A guide to translate northwestern Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario

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1 Ministry of Natural Resources Ecological Land Classification Northwestern Ontario Science and Information Resources Division Science and Information Branch A guide to translate northwestern Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario Erin Banton, Rachelle Lalonde, Monique Wester and Peter Uhlig NWSI Tech. Note TN-48 January 2012 Ecosystem classifications provide a means to organize vegetation and soil into standard ecological units. These tools are particularly useful for forest managers, allowing them to make sound silvicultural and resource management decisions. Over the last 15 years, four regional forest ecosystem classifications have been produced in Ontario. These classifications have been well received by users and applied to a broad range of research studies and management activities. These ecosystem classifications include keys and charts that are easily navigated and implemented by collecting and describing several specific soil and vegetation attributes. Through the application of these four existing regional classifications, several shortcomings were recognized. This resulted in the development of a single comprehensive provincial ecosite classification (OMNR 2009), which includes Ecosites of Ontario. Ecosites of Ontario is nested within a comprehensive Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system for Ontario that addresses increased interest in conservation of ecosystems previously not represented (i.e., non-treed landscapes such as meadows, rock barrens, and sand dunes) and some challenges facing resource managers, such as the identification of hydric substrates. Substantial data have been collected over the last decade using the original Terrestrial and Wetland Ecosites of Northwestern Ontario (Racey et al. 1996), and the Ecosites of Ontario has been operationally applied since 2009 to collect additional or new data. To maintain these investments, Northwest Region worked in conjunction with the ELC Working Group to develop an ecosite conversion chart as a support tool that will aid in the translation of existing information, models, and reports to the new provincial ELC ecosite definitions. Procedure Regional experts, familiar with both the northwestern Ontario (NWO) and the new provincial ecosite classifications, compared ecosites represented by the two classifications. Criteria used for the comparison include stand composition, vegetation structure (hardwood or conifer), moisture regime, substrate depth and texture. Available ELC plot data were individually reclassified and assigned to provincial ecosites to identify potential relationships as this conversion chart was produced. The two classification systems differ by approach and scope in four areas. The NWO ecosite classification: 1) Identified very shallow soils as having soil depths less than 20 cm. The new provincial classification recognizes very shallow as less than 15 cm. Only ecosites specifically relating to very shallow substrates (NWO Ecosites 11 and 12) are allocated to the very shallow provincial ecosites. 2) Amalgamated the texture families of clayey and fine loamy. Within Ecosites of Ontario, clayey is separated from texture families of silty and fine loamy. For example, NWO Ecosite 26 had associated texture families of fine loamy and clayey and therefore is a best either B082 or B083 clayey ecosites but alternatively a good fit with either B098 or B099 fine loamy ecosites. 3) Created an ecological placeholder for Ecosites 1 through 10, and 51 through 56, that are replaced by new ecosites in the provincial classification, specifically addressing bluffs, beaches, sand barrens, sand dunes, meadows, rock barrens, cliffs, talus slopes, coarse shores, bedrock shores and active limnetics (substrate submerged under water that is 2m deep). 4) Did not address fields, shrublands (upland), anthropogenic, and coastal or tidal ecosites that are identified in the Ecosites of Ontario.

Results The NWO conversion chart (sample in Figure 1) allows users to compare and convert NWO ecosite concepts to the corresponding new provincial ecosites.

2 Results The NWO conversion chart (sample in Figure 1) allows users to compare and convert NWO ecosite concepts to the corresponding new provincial ecosites. To use this chart, start by selecting an ecosite in either classification, follow that column or row until shading is encountered and then read the correlated ecosite. ELC Ecosites Northwestern Ontario Ecosites ES17 ES18 ES19 ES20 ES21 White Cedar: Fresh- Moist, Coarse-Fine Red Pine-White Pine: Fresh, Coarse Hardwood-Fir- Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Sandy- Coarse Spruce-Pine / Feathermoss: Fresh, Sandy-Coarse Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Coarse Three levels of correlation were identified: best fit, good fit and poor fit. In general they can be interpreted as follows: Best Fit: The NWO ecosite core concept is well described by the corresponding provincial ecosite. There is close agreement in floristic (species) composition, community structure, critical substrate conditions (moisture, depth, texture), and landscape pattern. More than one best fit is possible. Good Fit: The NWO ecosite core concept is partially described by the criteria within a corresponding provincial ecosite. There is agreement on some but not all of the floristic (species) composition, community structure, critical substrate conditions (moisture, depth, texture), and landscape pattern. Variability in lead and associated species may occur. More than one good fit is possible. Poor Fit: The NWO ecosite core concept is not well described by the criteria within a corresponding provincial ecosite. There is little agreement on the floristic (species) composition, community structure, critical substrate conditions (moisture, depth, texture), and landscape pattern. Variability in lead and associated species are common. Typically poor fits represent ecosite conditions that were often lumped into broader classes of the NWO ecosite typology (i.e. hardwood ecosites were not recognized on very shallow substrates). In some cases the original NWO ecosites were quite broad in terms of the vegetation and substrate conditions that were included, and they represented several contrasting conditions that were placed in B045 B046 B048 B049 B050 B051 B052 B053 B054 B055 B056 B057 B058 B059 Cw, Bf, Bw, Sw, Pt Pr, Pw, Bw, Pt, Bf Pt, Bw, Sw, Sb, Pj, Bf Sb, Pj, Pt, Bw, Bf Bf, Sw, Sb, Pt, Bw Figure 1: A portion of the northwestern conversion chart showing the best, good and poor fit relationships between old and new ecosites (adapted from Pokharel et al. 2012). a generalized ecosite. These old concepts were reassigned to several different new provincial ecosites. In some cases a best fit was not possible and only good or poor fits could be established. The ecosite conversion chart is one of a series of tools provided by the ELC Working Group to help practitioners incorporate and effectively use the Ecosites of Ontario. A quick reference guide (Table 1) translates the NWO ecosites to the provincial system. The guide and conversion chart in this document are just tools and it is advisable to take actual plot data or information and to reallocate each plot to a new ecosite. a good B050 a best B052 a poor B053 2

3 Table 1: Northwestern ecosite conversion reference guide illustrating the membership of provincial ecosites to the northwestern ecosites. NWO Ecosite Code NWO Ecosite Name Corresponding Provincial Ecosites ES1 Beach / Bar B005, (B160, B161, B162, B169, B170, B171, B172, B176, B177, B178, B185, B186, B187, B188) ES2 Sand Dunes B006 ES3 Bluff B001, B002, B003, B004 ES4 Cliff B157, B158, B159, B173, B174, B175 ES5 Talus or Steep Slope B166, B167, B168, B182, B183, B184 ES6 Crevice / Cave Not yet available ES7 Rock Barren B163, B164, B165, B179, B180, B181 ES8 Alvar B173, B174, B175, B176, B177, B178, B179, B180, B181 ES9 Sand Barren B007 ES10 Prairie/Savannah B030, B031, B045, B046, B061, B062, B078, B079, B094, B095, B110, B111, (B008, B009, B020, B021) ES11 Red Pine-White Pine-Jack Pine: Very Shallow B011, (B015, B023, B027) ES12 Black Spruce-Jack Pine: Very Shallow B012, B013, B014, B016, B024, B025, B026, (B017, B018, B019, B028) ES13 Jack Pine-Conifer: Dry-Moderately Fresh, Sandy B034 ES14 Pine-Spruce Mixedwood: Sandy B035, B034, B036, B037 (B038) ES15 Red Pine-White Pine: Sandy B033, B039 ES16 Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Sandy B040, (B041, B042, B043) ES17 White Cedar: Fresh-Moist, Coarse-Fine B051, B066, B115, B084, B100 ES18 Red Pine-White Pine: Fresh, Coarse B048, B054 ES19 Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Sandy-Coarse ES20 Spruce-Pine/Feathermoss: Fresh, Sandy-Coarse B049, B050 B055, B056, B057, B058, B059 ES21 Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Coarse B052, B050, (B053) ES22 ES23 Spruce-Pine / Ledum / Feathermoss: Moist, Sandy-Coarse Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Moist, Sandy-Coarse B065, B067, (B064, B068) B070, (B069, B071, B072, B073, B074, B075, B076) ES24 Red Pine-White Pine: Fresh, Fine B097, B103, (B081, B087) ES25 Pine-Spruce/Feathermoss: Fresh, Silty B098, B099 ES26 Spruce-Pine/Feathermoss: Fresh, Fine Loamy-Clayey B082, B083, B098, B099 ES27 Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Silty-Fine B101, (B085, B086, B102) ES28 Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Silty B104, (B088, B090, B091, B092, B106, B107, B108) ES29 Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Fresh, Fine Loamy-Clayey B088, B104, (B090, B091, B092, B106, B107, B108) ES30 Black Ash Hardwood: Fresh, Silty-Clayey B089, B105, (B084, B088, B100, B104) ES31 Spruce-Pine/Feathermoss: Moist, Silty-Clayey B114, (B113, B115, B116, B117) ES32 Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Moist, Silty-Clayey B116, (B114, B115, B117) ES33 Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood: Moist, Silty-Clayey B119, (B118, B120, B121, B122, B123, B124, B125) ES34 Treed Bog: Black Spruce/Sphagnum: Organic B126, (B127, B137) ES35 Poor Swamp: Black Spruce: Organic B127, B222, (B128, B223) ES36 Intermediate Swamp: Black Spruce (Tamarack): Organic B128, B223, B129, B224, (B127, B222) ES37 Rich Swamp: Cedar (Other Conifer): Organic B129, B224, (B128, B223) ES38 Rich Swamp: Black Ash (Other Hardwood): Organic-Mineral B130, B131, B132, B133 Coding Structure: Ecosite is a best fit - B#; Ecosite is a good fit - B#; Ecosite is a poor fit - (B#) 3

4 Table 1 continued. NWO Ecosite Code ES39 NWO Ecosite Name Open Bog: Ericaceous Shrub/Sedge/Sphagnum: Organic Corresponding Provincial Ecosites B138 ES40 Treed Fen: Tamarack-Black Spruce / Sphagnum: Organic B136 ES41 ES42 ES43 Open Poor Fen: Ericaceous Shrub / Sedge / Sphagnum: Organic Open Moderately Rich Fen: Ericaceous Shrub / Sedge: Organic Open Extremely Rich Fen: Ericaceous Shrub / Sedge / Brown Moss: Organic B139 B140, B139 B141 ES44 Thicket Swamp: Organic-Mineral B134, B135 ES45 Shore Fen: Organic B146, B147, (B145) ES46 Meadow Marsh: Organic-Mineral B142, B144, (B143) ES47 Sheltered Marsh: Emergent: Sedimentary Peat Substrate B149 ES48 Exposed Marsh: Emergent: Mineral Substrate B148 ES49 Open Water Marsh: Submergent / Floating-leaved: Sedimentary Peat Substrate B150, B152 ES50 Open Water Marsh: Submergent: Mineral Substrate B150, B151 ES51 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Rock B154 ES52 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Muck B156 ES53 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Sand B155 ES54 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Gravel B154 ES55 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Cobble B154 ES56 Shallow Water: Sparsely Vegetated: Stone B154 Coding Structure: Ecosite is a best fit - B#; Ecosite is a good fit - B#; Ecosite is a poor fit - (B#) For more information or to request a digital copy of the complete northwestern conversion chart, please contact: Erin Banton Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Northwest Science and Information (807) erin.banton@ontario Northeastern Ontario Rachelle Lalonde (rachelle.lalonde@ontario.ca) A guide to translate northeastern Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario Central Ontario Peter Uhlig (peter.uhlig@ontario.ca) A guide to translate central Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario From the ground up: eastern white cedar and larch canopy within a Mineral Rich Conifer Swamp (B224) at the Wishart Forest in Thunder Bay. 4

Acknowledgments Bharat Pokharel and Jeffery Dech (Nipissing University: Department of Biology and Chemistry) shared their thoughts during the development of their tool which converts plot data to the

5 Acknowledgments Bharat Pokharel and Jeffery Dech (Nipissing University: Department of Biology and Chemistry) shared their thoughts during the development of their tool which converts plot data to the provincial ELC, which led to the ecosite conversion template displayed within Figure 1. Colin Bowling and Gerry Racey (Ministry of Natural Resources: Northwest Science and Information) supported this initiative by contributing their expert knowledge and evaluation of the relationships between the NWO and provincial ecosites. Citation: Banton, E., R. Lalonde, M. Wester, and P. Uhlig A guide to translate northwestern Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario. Ont. Min. Natur. Resour. NWSI Tech Note TN pp. References Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Ecological Land Classification field manual operational draft, April 20th Ecological Land Classification Working Group, Ontario. Unpublished manual. Pokharel, B., J.P. Dech and P. Uhlig A tool for converting forest ecosystem classifications for permanent or temporary growth plots into the new provincial Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system in the boreal regions of Ontario. For. Chron. 88(1): Racey, G.D., A.G. Harris, J.K. Jeglum, R.F. Foster, and G.M. Wickware Terrestrial and wetland ecosites of northwestern Ontario. Ont. Min. Natur. Resour., Northwest Sci. & Technol. Field Guide FG pp. + Append. Trembling aspen stand (B055) within larger black spruce stand (B049) near the northern Ontario community of Webequie. ISBN (Print) ISBN (PDF) 5

A guide to translate central Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario

Ministry of Natural Resources Ecological Land Classification Central Ontario A guide to translate central Ontario ecosites into Ecosites of Ontario Monique Wester, Peter Uhlig, Erin Banton and Rachelle