Sandbanks Draft Veg Mgmt Plan - Ontario Parks

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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE B – Plantation Renaturalization Plan Norway Spruce Stand The 2 ha stand of Norway Spruce is very dense, with almost no light reaching the forest floor and therefore no natural infiltration of deciduous species. It does, therefore, provide winter cover for wildlife. Tree diameters and spacing are quite variable. Diameters range from approximately 10 – 20 cm, and spacings range from 1 – 2 m. Most trees, while in good health and very straight, have very small crowns (< 30% of height). These trees may be marketable, although the area is quite small and will not produce substantial yields. Restoration and Management Goals Plantation management for conversion to more natural conditions is a fairly new science, and it is essential that an adaptive management approach be used. Methods applied in other plantations may not work at Sandbanks due to unique site conditions. Also, due to the extensive nature of the Scots Pine plantation, it must be accepted that Scots Pine and other non-native tree species may never be completely eradicated. Therefore, the overarching goal for management of the plantation at Sandbanks is to maintain and enhance healthy ecological processes. This includes: • encouraging the establishment and spread of self-sustaining native species • preventing the loss of soil cover and destabilization of sand • promoting natural succession • discouraging the establishment of new invasive species • ensuring the safety of park visitors and staff The composition of the forested dunes in the Outlet Sector provides an idea of what the dunes at West Lake might have looked like before they were logged. However, the plantation is unique in that the sand substrate recently moved into the area from the West Lake dunes, and the site was originally similar to the surrounding agricultural and woodlot area. Restoration and management of this plantation should be considered successful if the site eventually supports a diversity of self-sustaining native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants that are able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of the site. Such a scenario will undoubtedly include non-native species, but as long as they play a positive ecological role, they will not detract from the overall goal. Priorities and Recommendations Management recommendations have been discussed with forestry specialists and Ontario Parks staff, and are listed below. Park staff are currently working with fire specialists to develop recommendations for reducing the fire hazard and promoting restoration of the plantation. Monitoring • Monitoring is an essential component of any restoration project, especially when using adaptive management. Park staff have noticed marked changes in the plantation in the past 15 years, and more changes are expect to occur naturally and as management actions are implemented. • Areas where restoration is planned should be monitored first to determine species composition and help determine appropriate restoration goals. Sandbanks Vegetation Management Plan A-3 Ontario Parks, SE Zone 2009
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE B – Plantation Renaturalization Plan • A photographic monitoring program should be established immediately. Stations should be selected along the trails through the plantation in each unique area (i.e. each area showing different stand conditions) – approximately 20 – 30 stations. At each station, the GPS coordinates should be recorded, the location should be pinpointed on a topographic map, and high quality landscape photographs should be taken in all four directions. The canopy, subcanopy, understorey, and ground layers in each photo should be described. This photographic monitoring should take place in mid-summer to capture the deciduous and herbaceous growth. Dead Stands • Several sections of Scots Pine have succumbed to Pine Shoot Beetle within the past 5 – 10 years and have died quickly and fallen. This has occurred on both sides of the main road, and these guidelines should be applied in both areas. • Conditions vary in these recently opened areas, but for the most part, the understorey layer is dominated by aggressive pioneer species like raspberries, Common Buckthorn, and Poison Ivy. Black Locust and Scots Pine have also been noted regenerating in these areas. • In these areas, downed woody debris will contribute to the development of soil. • Eastern White Cedar saplings or seedlings can be planted in these areas to encourage succession to a more natural community. Saplings will require mulching around them or other active management to prevent competition from more aggressive species. Planting should be throughout opened areas and approximately 10 – 20 m into the edges of the surrounding living plantation. Open Areas • In some upland areas, the harsh conditions make it difficult to sustain a healthy tree cover, and there are patches of bare sand. These areas are visible in recent aerial photography. • In these areas, the planted trees appear stunted and their roots are visible above the dry sand. These areas are fragile, and will be vulnerable to destabilization if the trees die. • One option is to plant Marram Grass in these open areas in order to stabilize the sand. Marram Grass is adapted to open dune conditions of wind and unstable sand and may not thrive in these conditions. If this management approach is attempted, its results should be thoroughly documented. • Seed from shrubs in the West Lake Dunes that are well-adapted to harsh conditions (e.g. Heart-leaved Willow, Sand Cherry) can also be collected and planted in these areas. Norway Spruce • If the Norway Spruce area is no longer required for wildlife cover, it will need to be thinned to encourage establishment of native species. • Creating small canopy gaps is the preferred option for renaturalizing conifer plantations; however, this method is not logistically feasible because the trees are so tall and tightly spaced. Instead, sections of rows should be thinned. • The initial thinning should aim to remove roughly 30% of the trees as illustrated above. Thinning should avoid opening up the edge of the stand, as this will promote the invasion of weedy species. • The thinned areas will need to be underplanted with seedlings or seeds of the desired species (Sugar Maple, White Ash) due to the lack of adjacent seed sources and opportunities for natural dispersal into the site. Seeds may be collected within the park. Sandbanks Vegetation Management Plan A-4 Ontario Parks, SE Zone 2009
Page 1 and 2: Sandbanks Vegetation Management Pla
Page 4 and 5: Summary of Key Management Recommend
Page 6 and 7: 1.0 Introduction This vegetation st
Page 8 and 9: Outlet Sector and the former “sug
Page 10 and 11: 2.0 Vegetation Communities - Descri
Page 12 and 13: sector receive much heavier visitat
Page 14 and 15: Shallow Marsh Ecosites A few small
Page 16 and 17: 2.5. Plantations The current versio
Page 18 and 19: Hazardous Trees and Windthrows Safe
Page 20 and 21: Prescribed burning is the deliberat
Page 22 and 23: Table 3.1. Provincially rare specie
Page 24 and 25: disturbances in accordance with the
Page 26 and 27: The park staff has controlled Purpl
Page 28 and 29: Zones Management Objectives Managem
Page 30 and 31: 6.0 Funding/Linkages The projects i
Page 32 and 33: Norris, T. and D. Cuddy. 1990. An E
Page 34 and 35: APPENDIX A - Hazardous Tree Treatme
Page 38 and 39: IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE B - Plantat
Page 40 and 41: APPENDIX D - Invasive Species Monit
Page 42 and 43: APPENDIX E - Invasive Species Infor
Page 52 and 53: APPENDIX F - Woodlands Monitoring P
Page 58 and 59: IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE G - Restora
Page 66 and 67: APPENDIX H - Sandbanks Species List
Page 72: APPENDIX H - Sandbanks Species List

Sandbanks Draft Veg Mgmt Plan - Ontario Parks

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