Sandbanks Draft Veg Mgmt Plan - Ontario Parks

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE G – Restoration Implementation Plan
• Use container stock of all plants as they provide more consistent results. There is a
much greater likelihood that volunteers will incorrectly plant bareroot stock resulting in
higher mortality.
• Lay out all plants in their intended locations in advance so that the species are placed in
their appropriate microsite conditions.
• Conduct a demonstration planting to ensure that all volunteers are planting to the same
standard.
• Perform a “tug test” on all trees to check the quality of each planting.
Seeding Method
Areas requiring intensive restoration or lacking a good seed source can be seeded. This
method is less expensive than planting and should be used whenever possible. This will be
particularly important in supplementing the matrix plantings. Partners or volunteers may be
interested in helping with seed collection.
• Seeds can be collected from on site but should never be more than 10% of the seed
from the population nor more than 10% from an individual plant.
• Clean and pre-treat the seeds prior to planting or provide them to a local grower to
propagate (see list in Appendix C). Seed may also be available in mixes from native
plant growers but ensure that no non-native or non-local species are included in the mix.
• The following species are known to successfully establish from seed with the appropriate
pre-planting requirements in order to break seed dormancy. There are some conflicting
opinions on the exact times of stratification but these are rough guidelines intended to
simulate winter.
• Round-leaved and Alternate-leaved Dogwood – 90 days cold stratification
• Green Ash – 90-120 days cold moist stratification
• White Oak – none
• Red Oak – 90 days cold stratification
• Common Elderberry – 90 days cold stratification
• Seeding should occur in the spring when ample moisture is available for germination.
• Once a treed canopy has been established native herbaceous species can be
introduced as seed to encourage the growth of this understorey.
Monitoring and Adaptive Management
Follow-up monitoring is essential to this project, as subsequent restoration efforts
will be based on the successes and lessons learned during the initial phases.
Monitoring methods and stations can be set up by zone staff, and can be checked by trained
summer staff.
The location and abundance of all invasive species (particularly European Buckthorn,
Norway Maple,and non-native pines) should be recorded to allow control strategies to be put
in place according to Appendix D.
For all sites restored in the first phase, and sites where intensive restoration has taken
place, the following monitoring program should be followed. At subsequently restored sites
less detailed monitoring (tallies only) can take place. Results from this monitoring will
determine the success of restoration methods and needs for improvement. If different
experimental techniques are attempted the monitoring should be done to allow simple
statistical comparisons of techniques.
Sandbanks Vegetation Management Plan A-28
Ontario Parks, SE Zone
2009