Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

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Image by D. Paleczny (d) The Series should include sites which are important because they have been the scene of detailed and well-documented research. (e) The Series should include sites which contain for example, deposits of peat, lignite or sediment from which information may be obtained about past vegetation and climatic changes, and also sites of special palaeontological importance. (f) The Series should include sites which are of special physiographic or geomorphological interest and which represent unusual habitats” (Nicholson, 1968:17). Ontario’s Natural Heritage Areas 84 Working within this context, the Ontario IBP/CT Committee adopted Hills’ system of Site Regions (now called Ecoregions) and Site Districts (now called Ecodistricts) (Hills, 1959a, 1959b, 1968) as the ecological framework for selecting and assessing International Biological Programme Sites (Figs. 4-1 and 4-2). In addition to utilizing the survey protocols and the standard IBP check-sheet for documenting areas, a supplementary form was developed to describe the physiographic characteristics and site conditions within surveyed areas (Box 4-4). The Ontario survey also added the requirement for the mapping of plant communities on an aerial photo base map and a descriptive essay that summarized the physiographic nature, plant communities, and any special biotic features of each site. Candidate areas were selected through knowledgeable contacts, published sources, and the interpretation of maps and aerial photographs. Final site selections and documentation were then based on field surveys conducted by field biologists engaged to complete this work. Over the course of the survey, parks personnel took charge of conducting IBP surveys in Provincial Parks and on the Bruce Peninsula, while IBP personnel concentrated their efforts on sites outside of parks. Although initial survey work was concentrated in southern Ontario, efforts were made to include sites across northern Ontario within constraints imposed by funding, available expertise, and accessibility. Altogether, more than 600 areas were surveyed and documented in Ontario, 547 of which were reported in the 3rd and final edition of the Canadian National Directory of IBP Areas (La Roi et al., 1979) marking the highest output for the 10 IBP/CT panels across Canada. Image by P. Kor
Figure 4-1. The Site Regions and Site Districts of southern Ontario prepared by A. Hills (note that modifications to this map are shown in Fig. 1-1 and are used in Figs. 4-3 to 4-5). Box 4-5. The Legacy of IBP/CT in Ontario. • First methodological natural areas survey in Ontario. • Established philosophy and rationale for protected areas. • Helped to shape protection, planning, and management policies. • Introduced a systematic, conservation sciencebased approach. • Guided the way for Ontario’s participation in succeeding forums, notably ACER (1975-1980) and the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (1981 to present). Management Objectives and/or Guidelines The protection and management of an International Biological Programme Site is highly variable depending on the legislation and policies governing the category(ies) of the protected area(s) in which it occurs. For example, IBP Sites in the Provincial Parks system are primarily located in Nature Reserve Parks and Nature Reserve Zones in other park classes. Accordingly, management is guided by park policies specifically established for these types of parks and zones (see Section 6.1 see page 148). By comparison, an IBP Site located within a Provincially Significant Wetland or an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest is managed under the auspices of the Provincial Policy Statement issued under Section 3 of the Planning 85 Ontario’s Natural Heritage Areas
Page 1 and 2: Part II Ontario’s Natural Heritag
Page 3 and 4: 4. International Designations and M
Page 5: The Ontario IBP/CT work helped defi
Page 9 and 10: Image by D. Paleczny philosophy and
Page 11 and 12: 1 ALPS SAND HILLS 2 AUSABLE RIVER -
Page 13 and 14: International Biological Programme
Page 15 and 16: Figure 4-5. International Biologica
Page 17 and 18: Figure 4-6. International Biologica
Page 19 and 20: 4.2 Ramsar Convention Sites Introdu
Page 21 and 22: Figure 4.7. Ramsar Convention Sites
Page 23 and 24: 4.3 Biosphere Reserves Introduction
Page 25 and 26: Figure 4.8. Biosphere Reserves in O
Page 27 and 28: 4.4 World Heritage Sites Introducti
Page 29 and 30: • Sets out the obligations of a c
Page 31 and 32: 4.5 Important Bird Areas Introducti
Page 33 and 34: In general, the threshold for ident
Page 35 and 36: Figure 4.10. Important Bird Areas i
Page 37 and 38: 5. National Designations and Mechan
Page 39 and 40: Figure 5-1. National Parks in Ontar
Page 41 and 42: Motorized access is not permitted i
Page 43 and 44: The Crown, in Right of Canada, owns
Page 45 and 46: Image by T.J. Beechey In selecting
Page 47 and 48: In the Conservation Zone, provision
Page 49 and 50: The Degree of Protection for Nation
Page 51 and 52: outstanding examples of biotic and
Page 53 and 54: experience, without significant int
Page 55 and 56: Selection Criteria Candidate areas
Page 57 and 58:
5.6 National Wildlife Areas Introdu
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Figure 5-5. National Wildlife Areas
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Selection Criteria The Government o
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• A considerable group of species
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The greenbelt is comprised of seven
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Image by P.A. Gray • Natural Area
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Image by D. Paleczny objective of n
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Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

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