Page 278 - PC2019 Program & Proceedings

PLANT CANADA 2019

P129. An analysis of invasive species management in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada:
establishment of a database to improve knowledge sharing
Vasseur, L.; L. Brown
Brock University

The UN and Convention on Biological Diversity have declared invasive species a global initiative and
requested increased data sharing on invasives. No database focuses on invasive species management for
the Niagara Region, ON, Canada. This study used sustainability science and the Ecosystem Approach
Principles to guide the design of an invasive species management database. The goal of the study was to
document current aquatic and riparian invasive management activities in the Niagara Region and develop
a database that would become a tool to facilitate collaboration at the regional level. The objectives were to
(1) inventory current invasive detection and control activities in the Niagara Region and make
comparisons to recommended techniques in the literature; (2) examine perceived efficacy of control
techniques; and (3) develop a database integrated with a GIS mapping component. Seventy-one
organizations involved in riparian/aquatic invasive management in the Niagara Region were contacted
and 16 were interviewed in-depth. In 2017/2018 there were 35 separate control efforts reported, involving
10 riparian invasives and two aquatic invasives, with most concentrated along the Niagara River.
Collaboration efforts were minimal, occurring for only six specific projects. Recommendations from this
study include: develop a regional invasive species plan; increase control efforts along the Welland Canal
and Lake Erie shoreline; consider a wider variety of control techniques; and increase collaboration,
information-sharing and resource-sharing among organizations.

Liette Vasseur (lvasseur@brocku.ca)

P130. Performance of Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) at the limits of its distribution range in
Western Newfoundland.
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1
1
2
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1
Sveshnikov, D. ; A. Arsenault ; N. Lake ; V. Valdez ; P. Baines ; R. LeBlanc ; K. Beals ; R. Skinner
2
1
1 Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2
Canadian Forest Service
A dynamic population of Eastern white pine spans a 200 m elevation gradient in Western Newfoundland,
growing in partially forested areas of flat or sloping fens, rocky boulder fields, and tuckamore-ericaceous
shrublands. Seed cone production is notably lower at the upper level of the gradient. The introduced red
squirrels remove the cones with a year-to-year effectiveness varying from zero to 100%, and similarly
variable levels of seed predation by birds and small mammals occur on the ground. About a third of the
remaining seeds germinate, and about a third of the first year juvenile seedlings survive the first winter.
Further, established seedlings, either grown from seeds or transplanted from a greenhouse, show only
occasional mortality, possibly assisted by unspecific damage by local fauna. Seed germination and
juvenile seedling survival do not clearly correlate with elevation or location within the area. For
established seedlings, as well as for mature trees, the temperature decrease up the gradient shortens the
growth season by shifting the times of snowmelt and delaying bud break. Nevertheless, the rates of linear
and radial seasonal growth in seedlings and mature trees do not directly follow the elevation, likely
affected by the soil parameters and/or microclimates at their individual locations. Overall, suboptimal
temperatures at the distribution range limit appear restrictive for Eastern white pine performance through
impaired fecundity rather than through germination or survival.

Dmitry Sveshnikov (dmitry.sveshnikov@grenfell.mun.ca)

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