Few-flowered Club-rush
Photo credit: © Bill Crins

Species description

Few-flowered Club-rush (Trichophorum planifolium) is a perennial sedge with short, grass-like leaves, which form small clumps. They have triangular, solid stems with a small solitary spike at the end of each stalk. In July and August, when the species disperses its seeds, the leaves become flattened and matted on the forest floor. The species is also commonly referred to as Bashful Bulrush and Shy Bulrush.

Few-flowered Club-rush has been documented in two areas of Ontario: within the Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary in Hamilton and in Rouge Park in Toronto. The species is found commonly in oak deciduous forest and is restricted to sunny openings. The soils are typically dry, well drained sands or loamy sands. The species is found in association with oak woodland species, indicating that it may also occur in oak woodland habitats. A map of the provincial distribution of Few-flowered Club-rush is available on the Government of Ontario’s species at risk website.

Few-flowered Club-rush faces several threats to its survival and recovery, including canopy closure due to succession and fire suppression (which may limit the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor), excessive disturbance (such as the use of hiking trails near the species), deer browsing on the species, as well as competition from native and introduced plants.

The survival and recovery of Few-flowered Club-rush is influenced by other factors as well. Few-flowered Club-rush is extremely inconspicuous and is associated with gap-phase succession, which is a dynamic process of regeneration that occurs in small forest openings. The persistence of the species may be naturally limited by the amount of forest openings which may influence the colonization of new sites.

Few-flowered Club-rush is listed as endangered 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 apparently secure to 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 Few-flowered Club-rush as endangered and it was regulated under the previous Endangered Species Act in 2001. Few-flowered Club-rush has retained its status as endangered under the ESA. 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

As a species that was regulated under the previous Endangered Species Act, Few-flowered Club-rush has received species and habitat protection since 2001. The species is currently protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA.

In addition, the habitat of Few-flowered Club-rush is currently protected from being damaged or destroyed under the ESA; habitat protection has been in place under the ESA since 2008 when the Act came into force. Habitat protection under the ESA was initially based on the general habitat definition in the Act. The habitat of Few-flowered Club-rush is now protected through a habitat regulation that was developed in 2010.

Protecting Few-flowered Club-rush and enforcing the regulation protecting the specific habitat of the species are key components in the implementation of the ESA and continue to be government-led actions, as identified in the government response statement. As a species that was regulated under the previous Endangered Species Act, Few-flowered Club-rush has received species and habitat protection since 2001. The species is currently protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA. In addition, the habitat of Few-flowered Club-rush is currently protected from being damaged or destroyed under the ESA; habitat protection has been in place under the ESA since 2008 when the Act came into force. Habitat protection under the ESA was initially based on the general habitat definition in the Act. The habitat of Few-flowered Club-rush is now protected through a habitat regulation that was developed in 2010. Further information on species and habitat protection is provided in section 2.3 of the introductory chapter of this document.

Although the ESA does not require a habitat regulation to be developed for transition footnote 1 species such as Few-flowered Club-rush, the government developed the regulation (Ontario Regulation 242/08, section 27) to provide clarity to the public and others on what areas are protected as Few-flowered Club-rush habitat. The habitat regulation was developed based on consideration of both the habitat needs of the species and comments received through public consultation.

Any person who negatively impacts Few-flowered Club-rush or its habitat without prior authorization may be prosecuted under the ESA.

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Few-flowered Club-rush was completed on February 18, 2010, which was in advance of the date required by the ESA. It represents best science advice to government. The strategy identified the habitat needs of Few-flowered Club-rush and the threats it faces, while recommending objectives and approaches for protecting and recovering the species. The recovery strategy also included recommendations on the areas of habitat 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 Few-flowered Club-rush 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 Few-flowered Club-rush.

Recovery goal

The government's goal for the recovery of Few-flowered Club-rush is to ensure the long-term survival of existing Ontario populations.

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 Few-flowered Club-rush also outlines six 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:

  • Manage habitat to maintain the conditions necessary to sustain existing populations and maintain genetic diversity;
  • Evaluate population trends, threats and the impact of management actions; and
  • Address knowledge gaps and clarify the threats posed to the species in its Ontario range.

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 Few-flowered Club-rush.

2001 Listed as Endangered
 
2001 Species Protected
 
2001 Habitat Protected beginning in 2001 under previous Endangered Species Act; then through general habitat definition in 2008; then the habitat regulation in 2010 
 
2010 Recovery Strategy finalized
 
2010 Government Response Statement finalized
 
2015 Review of Progress finalized
 

Government funded projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Few-flowered Club-rush is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund the Ministry has supported a total of five projects ($232,959) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Few-flowered Club-rush. All of these projects targeted multiple species at risk (including the Few-flowered Club-rush) and partners reported that they were successful in securing additional funding and in-kind support ($318,821) from other sources. This value for additional funding and in-kind support includes the estimated values 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 216 individuals who volunteered 3,094 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Few-flowered Club-rush. This voluntary contribution has an estimated value of $62,280. MNRF’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 15 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Few-flowered Club-rush. The remainder of this section highlights a few projects that were supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund and their corresponding government-supported recovery actions.

To support two high priority GRS actions which were to develop site-specific plans for managing existing populations and restoring their habitats as well as mitigating site-specific threats that impeded the survival of Few-flowered Club-rush, a stewardship partner installed deer exclosure fencing in areas where disturbances caused by deer trampling and browsing were noted as threats to the species. Vegetation plot surveys were completed within and outside of the exclosures to monitor the response of the species. Additionally, unauthorized use of closed trails presents a threat to Few-flowered Club-rush. Over multiple years of funding, a partner has managed trails in the area of Few-flowered Club-rush to prevent trampling. The management has included plantings on the closed trail, blocking access with debris, using educational tools such as signage and revised trail maps, and monitoring the effectiveness of these actions. Invasive species removal has also occurred to improve habitat for the species. These actions to mitigate threats are critical to providing protection to the only existing population of Few-flowered Club-rush in Ontario.

Implementing protocols to monitor Few-flowered Club-rush population trends, threats and response to management at existing sites is a government-supported action identified in the GRS. One partner supported this action by completing surveys for the species in Rouge Park and in Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary. At Rouge Park, the locations where Few-flowered Club-rush previously occurred were determined to no longer be suitable for the species. At Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary, surveys took place over multiple years to monitor any changes to the population. Sub-sampling also occurred in order to obtain more specific population data (e.g., the number of shoots and number of flowering stems) while minimizing disturbance to the population directly. By examining the results of the surveys, the partner determined that overall the Few-flowering Club-rush population was stable; however, threat management may continue to be required to ensure the species persists.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

  • $232,959

    for multi-species projects that included Few-flowered Club-rush

  • $318,821

    in additional funding and in-kind support

  • 5

    projects

  • 216

    volunteers

  • 3,094

    hours

  • landscape picture
    15

    hectares of habitat enhanced

Efforts to minimize adverse effects on Few-flowered Club-rush

Supporting partners to undertake activities to protect and recover Few-flowered Club-rush, such as through permits and their associated conditions, is an important government-led action identified in the GRS for the species. A total of four permits have been issued for Few-flowered Club-rush since the species has been protected under the ESA; all four permits were ‘protection and recovery permits’ (i.e., 17(2)(b) permit). ‘Protection and recovery permits’ are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist the protection or recovery of a species at risk. One permit focused on addressing knowledge gaps on the development of the species by conducting DNA studies. Two permits were for the collection of Few-flowered Club-rush seeds to examine the best method of propagation and to maintain diversity in case of a catastrophic loss of plants. The remaining permit was for habitat creation and restoration within the Rouge Park in 2010.

In order to minimize adverse effects when conducting seed collection and propagation, a condition on the permit stated that only 10 percent of the seed heads could be removed from each individual wild plant for seed collection.

No activities that pertain to Few-flowered Club-rush have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA since the registry was established in 2013.

  • 4
    protection or recovery permits

Occurrences of Few-flowered Club-rush in Ontario

Natural Heritage Information Centre

Few-flowered Club-rush has been documented in two areas of Ontario: Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary in Hamilton and Rouge Park in Toronto. Within these areas, Few-flowered Club-rush occurs in one population footnote 2 in Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary and has occurred in two populations in Rouge Park.

The species was first observed in Rouge Park in 1976 and subsequently a second population was discovered in 1981. The last observation of the species within the park occurred in 2001 and consisted of a single plant. Despite search efforts, including an intensive search in 2008, Few-flowered Club-rush has not been confirmed within either population. Similar nearby habitat in the area was also searched with negative results. Surveyors indicated that the habitat had changed dramatically from previous surveys and invasive species such as Dog-strangling Vine and browsing by White-tailed Deer was noticeable in the area. These two populations were determined to be extirpated (i.e., no longer exist) in 2008.

Within Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary, surveys have occurred from 2007-2010. While some individual plants could not be located, new plants have been found and surveys showed no substantial signs of decline in the total population during this time period. Overall the population was estimated to be approximately 1,100 plants in 2010. A survey completed in 2014 discovered a new sub-population within this population and most of the plants were recorded to be fairly large, healthy and well-established. This population of Few-flowered Club-rush is estimated to have good viability, indicating that this population is likely capable of living successfully under the current environmental conditions. However, current and future threat management at this population (e.g., the removal of Dog-strangling Vine) may play a critical role in the population’s long-term survival.

Since 2008, when Few-flowered Club-rush became protected under the ESA, the Ministry has received approximately 88 records of the species. These records are based on observations between 1955 and 2014 and come from a variety of sources. Records submitted have helped to redefine where the species is known to occur and have provided additional information on the habitat and threats to the species. It is possible that there are observations of the Few-flowered Club-rush that have not been submitted to the Ministry. Encouraging the submission of observations of Few-flowered Club-rush to the Ministry is included in the GRS as a government-led action.

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

  • 88
    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 a majority of government-supported actions outlined in the GRS for Few-flowered Club-rush. As indicated in this chapter, the Government of Ontario has directly undertaken actions to: encourage submission of Few-flowered Club-rush data to the Natural Heritage Information Centre; protect the species through the ESA and its habitat through a habitat regulation; 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 towards all of the government-supported recovery objectives, and a majority of the associated actions, that are identified in the GRS for Few-flowered Club-rush.

Under the objective to manage habitat to maintain conditions necessary to sustain existing populations and maintain genetic diversity, progress has been made towards all of the actions. These actions have been implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund as well as through authorizations. The actions under this objective are:

  • Develop site-specific plans for managing existing populations of Few-flowered Club-rush populations and restoring their habitats (Action No. 1; High Priority); and
  • Clarify and mitigate site-specific threats that impede the survival of Few-flowered Club-rush populations (Action No. 2; High Priority).

Under the objective to evaluate population trends, threats and the impact of management actions, projects enabled through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund have supported progress on the recovery action listed, specifically:

  • Develop and implement protocols to monitor Few-flowered Club-rush population trends, threats and response to management techniques at existing sites in Ontario (Action No. 3).

Under the objective to address knowledge gaps and clarify the threats posed to the species in its Ontario range, progress has been made towards one of the three recovery actions. This action was implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund as well as through authorizations. The action under this objective is:

  • Explore the need for a seed bank to conserve location genetic diversity, as required (Action No. 6).

Out of the three populations where Few-flowered Club-rush has been documented to occur, two of the populations were deemed to be extirpated (no longer exist) in 2008. The remaining population is estimated to have good viability and while fluctuations have occurred at individual sites, surveys and monitoring suggest that the total population is stable, which is consistent with the recovery goal for the species of ensuring long-term survival of the species.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, the review of progress towards protecting and recovering Few-flowered Club-rush 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 Few-flowered Club-rush should continue to guide protection and recovery actions for the species, particularly for those actions identified in the GRS as high priority. The following recommendation for the implementation of the GRS is suggested for moving forward with protection and recovery of Few-flowered Club-rush:

  • Actions for which progress has been limited should be supported in future implementation planning, such as identifying the type and level of disturbance that promotes persistence of Few-flowered Club-rush populations in Ontario (Action No. 4) and assessing the role and significance of other potential threats to the species and its habitat (Action No. 5).

Moving forward, protecting and recovering Few-flowered Club-rush 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 Few-flowered Club-rush.

Summary of progress toward the protection and recovery of Few-flowered Club-rush in Ontario (2007 to 2014)

Provincial status

  • Few-flowered Club-rush is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). It was also listed under the previous Endangered Species Act, and has retained the same status since transition to the ESA. Few-flowered Club-rush has received species and habitat protection since 2001.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government

Government-supported stewardship projects

  • 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 five projects ($232,959) that have supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Few-flowered Club-rush.
  • The Ministry’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 216 individuals who volunteered 3,094 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Few-flowered Club-rush. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support is $318,821.
  • Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 15 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Few-flowered Club-rush and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

  • The Ministry has issued four ‘protection and recovery permits’ under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA.
  • There have been no registrations of activities for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA for this species.

Occurrences and distribution

  • Few-flowered Club-rush has been documented in three populations occurring in Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary in Hamilton and Rouge Park in Toronto. One population is considered extant (i.e., reported within the past 20 years). Two of the populations were deemed to be extirpated (i.e., no longer exist) in 2008.

References and related information


Footnotes

  • footnote[1] Back to paragraph A “transition species” is a species listed under schedule 1, 3, or 4 of the ESA that has not changed in status since June 2008.
  • footnote[2] Back to paragraph A population is defined as an element occurrence which represents an area of land and/or water on/in which an element (i.e., Few-flowered Club-rush) is or was present. They are comprised of one or more observations and the area has a practical conservation value as it is important to the conservation of the species.