Bird's-foot violet (Viola pedata) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

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Limiting Factors and Threats

The main limiting factor appears to be lack of suitable habitat. The violet occurs in one of the most developed parts of the country. The oak savannah required by the species may never have been that common and now is considered provincially rare (Bakowsky, 1996).

The Turkey Point populations are reasonably-well protected since they occur in a provincial park. Management will be required to maintain the forest openings required by the species. The park has conducted prescribed burns in order to maintain the numerous rare species there that require open conditions, however, there has been dense regeneration in some portions of these burns due to the severity of the fire. This regeneration could eliminate some violet subpopulations. The main subpopulations of bird’s-foot violet along a hydro right-of-way and adjacent to a picnic area are threatened by invading shrubs and young trees--including the alien Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Lawn mowing is damaging some violets at the edge of the nearby picnic area.

The Brantford sites occur on private property that could be further developed (Kavanagh et al., 1990). The present landowners are uninterested in management to maintain the species (M. Thompson pers. com., 2001). This site will probably disappear. The St. Williams Forest Station site occurs on public land but bird’s-foot violet may decline there unless management is undertaken to maintain some of the open savannah habitat that is now present now only as small, scattered forest openings. The Forestville site consists of a single plant in a small opening next to a trail on private property. This site will probably disappear. The Vittoria site occurs in a small forest opening between the crest of an eroding, sandy roadside embankment and encroaching trees and shrubs. This site will probably disappear.