Managing for Biodiversity:

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Managing for Biodiversity

• Sharing common ground
• Tom Harrison
• Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
• NALMA September 18, 2007

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Managing for Biodiversity

• Functioning, Intact Ecosystems Biodiversity
• At all levels Genetic, Species, Visible,
  Hidden,.
• Indicators of Functioning Ecosystems
• What are you looking for?
• Goal Setting
• Where do you want to be?
• Management Tools
• How are you going to get there?

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Indicators of a Functioning Ecosystem

• Health Assessment Protocol
• Riparian/Wetland
• Native Range
• Forest
• Tame Forage

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Functions of Healthy Riparian Areas/Forests/Rangel
ands

• Produce abundant vegetation
• Plant species and community diversity
• Trap sediments
• Filter and utilize nutrients and residues
• Dissipate stream energy and reduce wave action
• Recharge groundwater
• Control erosion
• Nutrient cycling
• Capture and beneficial release of water

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Indicators of Wetland Riparian Health

• Vegetative Cover
• Invasive Plant Species
• Undesirable Plant Species
• Tree and Shrub Regeneration
• Utilization of Trees and Shrubs

• Standing Dead Wood
• Shoreline Root Mass Protection
• Human Caused Bare Ground
• Banks Altered by Humans
• Pugging/Hummocking
• Incisement

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Indicators Of Forest/Range Health

• Integrity and Ecological Status
• Community Structure
• Litter/Thickness of LFH layer
• Site Stability
• Noxious Weeds

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Ecological StatusPlant Species Composition
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Range Condition and Birds

• Range condition an important predictor for
  grassland specialists

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Different plants like different range sites

• Determined by
• moisture
• soils
• topography
• salinity

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Unhealthy Riparian Areas
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Structural Diversity?
Are the expected layers of plant life present on
the site?
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• Healthy Riparian areas have high diversity in
  species and structure

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Does the site have structure?
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Rangeland Structure
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Sedge Wren
LeContes Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Savannah Sparrow
Bairds Sparrow
Spragues Pipit
Vegetation Density
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Burrowing Owl
McCowns Longspur
Vegetation Height
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LFH Indicator of Moisture Retention/Nutrient
Cycling
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Carry Over (Litter)
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Site Stability
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Evidence of accelerated soil erosion?
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Bare Soil
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Nest vegetation

• Standing dead vegetation (11-20 cm)
• Vegetation height (21-28 cm)
• Bare Ground (3-7)

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Invasive Species
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Goal Setting for Biodiversity

• Retention of wetlands and native habitat
• Protection of critical areas
• Mitigation for lost habitat
• Riparian/Range/Forest health
• Land cover

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Habitat Retention and Loss
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Tame vs Native
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Riparian Condition in Saskatchewan
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Land Cover
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Probability of occurrence of Spragues Pipits
over a range of pasture sizes (10-6000 ha)
Pasture Size/Habitat Area
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Habitat Area
Y1.520.33 (x) R20.28, P0.04
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Tools for Management

• Planning
• Implementation
• Grazing Management
• Cultivated Landscape
• Monitoring

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We need a plan
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Is Productivity Compatible with Biodiversity?

• Sustainability
• Carrying Capacity
• Forage Production
• Soil Moisture
• Wildlife Habitat
• Water Quality

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Four Principles of Grazing Management

• Balance forage supply and demand
• Distribute grazing pressure evenly
• Defer grazing during sensitive periods
• Allow for effective rest after grazing

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TOO MUCHTOO LONG TOO SOONTOO OFTEN

• Is not sustainable..Fitch (Cows and Fish, 2000)

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Grazing Intensity
b
b
a
23 Heavily grazed 42 Moderate 35 Light
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Setting Stocking Rates Balancing forage supply
and demand

• Health Assessments
• Area of use/Distribution
• Range site
• Soil/climatic zone

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Distribution

• Proximity to water
• Grazing/management system
• Supplemental feed/salt/mineral
• Time of the year
• Dry vs wet cycles
• Patchiness weeds, exotics, shrub, open vs bush
• Landscape features topography, slope, aspect
• Grazing behaviour class of animal, dominance

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Water Development

• Alternative Water Source
• Distribution Tool

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Deferred Grazing
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Rest Rotation Grazing
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Exclusion Fencing
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Winter Grazing Strategies
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Riparian Management in a Cultivated Landscape

• Objective Encourage Annual Croppers to adopt
  BMPs next to watercourses
• Retain Riparian areas and wetlands
• Reduce/prevent soil loss and erosion
• Positively impact water
• Economic return to producers

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Conservation Tillage

• 1996 In cropland areas next to riparian zones
• 60 seeded into tilled land
• 22 summerfallow
• 17 standing stubble
• 1 directly seeded into standing stubble
• SSCA reports 2.5x increase
• in CT acreage 1995 to 2002

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Winter Annuals
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Buffer Strip Width
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Increasing Field Efficiency
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Agroforestry Forage
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Chokecherry
Red-osier dogwood
Saskatoon
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Manitoba Maple
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Stooling beds in meanders
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What can you do?

• Pay attention to the basics
• Goals
• Planning
• Implementing
• Monitoring
• Adjusting
• Work with available range/riparian grazing
  specialists

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How can we help?

• FNACS - EFP/APF
• SWA, SAFRR, AAFC, DUC, NCC
• SE, DFO, EC
• Extension
• Assessment/monitoring
• On farm planning
• Workshops/field days
• Demos/management agreements

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Questions?