2023 SAR Speaker Series 4 Presentation

· Islands Trust Area · Miscellaneous · 2023

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Topics: Marine & foreshore · Aquaculture & shellfish · First Nations & reconciliation · Climate & environment — our classification, not the Trust's.

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9
Monitoring and Restoration of Rare Ecosystems
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Sibylla Helms and Aimee Pelletier

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Outline
• Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
• Ecological Integrity (EI) monitoring 
framework
• What we are seeing
• EI monitoring and Active Management
• Case study: coastal sands and species at 
risk

11
Gulf Islands National 
Park Reserve
• 15 Islands and numerous 
islets
• 34 km
2  
land base
• 26 km
2
marine area
• Fragmented
• Surrounded by urban areas 
• Protection
• History of human use

12
What is Ecological Integrity (EI)?
Defined as:
"...a condition that is determined to be characteristic of its 
natural region and likely to persist, including abiotic
components and the composition and abundance of 
native species and biological communities, rates of 
change and supporting processes.”
Iain Reid

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The primary objectives are to understand:
• The state of ecological integrity
• How it is changing over time
• How management activities affect 
ecological integrity
Ecological Integrity Monitoring

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Issues That Could Threaten EI Values
• Hyperabundant browsers 
• Hyperabundant geese
• Invasive plants
• Altered/reduced fire regimes 
• Legacy of land modification 
• Fragmentation & adjacent land use
• Pollution/ nutrients/ turbidity 
• Boats 
• Climate change!

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Indicator Ecosystems
Coastal\Marine
Forest
Freshwater
Measures
Eelgrass
Bivalves (clams)
Coastal Processes
Black Oystercatchers
Invasive Plants – islets
Coastal Sands Vegetation
Songbirds
Garry Oak Encroachment
Deer
Landscape Diversity
Salmonids
Amphibians
Water Quality
Water Quantity
Invasive plants

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Indicator Ecosystem: Coastal/Marine
Measure: Black Oystercatchers

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Measure: Invasive Plants on 
Islets
Small protected 
islets have high 
ecological value 
• Rare species
• High plant 
diversity 
• Garry oak 
ecosystems

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Indicator Ecosystem: Forest
Measure: Songbirds

19
I
ndicator Ecosystem: Freshwater
Measure: Water Quality
Average N:P ratio and Total Phosphorus

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American Bullfrog (non-native)
Pacific TreefrogRed-legged Frog
Rough-skinned NewtLong-toed Salamander
Measure: Amphibians

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What is the condition of our measures?
GoodFairPoorIn 
Development
Eelgrass fishBlack 
Oystercatchers
Eelgrass Health   Coastal Erosion
Water quality    SongbirdsCSE Vegetation   Garry Oak 
Encroachment
Invasive Plants 
(islets)
SalmonidsBivalves (clams)  Forest 
Understory 
Health
DeerFreshwater 
invasive plants
Amphibians

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Active Management
• Hyperabundant deer populations and 
forest health – Sidney Island
• Sea Gardens – ecocultural restoration
• Coastal Sands Ecosystems – Sidney 
Island
• Garry Oak – associated ecosystems on 
islets

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• Parks Canada’s national funding program which 
provides short-term (1-5 years) resources for 
national parks, national historic sites and national 
marine conservation areas to undertake:
• restoration actions to improve the status or 
trend of an ecosystem that is in poor or fair 
condition
OR
• recovery actions identified i

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