Showy Goldenrod (Boreal population)

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population (Solidago speciosa) in Ontario from 2007 to 2020. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) – Boreal population is listed as threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.

The population was discovered in 2005 and was initially referred to as Showy Goldenrod, a species previously found on Walpole Island in southern Ontario and classified as endangered in Ontario in 2004. In 2010, the Boreal population was recognized as a separate species under the Act from the southern population, and was assessed as such. Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population was listed as a threatened species under the ESA on June 8, 2011.

The species-specific policy for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS) was published in 2015 and includes the government’s recovery goal for the species and the actions and priorities it intends to lead or support to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy, when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of this Review is to report on progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.

Further information about Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population, including the threats that it faces and actions being taken to help protect and recover this species, is available on the Government of Ontario website for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2020 Review of Progress report) is available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.

Snapshot: Progress toward the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population

This snapshot provides an overview of the progress made towards the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population in Ontario. Additional information on each of these topics can be found in the full report text.

Progress towards meeting the recovery goal

• The recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population in Ontario is to maintain the existing abundance and distribution of Showy Goldenrod in Ontario.
• Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-led actions. Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions. Examples of progress include:
  • continued monitoring of the population to document its’ persistence over time
  • surveys of potential habitat areas to determine if there are additional unidentified populations
  • efforts to characterize habitats where this species is found and those where it was not located
• In alignment with the GRS, greater efforts may need to be implemented to develop a standardized monitoring approach for this species, and to improve outreach intended to educate the public about potential impacts to this population from all-terrain vehicles and trampling.

Occurrences and distribution

• One population of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population has been documented in northern Ontario. This population continues to be considered extant, and ongoing survey efforts have confirmed its persistence in this area.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to carry out one project that supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population.

Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress toward reaching the desired objectives and the recovery goal set out in the GRS.

Progress towards implementing government-led actions

Progress has been made towards implementing all government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works toward achieving a species’ recovery goal include:

• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
• Encourage the submission of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population data to Ontario’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
• Protect the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and its habitat through the ESA.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Aboriginal communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
• Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.

Additionally, the government has directly undertaken the following species-specific actions:

• Continue to conduct surveys for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population in areas that are considered to be suitable habitat.

The Government of Ontario has repeatedly revisited the site where Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is known to occur including the immediately surrounding area where potential habitat is found. This has been completed as part of targeted surveys and as incidental observations during field work activities.

Key progress made towards implementing these actions is described in the following sections.

Occurrences and distribution

One population ^{footnote 1[1]} of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population has been documented in Ontario. It is considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years), and is located in northwest Ontario on Dufresne Island.

Since 2008, the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre has received five observation records of the species. These records are based on observations between 2009 and 2018 and come from a variety of sources. Records submitted have provided information on the size and extent of the population and additional information on the species’ habitat.

Targeted survey and inventory efforts by the Government of Ontario have provided details on the number of individual plants that comprise the population over multiple years, and the characteristics of the habitats in which it is found. As the known population of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is restricted to one location in northern Ontario, it was possible for surveys to be carried out that encompassed the whole of the population and included surrounding habitat areas to determine if new populations could be found. Reports from targeted survey efforts combined with incidental observations submitted to NHIC suggest that the population has not drastically expanded or contracted, although no definitive assessment of the population trends has been completed.

It is possible that there are observations of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval to submit observations of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population, and any other species at risk observed, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations.

• 5
  observations of this species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported one project designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. This project focused on multiple species at risk, including Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and involved surveying unexamined habitat areas in northern Ontario with a high probability of containing plant species at risk. The purpose of this project was to determine if previously undocumented populations of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and other at-risk plant species could be located to increase understanding of the distribution and habitat needs of these species. No additional populations were identified.

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  1

  projects included Showy Goldenrod - Boreal population

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

To date, no permits have been provided for this species, and there have been no registrations for conditional exemptions for this species.

Progress towards implementing government-supported actions

Government-supported actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving both of the government-supported recovery objectives and implementing all of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population.

Under this objective, initial progress has been made toward implementing all three actions.

Initial progress on all three actions has been implemented through monitoring observations reported to and verified by the NHIC. Progress has also been initiated on the second and third actions through a project supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program that sought to identify new populations of the species and examine potential habitats to determine what characteristics promoted the presence of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. No additional populations were located.

Under this objective, initial progress has been made towards implementing the identified action. Efforts have been made to increase landowner awareness of the potential threats to the species from trampling and all-terrain vehicles through the Ontario.ca website material on the species, and through publications by non-profit organizations.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

The recovery goal for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is to maintain the existing abundance and distribution of Showy Goldenrod in Ontario. Effort made toward the government-led and government-supported actions has helped to make progress toward this goal. For example, continued monitoring efforts at the site have shown that the population continues to persist in the location where it has been identified, with large numbers of plants documented in recent years.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed, to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

Although initial progress has been made towards the action to design and implement a long-term population and habitat monitoring protocol, further work is required to fully implement this action. Monitoring has been completed multiple times where the population occurs and in nearby suitable habitat, but a specific protocol outlining the best methods for assessing and documenting the habitat in which this species is found remains a high priority need for this species.

Additional work is also needed to continue investigating long and short-term changes in the size, age, and composition of the population and the factors that affect these changes (population dynamics). Visits to the site have improved available information on the population size, but continued monitoring over the long-term is needed to better understand the population dynamics of this species.

Relative to actions that have received a stronger initial level of support, the following actions have received less implementation, and may be considered in future work towards the protection and recovery of the species:

• Action No. 3 – Investigate knowledge gaps relating to the species’ habitat requirements, pollination and reproduction, and demographics to better understand the factors that allow the species to persist in northern Ontario.
• Action No. 4 – Increase awareness about Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and its protection under the ESA among nearby landowners and key stakeholders. Education and outreach efforts may include distributing information and installing signage to minimize the risk of trampling by use of all-terrain vehicles, trails, and boat landings.

Protecting and recovering Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government will continue to advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made toward protecting and recovering Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population in Ontario.