Summary Report and Implementation Plan - Partners in Project Green

Appendix 1: Candidate Restoration Sites (cont.)
(also refer to Map 3 – Terrestrial Natural Heritage Findings and Recommendations)
Site
No.
Location Details/Rationale Priority
11 Adjacent to the Canada
Bread factory, south of
Eglinton Avenue, west
of Rakely Court
12 North of the Hewlett-
Packard office building,
at the corner of
Matheson and Spectrum
roads
13 North of Courtney Park
Drive on the airport
grounds, adjacent to
Etobicoke Creek
14 Below Britannia Road,
on the airport grounds
15 East of the terminal end
of Luke Road
16 Above Britannia Road
on the airport grounds
17 East of Dixie Road, north
of Courtney Park Drive
18 South of Derry Road,
east of Dixie Road
19 Mount Charles Park,
located at Cardiff
Boulevard and
Transmark Court
The area is currently an open meadow, likely mowed a few times a year. It lies adjacent to a
mature dry-fresh sugar maple/oak deciduous forest (L4) community that hosts a suite of flora
and fauna species of concern. Opportunity exists within this site to significantly increase the
size of this forest patch and provide opportunity for area-sensitive species such as wood thrush
(Hylocichla mustelina).
Currently the site appears undeveloped and would represent an opportunity for reforestation
that would significantly buffer and enhance patch size of the neighbouring forest. This existing
forest is a fresh-moist oak/sugar maple deciduous forest, an L3 community, with an inclusion
of a rare dry-fresh white pine/oak-mixed forest community (L2). Reforestation within this area
would significantly benefit these vegetation communities and the suite of rare flora they shelter
(including the jurisdictionally rare twinleaf ).
There are several young woodlands here of sugar maple-oak and hickory. Both of these
vegetation communities are very rare and sensitive, especially within the context of this study
area. There are also many resident L3 and L4 flora and fauna within these young woodlands. The
existing forest patch is extremely narrow, therefore exceedingly sensitive to external negative
impacts. Recommendation here is to reforest adjacent lands to improve this community’s
resiliency and to significantly increase patch size to benefit resident fauna.
Within the site there are two vegetation communities of concern, a fresh-moist black walnut
lowland deciduous forest (L3) and a narrow-leaved sedge mineral meadow marsh (L4).
Recommendations for this site include size increases to the black walnut lowland forest and
enhancements to wetland habitats within this block.
Along with the black walnut forest mentioned in Site 14, this black walnut lowland deciduous
forest is the only L3 community within the immediate airport vicinity. Restoration activities here
would seek to improve both size and shape for this forest community via the reforestation of
adjacent lands, where height restrictions at end of runway allow for this. If soil and topographic
conditions allow, a wetland creation may be another possibility.
There are several plantations here of ash, poplar and black walnut, with a silver maple
understorey. There is also an adjacent reed canary grass mineral meadow marsh. Opportunities
for restoration could include augmentation of the existing plantations, with further plantings
of black walnut and ash. There is opportunity to also create silver maple swamp habitat, taking
advantage of current topography and existing silver maple populations. Further work could
also be undertaken to enhance the reed canary grass meadow marsh with plantings of native
dogwoods and willow shrubs.
Opportunities exist here to connect a willow mineral deciduous swamp populated by native
peach leaf willow (Salix amygdaloides) (L4), with existing hedgerows containing another rare
feature in the GTAA study area—mature trees. These hedgerows also contain another L4 species,
bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis). Infill plantings between and around these hedgerows, and
riparian plantings around existing wetlands would significantly increase the functionality and
size of this habitat patch, along with buffering and contributing to overall biodiversity on site.
Restoration activities could encompass riparian plantings alongside the creek where several L3
to L4 flora can be found bank side. Reforestation of marginal agricultural lands and plantings to
improve patch size and shape are recommended.
There are several forest communities existing in this park, black walnut lowland (L3), ash
lowland (L5) and fresh-moist sugar maple hardwood (L5). The maple forest is a very mature
community that supports numerous flora species of concern — a rare feature within the
GTAA study area, north of Highway 401. Recommended restoration activities would include
reforestation of the adjacent meadow to the north-west of this forest patch to optimize patch
size and buffer against external negative impacts.
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
MEDIUM
LOW
LOW
MEDIUM
LOW
45