APPENDIX G Rare Plant Survey Report A vascular plant inventory of the proposed wind turbine array, North Lake, Prince Edward Island, with notes on breeding birds Habitat and plants of Dwarf Rattlesnake-Plantain (Goodyera repens - S2, may be at risk on Prince Edward Island), near proposed site of turbine 7 Conducted by AC CDC Botanist Sean Blaney for PEI Energy Corporation, June 11, 2006 METHODS Vascular Plant Inventory The author, guided by Carl Brothers, completed a preliminary site assessment by covering the proposed turbine sites and access road on May 8, 2006 in a single pass, working from west (Elmira Road) to east. I pre-programmed turbine sites into a GPS unit before the June visit and completed the full vascular plant inventory on June 5 and 6, 2006 by covering the turbine sites and access roads both ways (east to west and west to east) on each day. The turbine corridor was thus covered five times. The May visit followed the turbine and road corridor rather strictly, but during the June visit I deliberately took slightly different paths within natural habitats on each pass through the corridor so that more ground was covered. I compiled full vascular plant lists during the May and June visits, with estimates of species’ relative abundance as follows: rare – seen in small numbers in 3 or fewer locations; uncommon – seen in small numbers in approximately 4 to 8 locations, potentially in larger numbers at one or two of the locations; fairly common – seen in small numbers in approximately 8 to 15 locations, potentially in larger numbers at several of the locations; common – seen at more than 15 (estimated) locations. These categories are not intended to be represent precise descriptions of abundance but do provide some measure of relative abundance. For plant species tracked by the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (those ranked S1, S2, S3 or S3S4 in Prince Edward Island for which all locations are databased), I recorded GPS locations along with habitat descriptions and more precise estimates of local abundance. In most cases I also collected voucher specimens at one location per rare species to permanently document occurrences. These specimens will be deposited at the E.C. Smith Herbarium at Acadia University and the Agriculture Canada herbarium in Ottawa. Breeding Bird Inventory Although not officially part of the work I was hired to complete, I did record birds seen incidentally during fieldwork on the May and June visits, noting breeding evidence using the codes in use for the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas (http://www.mba- aom.ca/english/mbbaguide.pdf). 2 Results I. Site Coverage Figure 1 maps the tracks covered by during the June 5-6, 2006 site visit. Tracks were recorded by GPS set to record position approximately every 15 seconds while moving. GPS satellite reception frequently faded in and out while I was in the forested sections of the site, and periods where the GPS could not locate itself are marked on the map as straight lines between the previous and succeeding locations. No site inventory is ever entirely complete, but after five passes through the turbine and road corridor, I am confident that this site is comparatively well covered for vascular plants, despite the slightly earlier than ideal survey dates. Figure 1. Map of site coverage on June 5-6, 2006 visit. The blue line is the track recorded by GPS and includes some straight lines automatically filled in when satellite coverage was insufficient to provide a location. Pink dots are the proposed turbine locations, except for the westernmost one which represents the beginning of the access road. 3 II. Vascular Plants Table 1 lists the 216 vascular plant taxa (166 native or potentially native, 50 exotic) identified during 2006 fieldwork, with estimates of their abundance and their provincial status under both the S-rank system used continent-wide by all conservation data centres and the National General Status ranks, which have been developed by each province and territory. Both sets of ranks for Prince Edward Island developed through the consensus of the P.E.I. Flora Ranking Committee, composed of Sean Blaney of the AC CDC, Kate MacQuarrie, formerly of the Island Nature Trust, now with PEI Environment, Forestry and Aquaculture, and Rosemary Curley of PEI Department of Environment, Forestry and Aquaculture, with input from other island botanists. The ranks reflect the best understanding of plant status at the time of ranking, but are subject to revision as new information becomes available. Definitions of provincial (subnational) ranks (S-ranks): S1 Extremely rare throughout its range in the province (typically 5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining individuals). May be especially vulnerable to extirpation. S2 Rare throughout its range in the province (usually 6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals). May be vulnerable to extirpation due to rarity or other factors. S3 Uncommon throughout its range in the province (usually 21 to 100 occurrences), or found only in a restricted range, even if abundant in at some locations. S4 Usually widespread, fairly common throughout its range in the province (usually 100+ occurrences), and apparently secure, but the element is of long-term concern. S5 Demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure throughout its range in the province, and essentially ineradicable under present conditions (100+ occurrences). S#S# Numeric range rank: A range between two consecutive numeric ranks. Denotes range of uncertainty about the exact rarity of the Element (e.g., S1S2). SR Reported: For New Brunswick, an SR rank indicates that the species is definitively known to occur in the province, it is considered a native species, and it is not considered rare. Once these species are given numeric ranks, they will typically be ranked S4 or S5. SE Exotic: An exotic species established in the province (e.g., Purple Loosestrife or Coltsfoot); may be native in nearby regions. ? Is used as a qualifier indicating uncertainty: for numeric ranks, denotes inexactness, e.g., SE? denotes uncertainty of exotic status. (The ? qualifies the character immediately preceding it in the SRANK). Definitions of National General Status Ranks (from Wild Species: the General Status Program in Canada, Lisa Twolan and Simon Nadeau, 2004, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa) • Extirpated: species that have disappeared from (or are no longer present in) a given geographic area but which occur in other areas • Extinct: species that are extirpated worldwide (i.e., they no longer exist anywhere) • At Risk: species for which a formal detailed risk assessment (COSEWIC assessment or provincial or territorial equivalent) has been completed, and which have been determined to be at risk of extirpation or extinction (i.e., Endangered) or are likely to become at risk of extirpation or extinction if limiting factors are not reversed (i.e., Threatened) • May Be At Risk: species that may be at risk of extirpation or extinction and are, therefore, candidates for a detailed risk assessment by COSEWIC or the provincial or territorial equivalent • Sensitive: species that are believed to not be at risk of extirpation or extinction but which may require special attention or protection to prevent them from becoming at risk • Secure: species that are believed to not belong in the categories At Risk, May Be At Risk, Extirpated, Extinct, Accidental, or Exotic. This category includes some species that show a declining trend in numbers in Canada but which remain relatively widespread or abundant. In such instances, the decline will be highlighted by an asterisk and an associated comment. • Undetermined: species for which insufficient data, information, or knowledge is available with which to reliably evaluate their general status • Not Assessed: species that are known or believed to be present in the geographic area in Canada to which the general status rank applies but which have not yet been assessed • Exotic: species that have been moved beyond their natural range as a result of human activity. In the Wild Species 2005 report, exotic species have been purposefully excluded from all other categories. • Accidental: species occurring infrequently and unpredictably outside their usual range 5 Table 1. Vascular plants recorded in the study area, with abundance estimates and provincial status ranks. Site Status codes and provincial S-ranks are defined above. Taxonomy follows Kartesz (1999) – Synthesis of the North American Flora, CD-ROM. Species / Family Site PE S- PE General Species / Family Name Common Name Status rank Status Rank Comments LYCOPODIACEAE Clubmoss Family Huperzia lucidula Shining Fir-Clubmoss r S4 secure Lycopodium annotinum Stiff Clubmoss r S5 secure Lycopodium dendroideum Treelike Clubmoss r S4? secure ID probable only EQUISETACEAE Horsetails Family Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail u S5 secure Equisetum sylvaticum Woodland Horsetail f S5 secure OSMUNDACEAE Flowering-Fern Family Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern f S5 secure Osmunda claytoniana Interrupted Fern f S5 secure DENNSTAEDTIACEAE Hay-Scented Fern Family Dennstaedtia punctilobula Eastern Hay-Scented Fern c S5 secure Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum Bracken Fern c S5 secure THELYPTERIDACEAE Marsh-Fern Family Phegopteris connectilis Northern Beech Fern c S5 secure Thelypteris noveboracensis New York Fern c S5 secure Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens Marsh Fern r S5 secure DRYOPTERIDACEAE Wood-Fern Family Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum Lady Fern f S5 secure Dryopteris campyloptera Mountain