Management Plan for Coastal Wood Fern in Canada [Final] 2011: Appendix 2

As provided by the Government of British Columbia

Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team. 2010. Management Plan for the coastal wood fern (Dryopteris arguta) in British Columbia. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 23 pp.

Management Plan for the coastal wood fern
(Dryopteris arguta) in British Columbia

Prepared by the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team's
Plants at Risk Recovery Implementation Group
October 2010

October 2010

This series presents the management plans that are prepared as advice to the province of British Columbia. The Province prepares management plans for species' that may be at risk of becoming endangered or threatened due to sensitivity to human activities or natural events.

A management plan identifies a set of coordinated conservation activities and land use measures needed to ensure, at a minimum, that target species' do not become threatened or endangered. A management plan outlines what is and what is not known about a species or ecosystem, identifies threats to the species or ecosystem, and what should be done to mitigate those threats. Management plans set goals and objectives, and recommend approaches appropriate for species or ecosystem conservation.

Direction set in the management plan provides valuable information on threats to the species and their conservation needs that may be used by individuals, communities, land users, conservationists, academics, and governments interested in implementing species conservation.

To learn more about species at risk recovery planning in British Columbia, please visit the Ministry of Environment Recovery Planning webpage.

Management Plan for the coastal wood fern
(Dryopteris arguta) in British Columbia

Prepared by the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team's
Plants at Risk Recovery Implementation Group

October 2010

Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team. 2010. Management Plan for the coastal wood fern (Dryopteris arguta) in British Columbia. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 23 pp.

C. Maslovat and P. Williston

Additional copies can be downloaded from the B.C. Ministry of Environment Recovery Planning webpage.

ISBN: 978-0-7726-6350-4

Content (excluding illustrations) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the source.

This management plan has been prepared by the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team's Plants at Risk Recovery Implementation Group, as advice to the responsible jurisdictions and organizations that may be involved in managing the species.

This document identifies the management actions that are deemed necessary, based on the best available scientific and traditional information, to prevent coastal wood fern populations in British Columbia from becoming endangered or threatened. Management actions to achieve the goals and objectives identified herein are subject to the priorities and budgetary constraints of participatory agencies and organizations. These goals, objectives, and recovery approaches may be modified in the future to accommodate new objectives and findings.

The responsible jurisdictions and all members of the recovery team have had an opportunity to review this document. However, this document does not necessarily represent the official positions of the agencies or the personal views of all individuals on the recovery team.

Success in the conservation of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that may be involved in implementing the directions set out in this management plan. The Ministry of Environment encourages all British Columbians to participate in the conservation of coastal wood fern.

Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team's Plants at Risk Recovery Implementation Group
Brenda Costanzo (co-chair), B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC
Tracy Cornforth, Department of National Defence (DND), Victoria, B.C.
Todd Kohler, Consultant, Surrey, B.C.
Carrina Maslovat, Consultant, Saltspring Island, B.C.
James Miskelly, Consultant, Victoria, B.C.
Matt Fairbarns (co-chair), Aruncus Consulting, Victoria, B.C.
Todd Kohler, Consultant, Surrey, B.C.
Terry McIntosh, Biospherics Environmental Inc., Vancouver, B.C.
Mike Miller, Consultant, Vernon, B.C.
Brian Reader, Parks Canada, Pacific-Yukon Region, Victoria, B.C.
Arthur Robinson, DND, Victoria, B.C.
Simone Runyan, Consultant, Vernon, B.C.
Andrea Schiller, DND, Victoria, B.C.
Shyanne Smith, Program Manager, GOERT, Victoria, B.C.

Former recovery team members
Tracy Fleming, Consultant, Duncan, B.C.
Heidi Guest, Consultant, Victoria, B.C.
Ted Lea (retired), Vegetation Consultant, Victoria, B.C.
Erica J. Wheeler, Consultant, Victoria, B.C.

The British Columbia Ministry of Environment is responsible for preparing a management plan for coastal wood fern in British Columbia. Parks Canada Agency and Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service also participated in the preparation of this management plan.

We thank Carrina Maslovat for her expertise in developing the first draft of this management plan. Many thanks to Jenifer Penny, Marta Donovan, and Katrina Stipec of the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre for technical support, and for providing element occurrence data and base maps. Thanks to Adolf Ceska, Matt Fairbarns, Hans Roemer, and Patrick Williston who provided field-based information about specific populations. Many thanks to Richard and Elaine Martin, Tony Law, Jenny Balke, and to Mae Pagdin, Ann Zielinski, Pam Gordon of the Heron Rocks Friendship Centre for their assistance with fieldwork. Thanks to Tracy Cornforth, Matt Fairbarns, Tracy Fleming, and Terry McIntosh of the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team's Plants at Risk Recovery Implementation Group for providing review comments on an earlier draft of this document. Ted Lea and Brenda Costanzo were invaluable for providing background information, facilitating this project, providing support for associated fieldwork, and providing review comments.

The coastal wood fern (Dryopteris arguta) is an evergreen fern that occurs from southern British Columbia south to California. In Canada, the species occurs on southeastern Vancouver Island and several adjacent northern Gulf Islands. The total population size is estimated at more than 7500 plants covering an area of occupancy of 1.9 ha. There are records of 13 populations (including one unconfirmed at Mount Finlayson in Goldstream Provincial Park), nine of which occur, at least partially, on private land. The species was designated as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2001 and added to the federalSpecies at Risk Act Schedule 1 in 2004. In British Columbia, the coastal wood fern is ranked S2S3 (imperiled to special concern, vulnerable to extirpation or extinction) by the Conservation Data Centre and is on the provincial Blue list. The Conservation Framework has assigned coastal wood fern a conservation priority 2, the second highest priority rank under Goal 3: Maintain the diversity of native species and ecosystems.

The coastal wood fern grows under open forest canopies of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Garry oak(Quercus garryana), and/or arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), and on rocky coastal bluffs and outcrops. Most populations occur on steep slopes, with moderate to very dry, rapidly drained soils.

The coastal wood fern faces threats that result in habitat loss or degradation including residential development, recreational activities, and invasive alien plants. A potential threat includes climate change and severe weather in the form of winter windstorms and the potential resulting erosion or sun and wind exposure. As well, sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), a fungus, is considered to be a potential threat.

The long-term management goal is to maintain all known populations at no less than their current size and to maintain the species' current distribution and area of occupancy in British Columbia.

The management objectives for the coastal wood fern are as follows:

1. To establish habitat protection for all known populations.
2. To assess the extent of the main threats (housing development/habitat conversion, recreational activities, and invasive alien plants) to the populations.
3. To clarify the distribution of the coastal wood fern in British Columbia.
4. To increase public awareness of the existence and conservation value of the coastal wood fern in areas with suitable habitat.
5. To address knowledge gaps that prevent effective management of coastal wood fern (e.g., determine population trends, extent of occurrence, habitat attributes, type of reproduction, dispersal capabilities, genetic composition, significance of threats and natural disturbance) to ensure that populations remain at self-sustaining levels.

These objectives may be met through a combination of initiatives such as habitat protection, appropriate stewardship activities to minimize threats, research to address key knowledge gaps, inventory and monitoring of known populations, inventory to determine if there are undocumented populations, and outreach and communication.

• 1. COSEWIC Species Assessments Information
• 2. Species Status Information
• 3. species Information
  • 3.1 Species Description
  • 3.2 Populations and Distribution
  • 3.3 Needs of the coastal wood fern
    • 3.3.1. Habitat and biological needs
    • 3.3.2. Limiting Factors
• 4. Threats
  • 4.1 Threat Assessment
  • 4.2 Description of the threats
• 5. Management goal and objectives
  • 5.1 Management Goal
  • 5.2 Rationale for the Management Goal
  • 5.3 Management Objectives
• 6. Approaches to Meet Objectives
  • 6.1 Actions Already Completed or Underway
  • 6.2 Knowledge Gaps
  • 6.3 Recommended Management Actions
  • 6.4 Narrative to Support Management Actions Table
    • 6.4.1. Habitat protection
    • 6.4.2. Threat mitigation
    • 6.4.3. Inventory, monitoring, and assessment
    • 6.4.4. Outreach and communication
    • 6.4.5. Research
• 7. Performance Measures
  • 7.1.1. Habitat protection
  • 7.1.2. Threat mitigation
  • 7.1.3. Inventory, monitoring, and assessment
  • 7.1.4. Outreach and communication
  • 7.1.5. Research
• 8. Effects on Other Species
• 9. Recommended Approach for Implementation
• 10. References

Date of Assessment: November 2001 (no change)
Common Name: coastal wood fern
Scientific Name: Dryopteris arguta
COSEWIC Status: Special Concern
Reason for Designation: A Pacific North American species reaching its northern limit on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia where it occurs as a series of small populations within rugged coastal forest habitat.
Canadian Occurrence: British Columbia
Status History: Designated Special Concern in April 1998. Status reexamined and confirmed in November 2001. Last assessment based on existing status report.