Deerberry

Species description

Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum) is a colonial shrub in the genus Vaccinium, which includes blueberries and cranberries. It rarely grows over one metre tall. Deerberry has leaves that alternate on the stem and are oval-shaped with smooth edges. Young twigs have very small hairs, but develop a papery bark as the plants age. In early summer, clusters of pendant, white flowers bloom on long slender stalks. The fruit is a greenish-blue berry.

In Canada, Deerberry occurs naturally in a small number of populations located in the Niagara and Thousand Islands regions in Ontario. Deerberry can grow well in a variety of habitat types and soils. The species grows in vegetation types that are usually associated with past fires and are in an intermediate successional stage. A map of the provincial distribution of Deerberry is available on the Government of Ontario’s species at risk website.

Deerberry faces several threats to its survival and recovery, including lack of available habitat due to fire suppression and natural succession (which help to maintain the habitat conditions that the species requires), trampling, erosion and soil slumping, browsing and invasive species (which outcompete and displace many native species). Additionally, urbanization of suitable recovery habitat is also considered a threat to the species. Pathogens are a threat for related shrubs such as blueberries, but it is unknown if, and to what extent, pathogens may affect Deerberry.

The survival and recovery of Deerberry is influenced by other factors as well. Deerberry has low reproductive success and it is suspected that members of this species may require a favourable sequence of weather to produce seedlings. Furthermore, Deerberry may also require suitable germination conditions that include the presence of a particular fungus to colonize its roots.

Deerberry is listed as threatened at both the provincial (Species at Risk in Ontario List) and federal (Schedule 1 under the Species at Risk Act) levels. Globally, it is considered to be secure.

Provincial status

Prior to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”) the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) assessed Deerberry as threatened. Following this assessment, Deerberry was listed as threatened in 2000 and retained this status when the ESA came into force in 2008. In its future assessments, COSSARO may consider information regarding the species’ threats and trends in population and distribution gained through protection and recovery actions.

Species and habitat protection

Protecting Deerberry and applying habitat protection provisions are key components in the implementation of the ESA and continue to be government-led actions, as identified in the species’ government response statement. As a threatened species, Deerberry has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken since the ESA came into force in 2008. In addition, the habitat of Deerberry has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since June 30, 2013, based on the general habitat definition in the ESA. Prior to its transition to the ESA, there was no species or habitat protection for Deerberry. Further information on species and habitat protection is provided in section 2.3 of the introductory chapter of this document.

The ESA does not require a habitat regulation to be developed for transition species ^{footnote 1[1]} such as Deerberry.

Any person who negatively impacts Deerberry or its habitat without prior authorization or through the use of a regulatory exemption may be prosecuted under the ESA.

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Deerberry was completed on February 18, 2010, in advance of the date required by the ESA. It represents best science advice to government. The strategy identified Deerberry’s habitat needs and the threats that it faces, while recommending objectives and approaches for protecting and recovering the species. The recovery strategy also included recommendations on the areas to be considered in the development of a habitat regulation.

Government response statement

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (“the Ministry”) published the government response statement (GRS) for Deerberry on November 18, 2010, which was within the timeframe required by the ESA. The GRS is government policy that contains the Government of Ontario’s goal for the recovery of Deerberry.

To help achieve this goal, the government leads and supports a number of recovery actions. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal are provided in section 2.5 of the introductory chapter of this document. The GRS for Deerberry also outlines 11 actions for which the Ministry is using a variety of methods to support others to undertake. These government-supported actions fall under the objectives identified in the GRS, which are:

• Ensure the persistence of Deerberry in its current habitat at all natural and viable reintroduction sites with population sizes remaining stable or increasing;
• Identify measures necessary to mitigate threats to the species and its habitat and implement mitigation measures, as appropriate;
• Augment existing populations and restore historical populations into suitable habitat where they can occur within protected areas; and
• Complete research and monitoring needed to document and assess habitat requirements, genetic diversity, life history and population trends.

The subsequent sections of this chapter provide a review of actions that the government has led or supported to help achieve the recovery goal for Deerberry.

Supporting our partners

Supporting partners to undertake activities to protect and recover Deerberry through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund as well as through permits and their associated conditions, is an important government-led action identified in the GRS for the species. To date, no authorizations or regulatory provisions have been issued or registered for the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, the Ministry has supported a total of six projects designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Deerberry. One project, which occurred over two years ($42,240), focused exclusively on Deerberry, while the other five projects, two of which were over multiple years, ($265,768) focused on multiple species at risk, including Deerberry. In addition to the funding provided through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, the partner who focused exclusively on Deerberry reported that they were successful in securing additional funding ($38,750) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Deerberry ($387,222). These values for additional funding and in-kind support include the estimated value of the time and expertise provided by volunteers, which are outlined below.

Stewardship partners also reported that the province’s funding support helped them to involve three individuals who volunteered 74 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Deerberry, which has an estimated value of $1,170. As well, a total of 918 individuals volunteered 11,497 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Deerberry, which has an estimated value of $227,995.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

• 
  $42,240

  for Deerberry exclusively

• 
  $265,768

  for multi-species projects that included Deerberry

• 
  $425,972

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  6

  projects included Deerberry

• 
  921

  volunteers

• 
  11,571

  hours

• 
  15,631

  people received outreach

• 
  8

  hectares of habitat enhanced

The Ministry’s stewardship partners reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement actions contained in the GRS, they were successful in enhancing eight hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Deerberry. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing focused outreach on Deerberry to 35 individuals, and ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species at risk (including Deerberry) to 15,596 individuals.

The remainder of this section highlights a multifaceted project that was supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund in 2011 and its corresponding government-supported recovery actions.

In 2011, fences were erected to prevent access to an area with the largest population of Deerberry in Ontario. Trails were replanted with native vegetation to restore the natural environment and prevent trail use. These actions directly addressed the following two GRS actions: support the continued protection of existing sites and erect barriers and signage and re-route trails where possible to keep park visitors away from Deerberry locations. Additionally, plans were made to prevent access and re-route the trail near the Niagara Whirlpool Gorge population. These actions will have direct impacts on mitigating the threat of trampling to the few naturally occurring Deerberry populations in Ontario.

The Deerberry populations in the Thousand Islands area are located within a unique corridor that connects the Algonquin Park area in the north to the Adirondack Mountains in the south. One partner who received funding reached out to an environmental group which focuses on maintaining connectivity between these two park areas to assist with spreading information about Deerberry throughout their network. This action provides the first steps in supporting the GRS action to collaborate with organizers of landscape initiatives to identify and protect habitats for species dispersal.

Outreach was also conducted with a member of the public who expressed interest in completing stewardship actions to help mitigate threats to the species. Continuing to work on stewardship is a high priority action identified within the GRS.

One of the objectives in the GRS is to identify measures necessary to mitigate threats to the species and its habitat and implement mitigation measures. Invasive species may be considered a threat to Deerberry when they occur in close proximity to the plants. In 2011, invasive plant species inventories were conducted and mapped at four Deerberry locations. Invasive species such as Garlic Mustard, Tartarian Honeysuckle and Common Buckthorn were removed in 2011 and 2012 at two locations in Thousand Islands National Park (previously known as St. Lawrence Islands National Park), by a stewardship partner that supported mitigation of the impact of this threat. Eradication of invasive species will take several years; however, these efforts represent an important start to mitigating threats.

Two site-specific management plans were created for both the Niagara region and the St. Lawrence River- Thousand Islands area where Deerberry occurs. These plans address threats faced by the populations and mitigation approaches that have been undertaken or could be completed in the future. Creating and implementing site-specific management plans within the two regions where the species is found is identified as a government-supported action within the GRS.

In 2011, the existing monitoring protocol for Deerberry was improved and implemented where the species occurs. This allowed a consistent approach for monitoring Deerberry. The GRS lists this as a government-supported action.

One of the GRS actions is to continue research on the species’ habitat requirements, the conditions required for successful seedling establishment, the effects of fire on the propagation of the species, and maintenance of habitat. In response to this GRS action, a stewardship partner worked with Thousand Islands National Park to assist in monitoring introduced populations of Deerberry at a post-burn and preburn monitoring site.

Occurrences of Deerberry in Ontario

Natural Heritage Information Centre

Deerberry is found in the Niagara region and the St. Lawrence River-Thousand Islands area. There are two populations ^{footnote 2[2]} within the Niagara region, located near the Niagara Whirlpool Gorge and a section of the Bruce Trail. The species has been documented in other areas of this region, but is considered to be extirpated (i.e., no longer exist) at these locations due to changes to the landscape, such as extensive urbanization that occurred before the species was listed. The Niagara Whirlpool Gorge population was observed in surveys completed in 2009, 2010 and 2015. This population continues to be in fair to good health (C. Burant pers. comm. 2015). The Bruce Trail population is now considered historical ^{footnote 3[3]} as it has not been reported to have been observed within the last 20 years.

There are three natural populations in the St. Lawrence River-Thousand Islands area which are found on three islands. Surveys are completed annually within Thousand Islands National Park (J. VanWieren pers. comm. 2015). Within the park, a total of 378 stems were observed on Endymion Island and a total of 1,103 stems were observed at a subset of sites on Grenadier Island in 2012. The Grenadier Island population has good estimated viability, indicating that the population is likely to persist for the foreseeable future in its current condition or better. The Endymion Island population has an estimated viability ranking of fair indicating that there is some uncertainty with respect to the longterm persistence of the population. The population on the remaining island is now considered historical as it has not been reported within the last 20 years.

Encouraging the submission of observations of Deerberry to the Ministry is included in the GRS as a government-led action. The Ministry has received 52 records of Deerberry since 2008, when it became protected under the ESA. These records are based on observations of the species documented as early as 1891, while the majority were observed between 2004 and 2015. These records have helped to redefine where the species is and was known to occur and have provided additional information on the habitat and threats for these populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Deerberry, as well as every other species at risk, to the Ministry’s Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) for incorporation into the provincial record of observations.

• 52
  observations of the species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal and recommendations

Summary of progress

Progress has been made toward all of the government-led and government-supported actions outlined in the GRS for Deerberry. As indicated in this chapter, the Government of Ontario has directly undertaken actions to: encourage submission of Deerberry data to the NHIC; protect the species through the ESA and apply habitat protection provisions of the Act; and support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Additionally, as indicated in the introductory chapter of this document, the government has established and communicated annual priority actions for support (section 3.1); educated other agencies and planning authorities on the requirement to consider the protection of the species and its habitat (sections 3.3 and 4.4); and undertaken communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario (section 4.3).

Progress has been made toward all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions that are identified in the GRS for Deerberry.

Under the objective to ensure the persistence of Deerberry in its current habitat at all natural and viable reintroduction sites with population sizes remaining stable or increasing, progress has been made towards the three actions. Collectively, the actions have been implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, through independent efforts by government partners such as Thousand Islands National Park and the Niagara Parks Commission, or a combination of both. The actions under this objective are:

• Support the continued protection of existing sites (Action No. 1, High Priority);
• Continue to work with private landowners on stewardship of non-park populations (Action No. 2, High Priority); and
• Collaborate with organizations of landscape initiatives to identify and protect habitats for species dispersal (Action No. 3).

Under the objective to identify measures necessary to mitigate threats to the species and its habitat and implement mitigation measures, projects enabled through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, through independent efforts by government partners such as Thousand Islands National Park and the Niagara Parks Commission or a combination of both, have supported progress on all three of the actions, specifically:

• Erect barriers and signage and re-route trails where possible to keep park visitors away from Deerberry locations (Action No. 4);
• Investigate techniques used successfully in the past to reduce erosion and implement actions to mitigate this threat where possible (Action No. 5); and
• Create (or update) and implement site-specific management plans within the two regions where the species is found (Action No. 6).

Under the objective to augment existing populations and restore historical populations into suitable habitat where they can occur within protected areas, progress has been made towards both recovery actions. The following actions have been implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund and/or independent efforts completed by government partners such as Thousand Islands National Park and the Niagara Parks Commission:

• Review and update criteria developed for augmenting and restoring populations in St. Lawrence Islands National Park (now named Thousand Islands National Park) and establish similar criteria for use with the Niagara populations (Action No. 7); and
• Using experience gained from past and ongoing introductions in St. Lawrence Islands National Park (now named Thousand Islands National Park), enhance or augment existing populations and begin efforts in the Niagara region (Action No. 8).

Under the objective to complete research and monitoring needed to document and assess habitat requirements, genetic diversity, life history and population trends, progress has been made toward all three actions. The actions were implemented through a project supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund as well as through independent efforts completed by the federal government and an academic researcher, which includes:

• Improve and implement the existing monitoring protocol for the St. Lawrence Islands population and implement the same protocol at the Niagara site (Action No. 9);
• Continue research on the species’ habitat requirements, the conditions required for successful seedling establishment, and the effects of fire on the propagation of the species and maintenance of habitat (Action No. 10); and
• Investigate the genetic variability of Deerberry populations at a landscape and site level (Action No. 11).

The provincial record of observations indicates that Deerberry in Ontario is exhibiting trends that are consistent with the GRS recovery goal at two populations. Deerberry continues to persist in its natural habitat at three known populations. It is possible that Deerberry is still present at the two other remaining populations, despite the age of the population records. Trends in abundance and the size of the populations are difficult to extract from the available information.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, the review of progress towards protecting and recovering Deerberry can be used to help identify whether adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Deerberry should continue to guide protection and recovery actions for the species, particularly for those actions identified in the GRS as high priority. Supporting the continued protection of existing sites and continuing to work with private landowners on stewardship will continue to be critical to the recovery of Deerberry. The following recommendations for the implementation of the GRS are suggested for moving forward with protection and recovery of Deerberry:

• As the trails have been re-routed, barriers erected and signage put in place to keep park visitors away at all of the extant naturally occurring Deerberry populations with public access, future threat management could focus on naturalizing and enforcing closed trails and replacing signage as appropriate (Action No. 4); and
• Since site-specific management plans have been created within the two regions where this species is found, the focus should now be to continue to implement the plans and update them as appropriate (Action No. 6).

Moving forward, protecting and recovering Deerberry 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 Fund or the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario. The Ministry can also 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 towards protecting and recovering Deerberry.

Summary of progress toward the protection and recovery of Deerberry in Ontario (2007 to 2014)

Provincial status

• Deerberry is classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). Prior to its transition to the ESA, Deerberry was listed as threatened. The species has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken since 2008, and its habitat has been protected from damage or destruction since 2013.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government

• Recovery Strategy for Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum) in Ontario (2010)
• Deerberry: Ontario Government Response Statement (2010)

Supporting our partners

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (“the Ministry”) has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct a total of six projects that have supported the protection and recovery of Deerberry. One of the projects focused exclusively on Deerberry ($42,240), while five have supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Deerberry ($265,768).
• The Ministry’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 921 individuals who volunteered 11,571 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Deerberry. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions and other in-kind support is $425,972.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions eight hectares of habitat were enhanced for Deerberry and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Deerberry to 15,631 individuals.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• No ESA authorizations have been issued for Deerberry.
• There have been no registrations of activities for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA for this species.

Occurrences and distribution

• Deerberry has been documented in the Niagara and Thousand Islands regions in Ontario. Two populations are historical as they have not been reported to have been observed in the last 20 years. Deerberry is considered extant (i.e., reported within the past 20 years) in its natural habitat at three populations.

References and related information

• Burant, Corey. Personal communication. 2015. Parks Stewardship Coordinator. The Niagara Parks Commission.
• Categorizing and Protecting Habitat under the Endangered Species Act
• Natural Heritage Information Centre
• Ontario’s Endangered Species Act
• Ontario’s Endangered Species Act Regulation 242/08
• Ontario Recovery Strategy and Government Response Statement for Deerberry
• Parks Canada Agency. 2010. Recovery Strategy for Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Parks Canada Agency. Ottawa. iv+15 pp.
• Parks Canada Agency. 2015. Multi-species Action Plan for Thousand Islands National Park of Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Action Plan Series. Parks Canada Agency, Ottawa. vi+33 pp.
• Policy Guidance on Harm and Harass under the Endangered Species Act
• Species at Risk in Ontario List
• Species at Risk Stewardship Fund
• VanWieren, Josh. Personal communication. 2015. Park Ecologist. Thousand Islands National Park, Parks Canada.
• Yakimowski, S. B., and Eckert, C. G. 2008. Populations do not become less genetically diverse or more differentiated towards the northern limit of the geographical range in clonal Vaccinium stamineum (Ericaceae). New Phytologist, 180(2): 534-544.