Assessing Wildlife Populations in Relation to Habitat in the Thunder Bay AOC Thunder Bay AOC PAC Meeting Joe Fiorino Canadian Wildlife Service Feb. 7, 2018 CWS surveys many coastal wetlands lirl Environment and Environnement et Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana a Reporting on elements of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) • Degradation of fish and wildlife populations • Loss of fish and wildlife habitat Page 3 – February 6, 2018 Working with AOCs • CWS has been involved in BUI work for other AOCs – Detroit River, St. Clair River, Bay of Quinte, St. Mary’s River • Unique challenges • Methodology changes but framework is the same Page 4 – February 6, 2018 Thunder Bay AOC • Are wildlife populations impaired? • Are there AOC-specific factors unrelated to habitat (e.g., environmental toxicity) that are impairing populations? • If not, focus can be on restoring habitat Page 5 – February 6, 2018 Study Overview • Compare wildlife habitat inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if wildlife populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if associations between components of wildlife habitat and populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC Page 6 – February 6, 2018 Legend Sites A . AOC Hurkett Cove 0 3 Control AOC Boundary Northem Wood Preservers Marsh Neebing Ma'rzy Mission Chippewa aish I Brule Sturgeon Bay 0 Cloud Bay . Pine Bay Kilometers Environment and Environnement et Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana a Survey Methodology • Built on existing coastal wetland monitoring Populations: – Birds – Amphibians Habitat: – Water Quality – Submerged Aquatic Vegetation – Aquatic Macroinvertebrates – Surrounding Land Use Page 8 – February 6, 2018 Marsh Bird and Amphibian Surveys • Passive point count sampling • Secretive species call broadcast (birds) • 3-visits per wetland Page 9 – February 6, 2018 Water Quality • Collect water samples at 3-6 • locations Measure pH, conductivity, turbidity, temperature, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. Page 10 – February 6, 2018 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation • 20 randomly placed quadrats • All species and coverage recorded Page 11 – February 6, 2018 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates • Collect macroinvertebrates at 3 water quality sample locations using dip nets Page 12 – February 6, 2018 Surrounding Land Use 1.2 1.6 Nlometers 5., I I Environment and Environnement et Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada Bird Guilds Marsh User Marsh Nesting Bird Emergent Marsh Nesting Obligate Marsh Foraging Bird Marsh Nesting Generalist Water Forager Area-Sensitive Emergent Marsh Nesting Obligate Non-Area-Sensitive Emergent Marsh Nesting Obligate Page 14 – February 6, 2018 Aerial Forager NonAerial/Water Forager Amphibian Guilds Woodland Basinwide Disturbance Intolerant Disturbance Tolerant Page 15 – February 6, 2018 Bird and Amphibian Community Attributes Bird Attribute Description AllSp_MaxAbundance All species maximum abundance AllSp_CumulativeSpRich All species cumulative species richness MNG_MaxAbundance Marsh nesting generalist percent max abundance MN_MaxAbundance Marsh nesting percent max abundance EMNO_MaxAbundance Emergent marsh nesting obligate percent max abundance AEMNO_MaxAbundance Area sensitive marsh nesting obligate percent max abundance NAMNO_MaxAbundance MNO_MaxAbundance Non area sensitive marsh nesting obligate percent max abundance Marsh nesting obligate percent max abundance Amphibian Attribute Description rTOT Total Species Richness (rTOT) rWOOD Woodland Species Richness (rWOOD) rDTOL Disturbance Tolerant Species Richness (rDTOL) rDINTOL Disturbance Intolerant Species Richness (rDINTOL) rBASIN Basin Wide Species Richness (rBASIN) Page 16 – February 6, 2018 Habitat Attributes Plant Attribute SINT STUR SRES SNAT CC FQI PINT PTUR PRES PNNA PCOV RNNA PALG Description Number of turbidity-intolerant species Number of turbidity-tolerant species Number of nutrient-responsive species Number of native species Coefficient of Conservation Floristic quality index Percent cover of turbidity-intolerant species Percent cover of turbidity-tolerant species Percent cover of nutrient-responsive species Percent cover of non-native species Total cumulative coverage Relative percent coverage of non-native species Percent cover of filamentous algae Page 17 – February 6, 2018 Habitat Attributes Invertebrate Attribute NCMG, PCRM NETG NEPH, PEPH NODO, PODO NTRI, PTRI NGEN NFAM PAMP PCHI PGAS PISO PSPH PTAN PDIP PCRU Description Number, % Crustacea + Mollusca Number of Ephemeroptera + Tricoptera genera Number, % Ephemeroptera genera Number, % Odonata genera Number, % Tricoptera genera Total number of genera Total number of families % Amphipod % Chironomidae % Gastropoda % Isopoda % Sphaeriidae % Tanytarsii % Diptera % Crustacea Page 18 – February 6, 2018 Habitat Attributes Landcover % Natural % Wetland % Forest % Residential % Cultivated % Industrial % Other % Marsh % Meadow Marsh % Treed swamp % Thicket swamp % Total swamp % Emergent Marsh % Floating leaved % Submerged % Bog % Fen Description Transportation, urban core, extraction Page 19 – February 6, 2018 Habitat Attributes Water Quality Turb Cond Temp pH WQI NO3NO2N NH3N Fluoride Sulfate True Colour SRP Total N Total Alk Description Turbidity (NTU) Conductivity (μS/cm) Temperature °C Water Quality Index Nitrate Nitrite (mg/L) Ammonia (mg/L) Fluoride (mg/L) Sulfate (mg/L) True Colour (colour units) Soluable Reactive Phosphorus (mg/L) Total Nitrogen (mg/L) Total Alkalinity (mg/L) Page 20 – February 6, 2018 Study Overview • Compare wildlife habitat inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if wildlife populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if associations between components of wildlife habitat and populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC Page 21 – February 6, 2018 Habitat differs inside vs. outside the AOC 100 .3: ADC I c: non-AOC 80 60 a I 5 4o 20.. i Page 22 February 6, 2018 I I Environment and Environnement et Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada 0 - K. . . {so ?09 7?06 6% ?06 00 ~Ao\o o\o$ Canada Many habitat attributes are comparable • No difference in submerged aquatic vegetation community attributes • No difference in water quality parameters • Some differences in aquatic macroinvertebrate community attributes Page 23 – February 6, 2018 Study Overview • Compare wildlife habitat inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if wildlife populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if associations between components of wildlife habitat and populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC Page 24 – February 6, 2018 Bird population attributes are comparable 8.. 7 AOC non-AOC -1. Page 25 February 6, 2018 I?Vrl Environment and Environnement et I I Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana. a Bird population attributes are comparable Page 26 February 6, 2018 lirl Environment and Environnement et I I Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana a Amphibian population attributes are comparable 1.4 non-AOC 1.25 1.00 a 2" 0.75 a 0.50 Amphibican Total Species Richness 0.25 Amphibian Total Species Richness to 0.00 7 04 ?0 ?0 ?0 bq?Q 004 I 0? . (9 _00 (bePage 27 February 6, 2018 I?Vrl Environment and Environnement et I I Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana. a Amphibian population attributes are comparable Page 28 February 6, 2018 H4 Environment and Environnement et I I Climate Change Canada Changement climatique Canada ana a Study Overview • Compare wildlife habitat inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if wildlife populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC • Determine if associations between components of wildlife habitat and populations differ inside vs. outside the AOC Page 29 – February 6, 2018 Thunder Bay AOC • Are wildlife populations impaired? • Are there AOC-specific factors unrelated to habitat (e.g., environmental toxicity) that are impairing populations? • If not, focus can be on restoring habitat Page 30 – February 6, 2018 Population Attribute Are other factors influencing populations? Habitat Attribute Page 31 – February 6, 2018 Are other factors influencing populations? Population Attribute Non-AOC AOC Habitat Attribute Page 32 – February 6, 2018 Are other factors influencing populations? Population Attribute Non-AOC AOC Habitat Attribute Page 33 – February 6, 2018 Population Attribute Are other factors influencing populations? Habitat Attribute Page 34 – February 6, 2018 Population Attribute Are other factors influencing populations? Habitat Attribute Page 35 – February 6, 2018 Are other factors influencing populations? Population Attribute Relationship the same inside and outside the AOC Indicates no other factors influencing populations Habitat Attribute Page 36 – February 6, 2018 No other factors influencing populations All Bud $90005 Mu Abundance 30 25 20 15 10 I'l'l 10 15 ?6 Cow! Nutmm Rosponsm Spoon Environment and Climate Change Canada All Bud Spoon Mu Abundant 20 25 3c 0 Page 37 February 6, 2018 Environnement et Changement climatique Canada 10 20 30 ?6 Com Turbidity Tolerant Spades AOC non-AOC I?lrl Canada Thunder Bay AOC • Are wildlife populations impaired? • Are there AOC-specific factors unrelated to habitat (e.g., environmental toxicity) that are impairing populations? • If not, focus can be on restoring habitat Page 38 – February 6, 2018 Conclusions • Are wildlife populations impaired? – Bird and amphibian population attributes are comparable Page 39 – February 6, 2018 Conclusions • Are wildlife populations impaired? • Are there AOC-specific factors unrelated to habitat (e.g., environmental toxicity) that are impairing populations? – No other factors appear to be influencing populations Page 40 – February 6, 2018 Conclusions • Are wildlife populations impaired? • Are there AOC-specific factors unrelated to habitat (e.g., environmental toxicity) that are impairing populations? • If not, focus can be on restoring habitat Page 41 – February 6, 2018 Next Steps • Collect additional data to confirm results • Make finer comparisons – e.g., Brule Bay had no birds, one frog species, relatively poor water quality Page 42 – February 6, 2018 .mr-w' ?5,1,th I rl'i IS 4 .-