Restoration Planning and Development of a Restoration Bank Black Creek Pioneer Village, South Theatre 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Habitat Restoration and Environmental Monitoring Projects Section Restoration Services Division
Restoration Science A Young Discipline Strategic or Opportunistic Reforestation / Forest Management Wetland Restoration Remedial Action Plans Coastal Marsh Restoration Environmental Farm Plans Oak Ridge Moraine Source Water Protection Species at Risk 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Natural Heritage Plan
Restoration Goals & Objectives Natural Heritage Goals & Objectives Goal: Protect and restore ecosystem function and resilience to benefit ecological goods and services.
Definitions Restoring Ecosystem Function: re-establishing the building blocks of a healthy natural system to facilitate sustainable natural succession. A healthy natural system relies on functional hydrology and landform processes, as well as vegetative cover. Restoration involves reversing human alterations on the landscape, fixing impairments that are negatively impacting natural processes. Ecological restoration should provide the means to improve function to maximizing ecological goods and services, and promote biodiversity, and resilience.
Objectives: Restoration Objectives 1. Restore natural hydrologic processes and aquatic systems by reversing, repairing or mitigating alterations and impairments 2. Restore and/or increase natural cover (wetland, riparian, forest, and meadow) 3. Enhance landforms and restore soil and soil processes to promote self-sustaining natural communities 4. Restore critical habitat for target species
Restoration Objectives 1. Hydrology restoring natural hydrologic function by reversing, repairing, or mitigating alterations and impairments Improving water quality (nutrients, sediment, temperature) Groundwater recharge/ discharge Hydro-Period (flood risk mitigation) Erosion control and repair Re-establish proper thermal regime Restoring headwater features 2. Natural Cover Restore and increase natural cover on the landscape Establish building blocks for natural succession (biotic and abiotic features) Connectivity terrestrial and aquatic linkages and corridors Promote primary productivity Provide means to maximize biodiversity Achieve targets set in management plans and TNHS Early successional communities
Restoration Goals & Objectives 3. Landform restore natural landform and soil processes to promote selfsustaining and properly functioning communities Headwater Drainage features Restoring landscape alterations to natural state Landscape permeability/moisture regime Substrate nature, and composition 4. Species restore critical habitat for target species in order to support a properly functioning wildlife community Essential habitat features or structures Species at Risk Restore limiting habitat Wildlife management Invasive species management
Definitions Ecological Goods and Services are defined as the benefits arising from a functioning healthy ecosystem, which includes improved water quality and quantity, air quality, soil stabilization, balanced hydrologic regimes, and essential wildlife habitat.
Evolution of Restoration Planning: Timeline 1997: Potential Sites of the Small Scale Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project 2000: Claireville Natural Area Enhancement Plan 2003: Habitat Implementation Plan Process (Etob-Mim, Humber, Duffins, Don, Highland) 2008: Restoration Opportunities Plan Process (Duffins, Humber, Etob-Mim, Rouge) 2010: Federal Pickering Green Space Lands - Habitat Implementation Plan 2011: Brocklands Restoration Plan 2012: Integrated Restoration Prioritization
Habitat Implementation Planning (HIP) Initiated in 2003 by TRCA Strategically implements and catalogues restoration projects HIP assessments have been completed on publicly owned property (primarily TRCA owned) for: Etobicoke Mimico Creek Watersheds (2004) Humber River Watershed (2005) Duffins Carruthers Creek Watersheds (2006) Waterfront Terrestrial (2006) Don River Watershed (2007) Highland Creek Watershed (2010) High priority projects have been implemented each year following the completed plan document
Typical Habitat Implementation Plan Wetlands Meadows Reforestation Riparian Essential habitats
ROP Field Assessments
Restoration Opportunity Plans (ROP) TRCA s process to identify and prioritize restoration opportunities on the landscape at a watershead basis. Uses a desktop Eco-hydrological approach to classifying landscapes. Utilizes GIS, drainage lines and catchment boundaries to target historic headwater drainage features low order streams ROP data collected in the field by trained technicians to prioritize individual sites ROPS have been completed for: Duffins Creek Watershed Humber Creek Watershed Etobicoke Mimico Watershed Portions of the Rouge Watershed
There are many restoration opportunities Where Do You Start!
Integrated Restoration Prioritization Transport Canada Lands Case Study
Priority Catchments for Reforestation
Priority Catchments for Riparian Planting
Priority Catchments for Wetland Restoration
Priority Ecological Value Restoration
Fisheries Priorities
Restoration Priority Zones Zones
Restoration Priority Zones Zones 1
4.6km of stream reconnected 3 Online Ponds removed 325m stream channel in-stream habitat 6ha of riparian habitat 2ha of wetland restoration
What About the Monitoring? Could We Actually Measure Change?