State of the Park Report for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park A project of the Stanley Park Ecology Society Vancouver, British Columbia 2010 PROJECT SPONSORS 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Author: Robyn Worcester, Dipl. Tech., B.Sc, BiT, Conservation Programs Manager, Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) Editors: Dalyce Epp and Koren Johnstone Contributing writers: Koren Johnstone (Environmental Indicators, Lost Lagoon water quality, Appendix 2 and 6); Jennifer Getsinger (Geological History); Caroline Astley (Blackberry and Biodiversity); Amy Hendel, Bo Ocampo, Tania Vrijmoed (background report); Mariee Devereux (SPES School Programs); John McLean, Peter Woods (sidebars); Michael Price, (Appendix 11), Betsy Waddington (Appendix 14), Jillayne Peers (Appendix 18), Mike Buffo (Appendix 21), Jacquelynn Papineau (Appendix 1). Peer Review: Al Grass, Naturalist, Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia Bill Stephen, Superintendent – Forestry, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Dalyce Epp, BSc., Technical Writer/Editor and SPES volunteer Daniel J. Catt, Instructor of Applied Ecology & Recreation Land Management; Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program, British Columbia Institute of Technology; SPES Board Member David Cook, Geological Engineer, Biologist, and Nature Interpreter Diane Haynes, Senior Writer, Office of the President, University of BC Dieter Geesing, PhD, University of the Fraser Valley Don Enright, SPES Board Member, Stanley Park Ecology Society Doug Swanston, Aquatic Biologist, Seacology Elke Wind, Amph. Biologist (RPBio), E. Wind Consulting Glenn Brown, Consultant, Arbutus Institute. Jillayne Peers, Species at Risk Consultation Officer, Parks Canada Jennifer Getsinger, PhD, PGeo, WordsRock! Geology - Writing - Editing Jennifer Swanston, Young Naturalists' Club of BC, Executive Coordinator John Gray, Assistant Manager, Animal Control Community Services; SPES Board Member Jude Grass, Naturalist, SPES Board Member Karen M. Needham, Curator Spencer Entomological Collection, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBC Kristine Lampa, YNC Nature Clubs in Schools Coordinator Maria Morlin, Science Professor, Vancouver Community College, and SPES volunteer Mark T. White, Naturalist and SPES volunteer (www.mtwphoto.ca ) Matthew MacKinnon, Dillon Consulting Limited Michael Price, Naturalist Michel Desrochers, Research Planner, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Mike Mackintosh, Wildlife Manager (retired), Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Ofer Marum, City of Vancouver, Engineering Assistant Patricia Stevens, SPES President of the Board Patricia Thomson, SPES Executive Director Peter Woods, Naturalist Ralph Wells, Sustainability Manager, UBC University Neighbourhoods Association Rex Kenner, Curator Cowan Vertebrate Museum Sheila Byers, Past Chair, Marine Biology Section, Nature Vancouver Susan Leech, RPBio, Echo Biology and Extension Terry Taylor, Naturalist Ziggy Jones, Wildlife Technician, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Additional Editing, Data Entry, Maps, Graphics: Josie Pedro (citations); James Humphrey; Ofer Marum, Bahram Bahrami, Jillian Mallon, Etienne Ouellet, Karen Tso, Robyn Worcester (maps); Sara Mimick, Wanggi Jaung, Jacquelynn Papineau, Mark Blanchette (data entry); Edmund Wong, Robyn Worcester, Jesse Hannigan (Graphics) Photo Credits: Peter Woods, Mark T. White, Martin Passchier, Isabelle Groc, Peter Kerr, Brian Titaro, and Robyn Worcester (all uncredited photos). 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION In December of 2006, Stanley Park was struck by a major windstorm resulting in substantial disturbance and windthrow. The storm triggered the need for extensive restoration work and also raised awareness about the lack of ecological information available for the Park and the need for an assessment of its ecological integrity. Author The report is the creation of the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES). Founded in 1988, the Society plays a leadership role in promoting awareness of and respect for the natural world through collaborative initiatives in Stanley Park. Based on similar reports created for National Parks by Parks Canada, the State of the Park for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park report was undertaken to fulfill the organization‘s strategic goals with respect to stewardship, education, research, and conservation. Rationale It is hoped that the report will serve as the sound basis for a future Stanley Park Master Plan and provide a step towards the long-term maintenance and restoration of the Park‘s ecological health and biodiversity. The primary purposes of this report are to: Establish a framework to assess the current state of ecological integrity; Describe what is happening with respect to the Park‘s major ecosystems and the potential stressors acting on them; and Identify gaps in ecological knowledge. Methodology The report is based on similar reports created for National Parks by Parks Canada but this report has a stronger focus on the ecological aspects of the Park and a more detailed biophysical inventory section. The Overview and Biophysical Inventory sections are based on a review of available literature, recent research, monitoring data, and local knowledge. The Environmental Indicators section was used as a framework to assess and evaluate the current state and future trend of the Park‘s natural resources. These indicators provide a broad representation of key factors influencing the Park‘s ecosystems, are based on reliable data, and are defined by ecosystem, not institutional, boundaries. BIOPHYSICAL INVENTORY The biophysical inventory includes detailed information on the Park‘s species, ecosystems, and processes as well as the stressors influencing the Ecological Integrity (EI) of the Park. 4 Climate Typical marine west coast temperate Terrestrial Sedimentary bedrock: Huntingdon Formation Ecosystems Surficial geology: Newton Stony Clay and Surrey Till Primary soil type: sandy loam Topography: steep cliff to flat landscape Five watersheds, altered by roads, trails, culverts, and ditches All major wetlands and streams augmented by municipal water supply Composed of over five habitat types: 1) forest, 2) ecotones (edge habitats), 3) riparian areas (vegetation along streams and wetlands), 4) rocky outcrops, and 5) cultivated areas (lawns and gardens) Forest: 256 hectares (65 %) of the Park‘s 395 Ha Forested Park thought to have decreased by 25% between 1930 and 1980, and further 4% since then Riparian areas impacted by infrastructure and invasive plants. Extensive ecotone (edge) habitat exists in the Park and has both negative and positive effects for different wildlife species Aquatic Two most significant wetlands: Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake Ecosystems Beaver Lake is one of Vancouver‘s last natural wetlands; has shrunk from 6.7 Ha in 1938 to 3.9 Ha in 1997 Lost Lagoon originally an intertidal mud flat separated from Coal Harbour in 1916; a somewhat unproductive system; supports overwintering and breeding birds but has little submergent vegetation, contains mostly introduced fish and herptile species; stormwater treatment wetland on NE end treats runoff water before enters Lagoon, serves as valuable wildlife habitat. Small, unnamed wetlands and streams serve as critical refuges for terrestrial amphibians and other species in summer, especially Species at Risk Intertidal areas that support diverse communities of marine algae, invertebrates, fishes, and migratory and overwintering waterbirds are decreasing in size due to erosion Natural Windstorms are the primary natural disturbance Disturbances Forest fires are rare (every 300-1,000 or more years) Tree diseases, insect defoliations have had serious effects historically Native Stanley Park is home to 30 mammal species, 236 birds, 10 Wildlife amphibians and reptiles, 72 freshwater and marine fish, and at least 192 genera of invertebrates There is a complete absence of large mammals including deer, elk, bears, wolves, cougars, and bobcats Total number of known species extirpated from the Park is currently 20 The Park is a key migration stop for many species of birds, some at risk; some populations are declining significantly 5 Stanley Park is home to both terrestrial and pond-breeding amphibians; several species have been extirpated in the past 30 years Stressors Environmental Climate change (warming) appears consistent with broader North American and global trends Invasive alien species (at least 50) Forest fragmentation (from being surrounded by ocean and urbanization), leading to loss of gene flow, crowding and increased competition, and degradation of the existing habitat due to edge effects and invasive species Management Park maintenance activities such as tree planting, stand Operations thinning, rock scaling, hazard tree removal, grass moving, trailside vegetation brushing, and trail maintenance, conducted primarily on behalf of Park patrons, often causes negative impacts on wildlife habitat; the Vancouver Park Board‘s Forest Management Plan outlines some mitigating measures, including timing windows of operations Social Issues Human use: trails and roads cause habitat loss, create problems with hydrology, wildlife movement, and the spread of invasive plants; off-trail use damages understory plants and soils Off-leash dogs and wildlife feeding are detrimental or deadly to wildlife Air quality is decreasing Marine contaminates (marine traffic, oil spills) ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS The indicators used in the report were chosen to describe the current state of particular components of ecological integrity, and the trend for each component