Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Site: A Baseline Inventory April 2019 Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site, Baseline Inventory Report, 2019 Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site Baseline Inventory Prepared by The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia In partnership with Iverson & MacKenzie Biological Consulting Ltd. PO Box 511, Lac la Hache, BC, V0K 1T0 Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia P.O. Box 3341, Kamloops, BC Canada, V2C 6B9 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bcgrasslands.org Cover photos by Dennis Lloyd Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia ii Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site, Baseline Inventory Report, 2019 Acknowledgements Funding Partners The Laurie Guichon memorial grassland interpretive site baseline inventory has been made possible through the generous contribution and support of several funders. The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia recognizes the following organizations as instrumental to the success of this project. Thank you. We are also grateful for the in-kind support received from our project partners, the Nicola Watershed Community Round Table, Thompson Rivers University, and the Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Baseline inventory team The baseline inventory fieldwork was done by Dennis Lloyd, Kristi Iverson, and Ken Mackenzie. Mapping and reporting results about ecosystems, seral stage conditions, Spotted Knapweed density classes and the overall range condition of the grasslands was completed by Kristi Iverson and Dennis Lloyd. Ken MacKenzie participated in the field survey, completed the wildlife assessment and written descriptions. Ken also provided GIS support to generate map products and associated area summary statistics. Heather Richardson provided administrative support, digitized initial ecosystem maps and completed an editorial review of this manuscript. Liis Jeffries from the Merritt Naturalist club and Kristi Iverson also provided and editorial review. All Photographs were provided by Dennis Lloyd. Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia iii Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site, Baseline Inventory Report, 2019 Executive Summary The Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site (LGMGIS) was established in 2001 to honour a local rancher who brought people together to share knowledge and responsibility for the land. The objective of this document is to characterize the ecological conditions of the LGMGIS. It’s hoped that the resulting maps and descriptions will serve as a basis for developing weed and range management plans, contribute to education and outreach opportunities and highlight the cultural, historic, economic and ecological importance of local grasslands. The 102 hectare LGMGIS is ecologically diverse for such a small area. Fifteen ecological types have been observed, characterized and mapped including; four grassland, five forest, four wetland, one rock outcrop and one shrubland ecosystem types. Four successional stages of the grassland types have also been, identified, characterized and mapped based upon four seral stages (early, mid, late and potential natural climax conditions). Knapweed is the dominant weed species of concern on the grasslands and 5 cover classes have been recognized, mapped and displayed. The overall range condition of the grasslands has been assessed and mapped. Wildlife capability and suitability has been assessed and mapped for the nine most likely species at risk that may occur on the LGMGIS. The appendices include a check list of potential and observed fauna and flora anticipated to occur on the site. This document is considered to be the start of a living document that can be added to through time. Some sections are still incomplete and fauna and flora lists for the site are expected to be revised as more people visit the site. This document will be stored on the GCC and NWCRT web sites, with annual updates as new information becomes available. Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia iv Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site, Baseline Inventory Report, 2019 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................................... iii Funding Partners .................................................................................................................................................. iii Baseline inventory team ....................................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents........................................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................................. x Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Baseline Inventory ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................................. 2 General Area Description ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Ecosystem Mapping .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Methods ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Results ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Ecosystem Mapping results ................................................................................................................................ 19 Seral stage mapping ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................... 22 Methods .............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Weed Inventory ........................................................................................................................................................ 25 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................... 25 Knapweed and its biology ................................................................................................................................... 25 Methods .............................................................................................................................................................. 26 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Range Condition ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................... 31 Methods .............................................................................................................................................................. 31 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 33 Wildlife Habitat Attributes ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................... 34 Methods .............................................................................................................................................................