Proceedings of the MTRI Innovation Project Strategic Planning Workshop Jan. 14, 2005

Transcription

1 PO Box 215, Kempt, Nova Scotia B0T 1B0 Phone Fax Proceedings of the MTRI Innovation Project Strategic Planning Workshop Jan. 14, 2005 Compiled by Amanda Lavers with input from workshop participants, February 2005

2 Contents Workshop Goal... 1 Workshop Objectives... 1 Workshop Agenda... 1 Information Sessions... 3 Results of Group Discussions... 4 GOAL of the MTRI Innovation Project... 4 Notes on the OVERALL PROJECT VISION... 4 Notes on the Vision of Landscape Connectivity... 4 Notes on the Vision of Riparian Buffers... 5 Notes on the Vision of Aquatic Health... 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS for the MTRI Innovation Project... 5 Landscape Connectivity Research Questions... 5 Riparian Buffers Research Questions... 6 Aquatic Health Research Questions... 7 STUDY AREA of the MTRI Innovation Project... 7 ACTION PLAN for the MTRI Innovation Project... 7 MTRI Innovation Project Strategic Planning Workshop Participants... 8 Appendices Workshop Goal Collaborate with regional partners to develop and implement (i) a cooperative freshwater aquatic and wetland ecosystem monitoring program for the Mersey and Medway watershed and (ii) a co-operative habitat connectivity research and management program for the area. Workshop Objectives 1.Communicate project vision, goals and objectives to potential partners 2. Identify common objectives and needs re: watershed monitoring and habitat connectivity 3. Initiate collaborative ecosystem research program 4. Formulate project working group(s) and plan for subsequent working group meetings Workshop Agenda 8:00-8:45 Registration 9:00 - Introductory remarks (Cliff Drysdale) 9:05 Overview of workshop agenda and objectives, introductions & expectations (Paul Schwartz) 9:20 Introduction to MTRI (Peter Jones and Hugh Broders) 9:30 Overview of EI Innovation Project (Darien Ure) 9:40 Example of collaboration: Connectivity Working Group (Stephen Flemming and George VanDusen) 1

3 10:20 Break 10:35 Example of collaboration: Clean Annapolis River Project (Andy Sharpe) 10:55 Overview of Env. Canada water monitoring in Mersey and Medway watersheds (Tom Clair) 11:05 Building on Past Success (Amanda Lavers) 11:15 Potential areas for collaboration (Amanda Lavers) 11:25 Group discussion: identify collaborative research programs, vision for collaborative work 12:25 Lunch will be provided 1:05 Break-out group instructions (Paul Schwartz) 1:15 Break-out groups according to research programs identified in morning (project vision, goals, objectives, situational analysis) 2:15 Report to plenary 2:45 Break-out groups (collaboration details: study area, links to other groups, project details) 3:20 Break 3:35 Report to plenary and synthesis of group discussions 4:15 Synthesize action plans 4:35 - Adjorn 2

4 Information Sessions The chairperson of MTRI, Cliff Drysdale, welcomed participants to the workshop. He thanked the participants, the workshop organizing committee, Parks Canada for its support with the Innovation Project and NS Department of Environment and Labour for facilitation services. During the first presentation, an overview of the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute s history, partners, structure, mission, goals, and resources was provided by MTRI directors Peter Jones and Hugh Broders (Appendix 1). Darien Ure from Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site presented an overview of the EI Innovation Fund including its background, funding criteria, and examples of successful projects across Canada. Darien also provided a summary of the objectives, project elements, and implementation strategy for the innovation project approved for this region: Advancing collaborative ecosystem research, management and monitoring in the Atlantic Coastal Uplands Natural Region (Appendix 2). An example of a collaborative project looking at landscape connectivity with support of Parks Canada s EI Innovation Fund was provided by George VanDusen from Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper and Stephen Flemming from Parks Canada. George described how partners are working together in the Greater Gros Morne ecosystem to develop science-based solutions for maintaining connectivity for indicator species. Stephen discussed connectivity research of forest songbirds and Newfoundland marten, and how this research will inform forest managers about the configuration of forest harvest blocks, forest growing programs, and species at risk recovery (Appendices 3, 4). Andy Sharpe from the Clean Annapolis River Project summarized the work that his community group does to monitor water quality and aquatic health in southwestern Nova Scotia (Appendix 5). Tom Clair from Environment Canada reviewed the objectives of water monitoring and the importance of building on existing databases. He presented the Environment Canada Acid Precipitation Monitoring Network CD-ROM (Appendix 6). A summary of research conducted in this region on landscape connectivity and aquatic health was provided by Amanda Lavers from MTRI (Appendices 7, 8). The MTRI bibliographic database was also introduced and described. Based on consultation sessions before the workshop, Amanda provided a detailed overview of the goals and research interests of all workshop participants (Appendices 9, 10, 11). She identified four areas of common interest for discussion. These four areas were discussed and refined so that the following focus groups spent the afternoon working together: landscape connectivity, riparian buffers, and aquatic health. 3

5 Results of Group Discussions GOAL of the MTRI Innovation Project Collaborate with regional partners to develop and implement (i) a cooperative freshwater aquatic and wetland ecosystem monitoring program for the Mersey and Medway watershed and (ii) a co-operative landscape connectivity research and management program for the area. Notes on the OVERALL PROJECT VISION - Long-term sustainable resource use is promoted and future options are preserved through knowledge development. -Collaborative and multi-disciplinary work serves common interests, it considers ecosystem, economic, and social concerns and is a link between foresters, researchers, government, and not for profit organizations. -Well-researched information is provided to support forest harvesting practices, forest and water-related policies and subsidization, and priority areas for protection (as opposed to management decisions based on emotion or public opinion). -Research results are shared with the public to educate and raise awareness, there is well developed recognition by local people and tourists about the unique value of this area s natural resources. -Input from public is integrated with research questions. -The implications of local practices are understood at the scale of landscapes. -Data are shared with a community of researchers; research objectives are layered and integrated within a common data management system. Notes on the Vision of Landscape Connectivity -Landscapes (that include aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems) are connected so that biodiversity and processes can persist within the landscape. -The ecological value of protected areas is extended into the landscape. -The effects of forest management on landscape connectivity are considered in harvest planning. 4

6 Notes on the Vision of Riparian Buffers -Riparian buffers are areas of management adjacent to watercourses (including treed bogs) that contribute to biodiversity conservation, water quality, habitat integrity, sustainability, and watershed management. -Ecosystem integrity is maintained by protecting riparian areas. -Regulations and stewardship allow greater flexibility in buffer widths to better protect ecological integrity of riparian areas of all types. -This project builds upon existing work including: literature reviews, provincial wildlife habitat regulations, the Bowater Pockwock study, coastal plain flora work, CARP projects to protect to water s edge, municipal provincial Property Guidelines for Residential properties, Bowater practice of 30m unthinned buffer and JDI practice of 60m thinned buffer. Notes on the Vision of Aquatic Health - Healthy aquatic systems where stressors * do not impair ecological integrity. - Assess, monitor (using abiotic and biotic indicators), manage and mitigate key stressors * in the region. -The potential impacts of stressors * on aquatic health are well understood. -Long-term datasets are used to the fullest extent possible to understand local aquatic systems. * Stressors likely include exotic species, sedimentation, habitat loss, water level fluctuation, climate change, recreation, and pollution - acidification, eutrophication, mercury and other metals, hormones, fecal coliform. RESEARCH QUESTIONS for the MTRI Innovation Project Landscape Connectivity Research Questions -What are the key elements of connectivity at a landscape scale? What are the key barriers (physical and socio-economic)? What are the costs and benefits of landscape connectivity (ecological and socio-economic)? Remote sensing Spatially and temporally identify areas of functional and structural connectivity. How has connectivity changed historically and how is it changing now (use protected areas as 5

7 references)? Look at land use change (forestry, road density, agriculture, distribution of forest stand types and ages, bridges and other obstacles to aquatic connectivity) spatially and temporally. Identify the influences of anthropogenic processes on connectivity at multiple scales. Focal species Prioritize focal species/guilds and processes as indicators (some focal species already identified by other workers, use a variety of organisms including insects, older growth forest guilds, use indicators sensitive to forest fragmentation, use common species as well as rare ones to collect adequate data, use indicators that provide information on short term and long term scales). How does connectivity affect population structure and movement of focal species? How do dams affect movement of fish? Management How can unprotected lands contribute to connectivity? Are there best forest practices that have positive effects on connectivity? What tools exist or can be developed to model forest connectivity vis-à-vis forest management? What are acceptable quantified targets for landscape connectivity (an index of connectivity), how can these be measured and monitored? Should forest cover be included in an index of connectivity? Are there areas where immediate action is required? Riparian Buffers Research Questions Ecological Integrity: What are the characteristics of an effective buffer? What land uses impact the ecological integrity of riparian areas? What indicators are appropriate to measure the effectiveness of buffers? How can riparian areas be managed for species at risk? Are existing GIS data suitable for riparian buffer mapping? What is the role of riparian buffers for landscape connectivity? What is the value of riparian forest compared to upland forest of the same type? Socio-economic: What are the policy instruments necessary to protect riparian areas? What are the socio-economic barriers to protecting ecological integrity in riparian zones? How can foresters, farmers, cottage developers, etc. be encouraged to participate in the protection of ecological integrity in riparian zones? What economic or policy mechanisms are most appropriate for protection of riparian buffers? What are the costs and benefits of riparian buffers (ecological and socio-economic)? How are costs and benefits of riparian buffers distributed among members of society? Management: What management practices are needed? What is the configuration for an appropriate riparian buffer on treed and non-treed wetlands of all types? What widths are necessary to maintain ecological integrity of terrestrial and aquatic habitats? How can blowdown be reduced in riparian buffers? 6

8 Aquatic Health Research Questions Exotic and invasive species How is the distribution of small-mouthed bass, and chain pickerel, changing through time in the Mersey watershed? What are the ecological, social, and economic impacts of smallmouthed bass and chain pickerel introductions in the region? Is the designation of the Upper Mersey watershed as a special management zone effective for brook trout conservation, and how can it be improved? Acidification What are the ecological, social, and economic effects of acidification in the region? What are the effects of acidification on brook trout populations through time? What are the implications of mercury and cadmium toxicity on aquatic health in this region? Are benthic invertebrate communities useful indicators to monitor changes in aquatic health over time? Watershed alterations and sustainable water supply What is the effect of land use on surface hydrology and ground water quantity in the region? What is the social value of a sustainable water supply? How does watershed alteration and land use change affect salmonid populations (e.g. brook trout) in the region? Does sedimentation significantly affect aquatic health in this region? Loss of aquatic habitat What is the effect of land use on aquatic ecosystem habitat availability? What is the significance of wetland habitat loss on aquatic health? How are unique and important aquatic habitats changing in the region (e.g. cold water refuges, spawning grounds for fish)? How is climate change affecting surface hydrology in the region? How does climate change affect fish habitat and cold water refuges in the region? STUDY AREA of the MTRI Innovation Project Limit is the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. The study are includes Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site and the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. Researchers should use a nested hierarchy and a variety of ownership and habitat types when choosing study sites. Study areas should be flexible to match specific research questions. Focus areas include the Upper Mersey and Medway watersheds (north of Rossignol and Ponhook lakes) and the Jordan River (north of Lake John). ACTION PLAN for the MTRI Innovation Project -Identify leaders and potential participants -Inventory current efforts to identify overlaps -Narrow questions and identify pathways -Match researchers to questions and resources 7

9 -Form an information management team to compile existing info and develop framework to manage information that will be collected by MTRI & associates -Pursue resources for: maps, spatial data models, software, hardware, equipment, study sites, volunteers, students, partners, project coordination, clearing house for data and information, post-processing MTRI Innovation Project Strategic Planning Workshop Participants Name Organization Break-out group Agnes Stokes South Shore Naturalists Riparian buffers Alex MacDonald Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Landscape connectivity Allan Smith Bowater Mersey Company Landscape connectivity Amanda Lavers Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Landscape connectivity Andrew Ross NSCC, Private woodlot owner Riparian buffers Andy Sharpe Clean Annapolis River Project Aquatic health Blair Douglas Douglas'Lumber Company Landscape connectivity Bob Maher NSCC AGRG Riparian buffers Brennan Caverhill Acadia University Landscape connectivity Chris McCarthy Parks Canada Landscape connectivity Cindy Staicer Dalhousie University Riparian buffers Cliff Drysdale Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Landscape connectivity Colleen Inglis Dalhousie University Landscape connectivity Darien Ure Parks Canada Aquatic health Dave Algar Parks Canada Dave Dagley Queens County Fish and Game Landscape connectivity Dave MacKinnon NS Department of Environment Landscape connectivity David Colville NSCC AGRG Landscape connectivity Gary Corbett Parks Canada Aquatic health George VanDusen Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper Landscape connectivity Harry Freeman Private woodlot owner Aquatic health Heather Stewart NSCC AGRG Aquatic health Hugh Broders Saint Mary s University Landscape connectivity Ian Spooner Acadia University Aquatic health Jeffie McNeil Acadia University Aquatic health Jillian Weldon-Genge Bowater Mersey Company Riparian buffers John Janmatt Acadia University Riparian buffers John Mills NS Department of Natural Resources Riparian buffers Karen Beazley Dalhousie University Landscape connectivity 8

10 Leif Helmer NS Department of Environment Aquatic health Louis Wambolt Queens County Fish and Game Mike Brylinsky Acadia University Aquatic health Mike McNeil NS Dept. Fisheries and Aquaculture Aquatic health Patricia Stoffyn Dalhousie University Riparian buffers Paul Schwartz NS Department of Environment Peter Jones Bowater Mersey Company Landscape connectivity Phil Taylor Acadia University Landscape connectivity Reg Baird Trout Nova Scotia Aquatic health Rob Cameron NS Department of Environment Landscape connectivity Royce Ford Private woodlot owner Riparian buffers Stephen Flemming Parks Canada Landscape connectivity Suzie Blatt Acadia University Landscape connectivity Sally O Grady Parks Canada Aquatic health Tom Clair Environment Canada Aquatic health Tony Pesklevits Dalhousie University Landscape connectivity 9