton Mammals & ............................................................................................................. 53 APPENDIX D: HALIBURTON RARE SPECIES ............................................................55 Haliburton Rare Species ............................................................................................................ 56 APPENDIX E: SPECIES RANKING AND STATUS DESCRIPTIONS...........................58 Species Ranking and Status Descriptions.................................................................................. 59 GRank (Global Rank)..................................................................................................................... 59 SRank (Provincial Rank)................................................................................................................ 60 COSEWIC, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ..................................... 61 SARO, Species At Risk in Ontario List ......................................................................................... 62 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Conservation Blueprint ................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 2: Conservation Blueprint and Other High Scoring Terrestrial System Polygons ............................ 10 Figure 3: Ecosites ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4: FRI Development Stages - Old Growth ........................................................................................ 17 Figure 5: Shorelines Adjacent to Lakes >10ha............................................................................................. 18 Prepared by Glenside Ecological Services Limited ii County of Haliburton Natural Heritage Mapping Figure 6: Shorelines Adjacent to Lakes >100ha........................................................................................... 19 Figure 7: Location Map of Ontario portion of BCR 12................................................................................ 23 Figure 8: Red-shouldered Hawk Forested Habitat (based on 2004 matrix).................................................. 26 Figure 9: Southern Flying Squirrel Forested Habitat (based on 2004 matrix).............................................. 27 Figure 10: Five-lined Skink Forested Habitat (based on 1997 matrix)......................................................... 28 Figure 11: Eastern Hog-nosed Snake Forested Habitat (based on 1997 matrix) .......................................... 29 Figure 12: Wood Thrush Habitat (based on 2004 matrix)............................................................................ 30 Figure 13: Blackburnian Warbler Forested (based on 2004 matrix) ............................................................ 31 Figure 14: Black-throated Green Warbler Habitat (based on 1997 matrix).................................................. 32 Figure 15: Golden-winged Warbler Habitat (based on 1997 matrix) ........................................................... 33 Figure 16: Common Nighthawk Habitat (based on 1997 matrix) ................................................................ 34 Figure 17: Provincially Significant Wetlands and Wetlands with High Potential for Significance ............. 39 Figure 18: Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest ...................................................................................... 40 TABLE OF TABLES Table 1: Ecosite Summarization................................................................................................................... 12 Table 2: Forest Type Summarization ........................................................................................................... 13 Table 3: Forest Development Stages - Old Growth...................................................................................... 14 Table 4: Natural Shoreline Summary for lakes > 10ha ................................................................................ 15 Table 5: Natural Shoreline Summary for Coldwater Lakes >100ha............................................................. 15 Table 6: Available Habitat for Species at Risk............................................................................................. 23 Table 7: Available Habitat for Eight Conservation Priority Species............................................................ 24 Table 8: Natural Heritage Check sheet......................................................................................................... 42 Prepared