new southwest nova scotia forested wetlands · 2019. 3. 22. · forested wetlands forested wetlands...

SOUTHWEST NOVA SCOTIA FORESTED WETLANDS

Forested Wetlands in Atlantic Canada Workshop Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Kespukwitk Conservation Collaborative

March 12, 2019

The intent of this initiative is to work collaboratively to strategically identify, prioritize, and ultimately implement and

monitor, effective conservation actions to address priority threats using an integrated two-eyed seeing approach


Two-eyed seeing: Etuaptmumk

Etuaptmumk is the Mi'kmaq word for Two-Eyed Seeing introduced by a Mi'kmaq Elder from

Eskasoni First Nation, Albert Marshall. It refers to learning to see with one eye the strengths of

Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and with the other eye the strengths of western

knowledges and ways of knowing, and to learn to use both eyes together to gain a clearer

understanding of the world. A Two-Eyed Seeing approach is one way to integrate, and develop a

greater understanding of, and appreciation for Indigenous worldviews

Graphic arts students at ANSD school in Miramichi

https://screenshotscdn.firefoxusercontent.com/images/ac59be4b-7fcf-443a-81a0-788a08a0d6f8.png

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• Significant and unique assemblage of biodiversity

features: - 354 priority species: SAR,

MB, S1/S2 spp.

- 56 COSEWIC SAR; CH for 18 SAR; Action Plan for 23

SAR

• Area: 1.6 million Ha (29% of NS): - 65% Private - 31% Provincial Crown- 3% Federal Crown

Southwest Nova Scotia

• Kespukwitk (Ges-pug-witg) - Mi’kmaq district closely aligned with SWNS

• SWNS partners poised for integrated conservation action identification, implementation and enhanced collaboration

◻ Developed by leading organizations & agencies

◻ Open source

◻ Common language & framework

◻ Used around the world• Gov’t Wildlife Agencies• Protected Areas• Bilateral Biodiversity Funding• Private Donor Funding• Academic Training

The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

A framework to explore:

◻ How are species and ecosystemsdoing?

◻ Are we taking the right actionsto conserve them?

◻ Are we doing them well?

◻ Are our actions leading to thedesired result?

◻ If not, what do we need to do to adapt our strategies?

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Scope:

Southwest Nova

Scotia, also known as

Kespukwitk

SWNS Conceptual Model of Conservation Targets

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Conservation Targets:

Broad ecosystems

that represent and

encompass the full

suite of biodiversity in

SWNS


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Nested Targets:

Important elements of

biodiversity (species,

communities, or

ecological systems)

that the team wants to

emphasize within the

conservation targets


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The importance of human-

wellbeing benefits and ecosystem

services considerations has been

emphasized by the Kespukwitk

Conservation Collaborative


Netukulimk:

Within a Mi’kmaw

world view,

ecological targets

and human

wellbeing would not

be separated – they

would be part of the

target together at

the center

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Conservation Target Case Studies

◻ Case Studies to pilot approach:

⬜ Forested Wetlands ⬜ Coastal Islands⬜ Acadian Forest – Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

◻ Selected based on their ability to test an integrated approach

⬜ Range of targets and methods

◻ Subject area working groups

⬜ Establish common understanding of the conservation context and status of the target

⬜ Identify important knowledge gaps

⬜ Identify and prioritize key conservation strategies

Nested Targets

Subject Area Expert

Working Group

Information Gathering Process

◻ Preliminary information was gathered from a small number of regional experts (n = 8)

◻ Input was summarized and presented by WebEx

◻ Input from the WebEx was incorporated and presented at the workshop

◻ Feedback and discussion from workshop was incorporated and is presented here (32 participants)

March 20-21 Forested Wetlands Workshop

OBJECTIVES

❑ Build our common understanding of forested wetlands (FW) in Southwest Nova Scotia (SWNS):❑ Define FW in SWNS, and identify potential nested targets

❑ Ecosystem services & human wellbeing benefits

❑ Indicators of FW health

❑ Threats & drivers

❑ Identify strategies to conserve FW❑ Prioritize

❑ Specify theories of change (results chains)

❑ Develop objectives & indicators

❑ Specify monitoring needs

✓

✓✓

✓

✓

✓✓

What are forested wetlands in SWNS?

◻ Agreement that we are talking about more than just treed swamps

◻ Diversity:

⬜ Swamps (treed/tall shrub)

⬜ Treed/tall shrub peatlands

⬜ Vernal pools

Proposed Working definition: Wetlands with 30% or more cover of woody species > 2m (tall shrubs & trees)

◻ Uncertainties:

⬜ Include floodplains? Or are these covered by ‘Riparian & floodplain systems’ target?

⬜ Include peatlands with lower threshold of cover (e.g., 5-30%)?

Forested Wetlands: Attributes

◻ Forested wetlands were identified as important ecological systems that represent significant biodiversity in Southwest Nova Scotia

QUESTION

◻ What are some important attributes of forested wetlands in SWNS?

◻ Large proportion of the (forested) landscape

◻ Preponderance of deadwood

◻ High insect productivity

◻ High species diversity

◻ Fire refugia

◻ Structurally complex

◻ Old growth

◻ SAR habitat

◻ Habitat connectivity/corridors

◻ Source of water/moisture even in dry periods

◻ Important hydrologic connections with adjacent landscape and groundwater

Where are they?

QUESTIONS

◻ What do we know about the distribution of forested wetlands in Southwest Nova Scotia?

◻ NOT well-mapped, especially swamps

◻ Estimated to be 5-10% of SWNS landscape

◻ Need LiDAR and better models

◻ Opportunity for synthesis of many different projects

◻ Has implications for all threats

Initial Land Tenure Mapping

Land Tenure Area (ha.) %

Federal Lands 1,422 3

Provincial Crown 18,190 43

Other 22,389 53

Total 42,001 100

Land Conservation Area (ha.) %

Federal Protected Areas 1,414 3

Provincial Protected Areas 6,458 15

Private Conserved Lands 230 1

Unprotected 33,899 81

Total 42,001 100

◻ From NS DNR wetland inventory layer (2013)

◻ Only includes ‘Shrub swamp’ and ‘treed swamp’

◻ 2.6% of SWNS

◻ From NS DNR recent analysis, more like 7%

Indicators

QUESTION

◻ How do we measure/assess the health of forested wetlands in Southwest Nova Scotia?

◻ Agreement that more work is needed to ID best indicators

◻ Areal extent: Temporal & spatial change

◻ Hydrological regime

◻ Amount of deadwood/large deadwood

◻ Species/community metrics (#, diversity, biomass)

◻ Tree growth rate

◻ Presence/abundance of exotic species

◻ Forest continuity (lichen diversity & abundance, functional groups like geophytes, ant-dispersed species or slow-growing trailing species)

◻ Presence/absence of orchids

◻ WESP-AC monitoring at regular intervals

◻ Rare species (e.g., blue cohosh, southern twayblade)

Threats

QUESTION

◻ What are the dominant threats to forested wetlands in Southwest Nova Scotia?

◻ Incompatible forestry practices

◻ Climate change

◻ Roads

◻ Invasive Species

◻ Hydroelectric Damming

◻ Long-range Transport of Air Pollutants (e.g., acid precipitation, mercury)

◻ Incompatible Agricultural Activities

◻ Residential/Cottage Development

◻ Industrial Development (e.g., mines, quarries)

◻ Off-Highway Vehicle Use

◻ Pesticides

DEFINITION

◻ Primarily human activities that immediately degrade forested wetlands

Relative Threat Ranking & Rating

Direct Threats Threat Rating

Forestry Harvesting Practices High

Habitat Shifting and Alteration (Climate Change) Medium

Roads Medium

Invasive Non-native Species Medium

Agricultural Activities Medium

Residential/Cottage Development Medium

Industrial Development Medium

Off-Highway Vehicle Use Low

Hydroelectric Damming Low

Long-range Transport of Air Pollutants Low

Industrial Effluents Low

Conceptual Models

◻ A Conceptual Model is a tool for visually depicting the context within which a project is operating and the major forces that influence conservation targets

⬜ They are diagrams that use a series of boxes and arrows to succinctly represent a set of causal relationships among factors that are believed to impact one or more conservation targets

⬜ They illustrate the logical flow of influence and allow practitioners to see how their potential or current strategies may affect certain factors within the model and consequently, contribute to improving conservation at the site

⬜ They can be useful for identifying the most strategic factors to try to influence

What factors are driving those threats?

◻ Contributing Factors are the key factors that are believed to drive direct threats and ultimately influence conservation targets, including indirect threats, opportunities, and enabling conditions.

Conceptual Model Building

◻ Participants in small groups were asked to identify contributing factors to key threats to forested wetlands and their nested targets

◻ Participants were then asked to identify key intervention points and brainstorm strategies

Brainstorm Strategies

Conceptual Model Building in Miradi

Conceptual models developed through small group work at the workshops were input into Miradi Software

Brainstormed Strategies

◻ Strategies were rated for potential impact and feasibility

Strategy Impact Feasibility

Cross-cutting - Connecting youth H

Threat - Incompatible Forestry Practices

ID/Promote BMPs to private landowners M H

Revise Provincial DB & link to new EC/LIDAR H H

Guide small woodlot owners in Netukulimk M H

Public Outreach (including schools) about coolness of FW (media campaign about biodiversity and what we're losing)

M H

Awareness raising targeting politicians (including municipal, provincial) & First Nation

H-M M



Threat - Incompatible Agricultural Practices

Creation and enforcement of regulations H

Strengthen farm plan (incentives) - Incentives to set aside for wetlands - Financial incentives for ecosystem services - Reduce barriers to farm plan participation

M

Zoning within municipal planning strategies (enforcement)

H

Threat - Hydroelectric Damming

Locate feasible restoration opportunities L M

Identify economic & ecosystem BMPs for hydro M H

Pilot small river system restoration M L



Threat - Invasive Species

Identify forestry BMPs for invasives (clean equipment, selective cutting, no clear cutting)

M M-H

Pilot implementation of forestry BMPs M M-H

Update regulations on FW buffers H M

Threat - Roads

Develop better mapping H M

Advocate for decomissioning regulations on crown land H L

Promote BMPs for private road development M M

Identify restoration opportunities for FW via decomissioning legacy roads

H H

Landowner outreach regarding FW, policy & road BMPs M M



Threat – Long range transport of air pollutants

Identify:- high risk activities / areas for air pollution - interaction between FW integrity and effects of air

pollution - interaction between forestry practices and effects of

air pollution on FW

L H

Strategy Prioritization

◻ Following strategy development and grouping of similar strategies in plenary, each workshop participant received four dots (votes); for a given participant, more than one of their votes could go to the same strategy

Strategy Prioritization

Strategy Group # of Votes

Reconnecting with nature 32

Improve mapping of forested wetlands 28

Improve wetland policy & regulations 25

Fill key knowledge gaps 22

Restoration 7

BMPs for private lands 7

Environmental Farm Plans 2

BMPs for invasive species 1

BMPs for hydroelectric damming 0

Results Chains (Theory of Change)

◻ Diagrams that define and help to make explicit how you think that a project strategy is going to contribute to achieving a conservation goal

◻ Results chain focus on the achievement of results and are composed of assumptions that can be tested

- Conservation Target

- Threat Reduction Result

- Intermediate Result

- Conservation Strategy


Key Outcomes

◻ Workshop Objectives

⬜ Refinement of a common understanding of the current conservation context of forested wetlands in Kespukwitk

⬜ Identification of knowledge gaps

⬜ Identification and prioritization of strategies

⬜ Results chains, including identification of key sectors to engage in specific conservation strategies

Key Outcomes

◻ Approach

⬜ Incorporation of Mi’kmaw workshop approaches

⬜ Improved understanding of the ‘Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation’ as a tool for advancing an integrated conservation approach

⬜ Developed capacity to use the Open Standards as a framework for conservation planning

◻ Relationships and Partnerships

⬜ Strengthened relationships among forested wetland conservation partners in SWNS (Kespukwitk)

⬜ Initial engagement with private/industrial sector

Next Steps

◻ CWS coordinating role◻ CWS to continue to compile and incorporate comments and revisions to materials and

share these with partners.

◻ Sub-group/ team◻ Revisit forested wetland definition, viability assessment, nested targets, indicators, and

threat ratings with a smaller sub-group of experts.

◻ Refining, vetting and updating outputs and strategies◻ It was emphasized at the meeting that this is an iterative process and that these

models and results chains will be updated and amended as new information becomes available.

◻ Advancing strategies◻ Individual organizations to assess their potential role in the implementation of

prioritized strategies and identify potential funding or supporting opportunities. Results chains, knowledge gaps, objectives, indicators and monitoring needs will need to be further fleshed out for each strategy to be pursued.

Thank you / Merci / Wela’lioq

new southwest nova scotia forested wetlands · 2019. 3. 22. · forested wetlands forested wetlands...

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