Management Plan for Coastal Wood Fern in Canada [Final] 2011: Approaches to Meet Objectives

Actions have been categorized by the action groups of the Conservation Framework. Status of the action group for this species is given in brackets.

• Compile Status Report (complete)
  • COSEWIC report completed (COSEWIC 1998), and reassessment completed (COSEWIC 2001).
    Update due 2011.
    
• Send to COSEWIC (complete)
  • Coastal wood fern designated Special Concern (COSEWIC 2001).
    
• Planning (complete)
  • BC Management Plan completed (this document, 2010).
    
• Monitor Trends (in progress)
  • A recent inventory of the population on Ballenas Islands was conducted as part of a survey for rare plants on some Department of National Defence properties (Fairbarns 2006).
  • The Dorcas Point population and most populations on Denman and Hornby Islands were re-inventoried in 2007 (Maslovat 2007).
  • The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) has funded a comprehensive survey for the coastal wood fern on Denman Island (Maslovat, 2007).
    
• Habitat Protection and Private Land Stewardship (in progress)
  • The Denman Conservancy Association has a landowner contact stewardship program that has conducted landowner contacts, site visits, preparation of stewardship plans, and wildlife monitoring and education programs for this and other species (Denman Conservancy Association 2006). A stewardship agreement is in place with the landowner of a Denman Island property on which one of the populations occurs.
  • On Denman Island, the Reginald Road subpopulation of Denman #1, and two subpopulations of Denman #2 are within Development Permit Area (DPA) #2, Steep Slopes (Islands Trust 2004). This DPA restricts the cutting of trees and also requires a permit for constructing roads or buildings.
  • Members of the Heron Rocks Camping Co-operative (subpopulation of Hornby #1) have been removing invasive species next to the coastal wood fern (Mogensen, pers. comm. 2007).
  • A fact sheet for this species is posted on the GOERT website (GOERT 2003).
  • The coastal wood fern is noted in the Boyle Point Provincial Park Master Plan, which designates areas where the coastal wood fern occurs as a Special Features Zone. Special Features Zones protect “significant natural or cultural features or processes because of their special character, fragility and heritage value.” Facilities and services within the park are to be kept to a minimum with recreation limited to walking, viewing, and nature appreciation (B.C. Parks 1990).
  • The coastal wood fern is not specifically mentioned in the Helliwell Provincial Park Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan, although the plan does reference the total number of Blue- and Red-listed species found in the park. The plan states the primary role of Helliwell Park is to protect rare and endangered ecosystems with a secondary role of promoting low-impact recreation. The areas where the coastal wood fern occurs are designated as a Special Features Zone (B.C. Parks 2003).
  • The Helliwell Provincial Park Ecosystem Based Plan identifies management prescriptions for the grassland and cliff areas where the coastal wood fern occurs within the park, including minimizing soil disturbance, restricting access, and posting seasonal closures during spring flowering (Balkeet al. 2001).

Very little is known about the reproductive capabilities of the coastal wood fern in Canada. Further studies are required to understand the conditions necessary for successful sexual reproduction, such as spore germination, successful reproduction of gametophytes, sporophyte seedling survival, and whether specific microsite conditions are required for sexual reproduction. Further understanding of dispersal capability and breeding system would be beneficial.

The genetic composition of B.C. populations and the differences between subpopulations, as well as how B.C. populations differ from those in the United States has not been studied. Such studies would determine the primary mode of reproduction (via spores or vegetatively by rhizome divisions). Determining the genetic composition can suggest which stage of the life-cycle is best protected for the survival of the species (e.g., protecting the habitat attributes that support spore or vegetative reproduction).

The population-level impact of natural disturbances such as erosion and exposure from sun, wind, and storms, as well as the impact of an altered fire regime, is not understood. The impacts of invasive alien plants, pests and diseases – in particular the impact of sudden oak death – are not known.

Essential habitat attributes for the coastal wood fern have not been determined; knowledge gaps include soil moisture regime, soil composition including particle size, organic matter, soil depth, vegetation composition (including presence and abundance of invasive plant species), slope, aspect, and elevation.

It is not known why this species has a limited distribution, whether there are specific habitat requirements as outlined above, and whether natural disturbance regimes contribute to the distribution of the species.

Further surveys should be conducted within the extent of occurrence to determine whether there are unreported populations that may be discovered on inaccessible rocky cliffs and steep dry forested slopes on the northern Gulf Islands and adjacent Vancouver Island.

Populations have not been monitored to determine population trends, and this should be in acted in an inventory, monitoring and assessment program at least every 10 years.

Most of the coastal wood fern populations (9 of 13) occur at least partially on private lands. Habitat protection on private land will include a variety of initiatives, such as working with private landowners to develop appropriate stewardship activities, establishing conservation agreements/easements, and limiting development through development permit areas (DPAs). All populations of the coastal wood fern, except Dorcas Point, are in the area covered by the Islands Trust. Islands Trust is a federation of independent local governments that plan land use and regulate land development within the Gulf Islands to preserve areas for the local residents and for the province. In provincial park locations, the occupied habitats of populations should be monitored to ensure the Special Management Zones and area descriptions are recognized and implemented. Only one of the populations on private land (Denman #3) is currently protected by a stewardship agreement in place with the Denman Island Conservancy.

Landowners should be contacted through local land trusts in conjunction with the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) landowner contact program and should be advised of appropriate habitat management and stewardship activities for the coastal wood fern.

The populations on Amelia, Gerald and Mistaken islands should be reinventoried because it has been nine years since they were systematically examined. A thorough inventory is also required because some populations (e.g., Hornby #1, Hornby #3, and Denman #1) may be more extensive than initially reported (Martin, pers. comm. 2007). Each population should be monitored every 10 years to assess the status of the population and determine population trends.

Inventories should also target potential habitat of the coastal wood fern (e.g., southwest, southeast, or south-facing dry slopes or rock outcrops) on the Gulf Islands and appropriate coastlines of Vancouver Island to search for undocumented populations.

Management activities should include monitoring the effects of recreational activities, invasive alien plants, and erosion associated with winter storms. For the federal lands, ingrowth of exotic shrubs and low trees are encroaching into parts of the habitat of the species, and should be monitored and removed if necessary (Fairbarns 2006).

There needs to be continued communication to increase public awareness of the coastal wood fern and other species at risk.

Public education should also focus on building community and stakeholder awareness of the link between sudden oak death and coastal wood fern in order to limit the potential spread of the disease from offsite nursery plants.

Research is required to address key knowledge gaps. Research to determine essential habitat characteristics for the coastal wood fern could be done in association with inventory and monitoring. Research should also identify appropriate invasive plant management, and the impacts, if any of sudden oak death.