York University
OP-10: Biodiversity

The City of Toronto Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law, Municipal Code Chapter 658, was amended by the City in May 2008 to include woodlands in addition to ravines. York University has four woodlots on campus which are subject to the requirements of the By-law as they are located within the ravine and natural heritage protection area. These woodlots provide habitat for plants and wildlife, provide opportunities for scientific research and passive recreation, maintain the hydrological regime and offer visual appeal.

1. One fauna species recorded by LGL within the Danby Woodlot, Monarch Butterfly, is listed as Special Concern under the provincial Endangered Species Act, 2007 and under the federal Species at Risk Act. It has a provincial rank of S2 (Imperiled) 2. One plant species, dense blazing star (Liatris spicata), is listed as Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO)/MNR and it has a provincial rank of S3 (vulnerable). This species, which is believed to have been planted, was recorded within the cultural meadow community of the Boynton Woodlot Management Plant.

1. Emerald Ash Borer was identified at the Keele campus and, as a result, a program was initiated to assess and rate every Ash tree on campus. The inventory, completed in Spring 2013, included a rating of all the trees, and those that can be saved have been earmarked for a multi-year treatment aimed at reversing the devastation posed by the insect infestation.

2. Migratory birds (Canada Goose) have been identified on campus.
A full list of wildlife and species at risk that have been identified can be found in the woodlots can be found in the woodlot Management Plans found here: http://yudc.ca/masterplan/TechnicalReports.html

3. The four woodlots on campus are under stress from intensive use, interruptions to the hydrological regime and take over by exotic and invasive species. Management Plans (each dated 2013 and issued under separate cover) have been prepared for Boynton, Danby, Osgoode and Boyer woodlots to identify measures required to maintain, enhance and restore the ecological integrity of each area. They have each gone through ecological assessments that included floristic assessments, habitat quality, ecological stressors and soil sampling. See (http://www.yudc.ca/masterplan/TechnicalReports.html for full details on the woodlot management plans.

Three season field investigations for vegetation and wildlife were conducted in each of the four woodlots. Existing vegetation communities within and immediately adjacent to the Woodlot were examined to determine how the land could be restored and managed to improve the habitat. The Ecological Land Classification (ELC) for Southern Ontario field sampling methods and data cards were used as a template to create more extensive restoration field sheets. Necessary data was collected to describe and classify the vegetation community type, assess the soils, the plant composition, linkages and disturbance regimes according to the ELC.

The assessments were completed for each of the four core woodlots on the York University campus and the study areas are defined in the respective management plans (http://www.yudc.ca/masterplan/TechnicalReports.html).

Detailed plans to address the current ecological stressors facing the woodlots can be found in the Technical Reports here: http://yudc.ca/masterplan/TechnicalReports.html . In order to address the current ecological stressors facing each of the woodlots, management techniques were recommended to improve the habitat. Examples of some recommended techniques are as follows:
1. Woody Plant Control – To remove unwanted invasive woody vegetation, focusing on common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) as well as control of sweet cherry (Prunus avium), Tartarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), common privet (Ligustrum vulgare), hybrid willow (Salix x sepulcralis) and common pear (Pyrus communis) if their abundance becomes greater;

2. Invasive Species Control - Herbicide application to remove invasive plant species that outcompete native plants, focusing on garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), periwinkle (Vinca minor) and dog strangling vine (Cynanchum rossicum) as well as control of dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis), wood avens (Geum urbanum) if their abundance becomes more pronounced;

3. Edge Management – Planting of native trees and shrubs along the western edge of the Boyer Woodlot to help reduce the edge effects from the Pan American Games Track and Field Stadium development;

4. Fragmentation – Creating a 50 m wide corridor between Boynton and Danby Woodlots should help reduce the Boynton genetic isolation and provide a better connection to other natural areas;

5. Lack of Brush and Vegetation in Vernal Pools – To remedy the lack of woody brush present within the vernal pools; fallen trees and shrubs from within the woodlot should be placed into the vernal pools to provide additional amphibian egg laying sites. Additionally hydrophytic forbs and graminoid plugs and potted stock should be grown and planted within the vernal pool to increase the native plant composition; enhance the structure and function for wildlife usage.