Shawn K. Staton Species at Risk Program Fisheries and Oceans Canada Burlington, Ontario

Transcription

1 Identification of Critical Habitat for Endangered Freshwater Mussels Shawn K. Staton Species at Risk Program Fisheries and Oceans Canada Burlington, Ontario

2 Introduction Outline SARA & Critical Habitat Freshwater Mussels Identification Methods Geospatial & Biophysical Summary

3 Introduction Outline SARA & Critical Habitat Freshwater Mussels Identification Methods Geospatial & Biophysical Summary

4 A ASSESSMENT B Status Reports COSEWIC Designation LEGAL LISTING Consultations Socio-economic Analyses 4 components of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) C PROTECTION Automatic Prohibitions: Protection for EXT/END/THR species, CH and residence Mandatory Recovery Planning: Development of Recovery Strategies and Action Plans D RECOVERY

5 SARA Prohibitions Sec. 32. Individual Organisms Prohibitions against killing, harming, harassing, buying, collecting, selling extirpated, endangered or threatened schedule 1 species Sec. 33. Residences Only applies for those species to which the concept of residence applies To date, not defined for any aquatic species Sec. 58. Critical Habitat Prohibitions against the destruction of Critical Habitat once defined in a recovery strategy or action plan

6 Critical Habitat (CH) - Definition the habitat necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species SARA S. 2(1) SARA defines habitat for aquatic SAR as: spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply, migration and any other areas on which aquatic species depend directly or indirectly in order to carry out their life processes, or areas where aquatic species formerly occurred and have the potential to be reintroduced. SARA requires ID of CH - to the extent possible, based on the best available information.

7 Introduction Outline SARA & Critical Habitat Freshwater Mussels Identification Methods Geospatial & Biophysical Summary

8 Freshwater Mussels Burrowing, benthic, filter feeders Sedentary Long-lived Obligate parasites (fish host relationship)

9 Mussel Species at Risk 41 species of freshwater mussels in ON Currently 13 SAR listed by COSEWIC (~1/3) 8 spp listed under SARA; 5 under consideration Sydenham, Ausable, Thames & Grand Rivers as Refuges

10 Sydenham River Prime Mussel Habitat

11 Mussel Recovery Strategies

12 Introduction Outline SARA & Critical Habitat Freshwater Mussels Identification Methods Geospatial & Biophysical Summary

13 Critical Habitat ID - Challenges Many data poor species with few records Lack of targeted surveys + insufficient effort to detect Identification expertise generally lacking Habitat needs little known for many SAR Habitat mapping in southern Ontario is limited or nonexistent in many areas with SAR fishes SARA requires ID of CH using best available information Northern Madtom - Endangered

14 Critical Habitat ID Overall Method Features (biophysical) Geo-spatial extent of CH Bounding Box Method: the species area of occupancy associated with a description of a defined feature whose location may or may not be known.

15 Approaches for ID of CH for Fishes Recovery Target Dependent Whole Waterbody Convex Polygon Ecological Classification

16 Ecological Classification Aquatic Landscape Inventory System (ALIS; Stanfield and Kuyvenhoven 2005): streams broken down into homogenous valley segments based on controlling variables (e.g. surficial geology, slope, barriers) If species is present in a segment (recent records of live animals or fresh shells for mussels), assumed throughout

17 Kidneyshell Ausable River Draft CH extent includes bankfull width

18 Northern Riffleshell Ausable River

19 Snuffbox Ausable River

20 Round Hickorynut Sydenham River

21 Kidneyshell Sydenham River * CH overlaps with 5 other SAR mussels

22 Round Pigtoe Bear Creek

23 Kidneyshell Thames River

24 Rayed Bean Thames River

25 Round Pigtoe Lower Grand River

26 Kidneyshell CH (Biophysical) Critical Habitat: areas must support one or more habitat functions within the delineated zones. * Most of the 7 SAR mussels will be very similar (some differences in substrate and host spp)

27 Introduction Outline SARA & Critical Habitat Freshwater Mussels Identification Methods Geospatial & Biophysical Summary

28 Summary Sydenham, Ausable, Thames and Grand Rivers support CH for 7 SAR Mussels and are important refugia Bounding Box approach allows ID of CH when basic habitat needs are known and habitats are unmapped Incorporates ecological variability (features can shift) Use of an ecological classification (ALIS) with basic occurrence data provides a good first cut for determining CH boundaries (bounding box) Site-specific information req d for decision making to determine presence of CH within Bounding Box (not just a no touch zone )

29 Summary Host fish are an important component of CH for mussel SAR and would receive protection during the encystment phase ID of CH under SARA will allow for greater habitat protection than the Fisheries Act currently provides Proposed works or undertakings within CH areas will be assessed through the SAR permitting process currently in place. Additional research required to improve our understanding of habitat needs (and tolerances) for SAR mussels for protection of CH

30 Questions?

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