Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata): report on the implementation of the recovery strategy 2007 to 2017

Official title: Report on the Implementation of the Recovery Strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada (2007 – 2017)

This report provides an update on the work done with Pink Sand-verbena by Parks Canada and its partners from 2007 to 2017. Searches did not find any new plants, but local seed was used to grow seedlings in a greenhouse for planting in the wild. With help from local First Nations and volunteers, seedlings were planted at four locations. Planting efforts have been very successful, with thousands of new wild plants growing.

Recommended citation

Parks Canada Agency. 2018. Report on the Implementation of the Recovery Strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada (2007 – 2017).

Introduction

The final Recovery Strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada was posted on the Species at Risk Public Registry on February 14, 2007. The recovery strategy included goals and objectives for the species and a description of activities required to meet the goals and objectives. Under section 46 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the competent minister must report on implementation of the recovery strategy and progress towards meeting its objectives within five years after it is included on the public registry and in every subsequent five-year period, until its objectives have been achieved or the species’ recovery is no longer feasible. This document reports on implementation of the Recovery Strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada from 2007 through 2017, and the progress towards meeting its goals and objectives.

Implementation of the recovery strategy and progress towards meeting its objectives

The Recovery Strategy for Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada identified recovery goals to establish three viable and protected Pink Sand-verbena populations across its historic range in Canada, including the extant Clo-oose Bay population. Parks Canada has made substantial progress towards meeting the recovery goals of the strategy.

From 2006 to 2010, a total of 76 coastal sand ecosystem locations along the west coast of Vancouver Island (from Port Renfrew to Nootka Island) were surveyed in search of undiscovered occurrences of Pink Sand-verbena and to assess potential restoration sites for recovery of the species (Blight et al. 2010, Fairbarns 2009). No additional populations of Pink Sand-verbena were discovered (Fairbarns 2011), but 17 sites were rated as medium to high suitability for recovery and were considered as potential restoration sites.

Propagation of Pink Sand-verbena seeds started in 2006 using local seed collected at Clo-oose Bay in 2000 and 2001 (when the species re-appeared after being absent for half a century; Fairbarns 2007). Initial propagation results were challenging with only two of more than 500 seeds germinating. However, these two plants have successfully formed the basis of a plant propagation program, resulting in thousands of seedlings for species recovery efforts.

In 2007, a translocation plan for Pink Sand-verbena was developed (Maslovat 2007) to guide efforts towards meeting recovery goals for the species. Experimental Pink Sand-verbena planting trials were completed at Clo-oose Bay from 2008 to 2010 to determine if species recovery was feasible and to study various aspects of the species’ ecology (e.g., the influence of supplemental fertilization on seedlings, and of ecosystem morphology on population viability, looking at beach versus dune habitats; Fairbarns 2011). These preliminary recovery efforts were successful, but the naturally regenerated Clo-oose Bay population did not reach a size that was likely to be minimally viable (Appendix 1, Figure 2). The low productivity of naturally regenerating plants observed at the site was thought to be primarily due to threats from beach logs and winter storms (on the beach), and a lack of natural sand ecosystem dynamics (in the dune area). After 2010, population recovery efforts at Clo-oose Bay were temporarily put on hold until habitat restoration work could improve the suitability of the dune area for continued population restoration.

In the meantime, restoration work began elsewhere in 2010 to establish an additional two populations to meet the goals of the recovery strategy. Wickaninnish Beach was chosen to replace the historical population at Ahousaht, and Keeha Beach was chosen to replace the historical population at Pachena Bay. However, an exotic invasive species (European Beachgrass, Ammophila arenaria) had colonized and stabilized many naturally dynamic coastal sand ecosystems at these sites over the past century and led to an accelerated succession towards forested ecosystems. This invasive grass and problematic patches of forest vegetation were removed at both locations to restore habitat to more natural conditions before Pink Sand-verbena seeds and seedlings were planted to assess restoration potential. Restoration results at Keeha Beach were not as successful as at Wickaninnish (Appendix 1, Figure 2), so in 2012 Parks Canada redirected restoration efforts for a third Canadian population to Schooner Cove, where removal of invasive grass and vegetation had improved habitat suitability. To date, Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove have shown the best results for growth of wild Pink Sand-verbena plants (Appendix 1, Figure 2). These results may be attributed to the availability of restored sand dune habitats at Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove and to improvements in propagation and translocation methods developed from lessons learned during early efforts at Clo-oose Bay.

In 2015, habitat restoration work commenced at Clo-oose Bay to increase natural coastal sand ecosystem dynamics by removing forest vegetation that was blocking marine influence and sand to the dune area. Following this successful restoration work, Pink Sand-verbena seedlings were once again planted at the site in 2016 and 2017. Results from 2017 appear promising with 60 plants producing over 43,000 seeds. This seed is expected to produce wild individuals for many years to come. Nevertheless, it is not yet clear if results at Clo-oose Bay will be as successful as at Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove.

Future work will include continued population restoration at Clo-oose and analysing population data to determine if minimum viable population sizes have been met at three population locations as per the recovery strategy’s goals (this analysis is scheduled for 2018). Without this analysis, it is currently not possible to conclude whether any of the four sub-populations that have been established should be considered viable over the long term. Nevertheless, results from efforts to date look positive (Appendix 1). The annual number of naturally regenerating plants continues at a high and stable rate, even while the number of greenhouse grown plants translocated has been reduced (Appendix 1, Figure 1). Additionally, the number of naturally regenerating plants across all years at both Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove is more than double the number of greenhouse grown plants translocated. It is hoped that recent habitat restoration efforts at Clo-oose Bay will translate into an increased level of success in the number of naturally regenerating plants in the coming years.

The success achieved in the recovery of Pink Sand-verbena would not have been possible without the dedication of local First Nations and hundreds of volunteers. At Keeha Beach, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation supported and assisted with planting and habitat restoration on their Treaty Settlement lands, which was key to the continued production of naturally regenerated plants that have been seen every year since work at that site began in 2011. The assistance of the Ditidaht First Nation at the remote Clo-oose Bay in 2015 was instrumental in the restoration and maintenance of the habitat restored for Pink Sand-verbena. This restoration work has resulted in an increased production of naturally regenerated plants from plantings in 2016 and 2017. Crucial support has also been received from the Tla-o-qui-aht and Yuuthlu-ilth-ath First Nations that have assisted with restoration, plantings and surveys at the highly successful Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove sites. Volunteers have also been important to Parks Canada’s success, with 1000’s of hours of effort contributed to foster public awareness of Pink Sand-verbena and restore its habitat.

Outreach and interpretive programs have been established and promoted to park visitors and wider Canadian audiences through a permanent display in the park reserve’s visitor centre, interpretive programs and special events, web site content, social media campaigns, brochures, a smart phone app, documentary videos and several print and television media stories. In addition, a partnership with the University of Victoria resulted in eight peer reviewed journal articles and two post graduate theses on the geomorphology of these habitats that continue to inform ecological restoration for Pink Sand-verbena (e.g., Darke et al. 2013, Eamer et al. 2013).

Initiatives to protect Pink Sand-verbena and its critical habitat at Clo-oose Bay include area closures to intensive hiking and camping, interpretive signage and a program (established in 2007) to educate West Coast Trail hikers on Pink Sand-verbena and its need for protection.

In 2017, Parks Canada completed a Multi-species Action Plan for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada. The plan took a holistic approach, incorporating all species at risk in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve that required an action plan under s.49 of SARA, plus additional species of conservation concern. Actions that are beneficial to multiple species at risk were identified and prioritized, to maximize the effectiveness of species at risk recovery efforts in the park reserve.

Literature associated with implementation of the recovery strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada

The following list presents a selection of reports and papers have been completed during implementation of the Recovery Strategy for the Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada.

Blight LK, M Fairbarns, N Page, P Shepherd, and RG Vennesland. 2010. Conservation Strategies for a Disappearing Plant: Pink Sand-verbena, Abronia umbellata, Reintroduction on the West Coast of Canada. In: S. Bondrup-Nielsen et al. (Eds). Ecosystem Based Management: Beyond Boundaries. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference of Science and the Management of Protected Areas.

Darke IB, Eamer JBR., Beaugrand HER, Walker IJ. 2013. Monitoring considerations for a dynamic dune restoration project: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia, Canada. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.3380

Eamer JBR, Darke IB, Walker IJ. 2013. Geomorphic and sediment volume responses of a coastal dune complex following invasive vegetation removal

Fairbarns, M. 2007. Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) - 2006-7 Recovery Activities. Unpublished report to the Parks Canada Agency, Vancouver, BC.

Fairbarns, M. 2009. Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) - 2008-9 Recovery Activities. Unpublished report to the Parks Canada Agency, Vancouver, BC.

Fairbarns, M. 2011. Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) - Summary and Synthesis of Recovery Activities. Unpublished report to the Parks Canada Agency, Vancouver, BC.

Maslovat, C. 2007. Translocation Plan for Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) in Canada. Unpublished report to the Parks Canada Agency, Vancouver, BC.

Appendix 1: Pink Sand-verbena population restoration summaries

The figures included below show summaries of restoration success across years (2008 to 2017; Figure 1) and between locations (Clo-oose Bay, Keeha Beach, Wickaninnish Beach and Schooner Cove; Figure 2).

Figure 1. Time series of recovery efforts for all population locations restored by Parks Canada combined. Shown are the number of greenhouse grown plants translocated (hatched bars), and the number of naturally regenerated plants that resulted from the translocated plants (solid bars) since population restoration efforts began in 2008. The success of the program is demonstrated by the continuing stable production of natural plants as the number of translocated plants has declined from 2015 to 2017.