Thursday, November 28, 2013

June, 2013 Plant hunt summary

The month of June catalogued a total of 3053 records for the database, with Ashleigh Cleary as one of our newest contributors.  We are grateful that Ashleigh added new records for Ottawa-Carlton, including a new species for the database - Marsh dandelion (Taraxacum palustre).  Eleven counties and regions were surveyed by 3 contributors; Brian Popelier of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC), Dave Jolly of EARTHQUEST and Ashleigh.  Brian added 272 records for Bruce, Grey, Halton and Hamilton counties, Ashleigh submitted 10 records for Ottawa-Carlton and Dave contributed 2771 records for Brant, Elgin, Halton, Hamilton, Oxford, Norfolk, Middlesex and Waterloo counties.

Ten new records for the database were found by June's contributors; Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), Common flax (Linum usitatissimum), Candle lantern sedge (Carex limosa), Marsh dandelion (Taraxacum palustre), Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbum), Sage leaved willow (Salix candida), Starved sedge (Carex exilis), Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis), Tufted club rush (Scirpus cespitosus), Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana).  Of these, C. ovalis was the rarest, with a provincial rank of S3.  This was a plant Dave was specifically searching for in 2013.  Dave gave the differentiation between C. ovalis and another confusing look-a-like provincially rare S3 ranked tree species called Red or Pignut hickory in the May, 2013 Plant hunt summary.  L. usitatissimum was also observed as a new plant record for Bruce county by Brian on June 10, 2013, but is introduced to Ontario.  Dave observed it along a road in Waterloo county on June 12, 2013 as well as adjacent to a parking lot in Waterloo on June 18 and 21, 2013.

A visit to wetlands by Brian revealed a number of new wetland plant species for the Bruce peninsula; S. candida and S. cespitosus in Grey county C. exilis, C. limosa and A. glaucophylla in Bruce county. These records will be compiled with all others collected by Brian and 56 contributors of the master EARTHQUEST plant database to develop a master plant species list for the Bruce Trail and BTC properties.  Additionally, we hope to use them in an upcoming publication on all vascular plants of the Bruce Trail.  We look forward to working with the BTC on this project.

Only 369 species of vascular plants were found in June.  The all time record of 433 species for the month of June was set in 2011, possibly due to the early spring experienced in April and May, 2011.  

Twelve provincially and federally listed Species at Risk (Endangered, threatened, vulnerable, special concern) and provincially rare (S1 - S3 ranked) plants were observed in June; American chesnut (Castanea dentata); END/S3, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius); END/END/S2, Butternut (Juglans cinerea); END/END/S3?, Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum); S2, Green milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora); S3, Hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens); S3, Honey locust (Gleditsia tricanthos); S2, Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus); THR/THR/S2, Red or Pignut hickory (Carya glabra); S3, Round leaved ragwort (Senecio obovatus); S3, Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis); S3 and Wild or Sundial lupine (Lupulinus perennis); S3

A visit to a Conservation Area in Waterloo county between June 11 and 18, 2013 revealed 43 records for the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), including 34 records of provincially rare - S2 ranked G. tricanthos found along a fence line.  These records likely represented planted individuals used to form a wind break between the adjacent road and the Conservation Area.

The database now contains 95 402 records.  It is anticipated that the land mark record of 100 000 records will be reached once we complete data entry for the next two months; July and August.  

Dave's BTC fund raising goal of finding a total of 850 species of plants for the 2013 field season is becoming a reality.  As of June, he now has 592 species compiled.  If you wish to sponsor him - with all proceeds donated to the BTC for conservation efforts please contact him at; earthquestcanada@yahoo.com by December 15th, 2013.

To view the month of June monthly summary please go to the following link;

http://earthquestcanada.ca/June2013summary.pdf


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

October, 2013 Plant hunt summary

October was another record breaking month, breaking the all time record with a total of 193 species observed, surpassing the old record of 188 set in October, 2010.  A big thanks to Kim Palonen, who ventured to Misery Bay on Manitoulin Island at the end of the month to help attain the land mark record.

Three observers added 4 new records for the database; a trip to Ottawa by Dave Jolly contributed a new hybrid goldenrod Canada x Tall goldenrod (Solidago canadensis x gigantea) and Macouni's everlasting (Gnalphalium macounii), Kim discovered Creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) in Halton region, and Brian Popelier of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) found Naked miterwort (Mitella nuda) in Halton region.

A total of 22 counties were surveyed by all surveyors; Brant, Bruce, Elgin, Durham, Frontenac, Grey, Halton, Hamilton, Hastings, Leeds and Renfrew, Lennox and Addington, Manitoulin, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Ottawa-Carlton, Oxford, Peel, Peterborough, Waterloo, Wellington, and York.  The most new records were found in Ottawa-Carlton (47), largely due to a lack of survey effort, or people available to investigate that region.  Additionally, Dave Jolly observed Azure aster (Aster oolentangiensis) which is likely a new record, but yet to be confirmed, for the Ottawa region according to the 2005 master plant list compiled by the prominent and respected Botanist Dan Brunton.

The flowering date for Witch hazel (Hammelis virginiana) was finally obtained in Durham region, where this shrub is locally rare.  Witch hazel was first observed at a site in Durham region in the spring of 2011.  A search for provincially rare Yellow bartonia (Bartonica virginica); S2 in Norfolk county revealed an exciting discovery on October 12, 2013.  Kim and Dave uncovered a substantial natural population of provincially rare Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus); S3, with over 20 plants observed.  A site visit in May, 2014 will make this a new flowering date record for Norfolk county.

Dave is currently at 401 total species for the 2013 field season - raising funds and awareness for conservation projects on behalf of the BTC, so I am almost half way to my goal of reaching a total of 850 species.  A special thanks to Tanya Forde, who participated in an EARTHQUEST Bruce Trail expedition in 2000 to collect data for the Bruce Trail flora and fauna book published in 2004, for donating funds to our cause!  There is still time for the rest of you to donate.  We'll be accepting donations until December 15th, 2013 - so why not make it a generous gift for Christmas.

Thank you to all contributors for making October a fantastic month.

To download the monthly summary please go to;

http://earthquestcanada.ca/October2013summary.pdf