9.0 Historical Changes in the Land-Use and Wetland Availability in Old Norfolk County
9.3.3 Potential management actions to conserve and enhance the uplands of old Norfolk County
Relative to most other counties in southern Ontario, old Norfolk County is an ecological success story with respect to the conservation of native habitats. We must continue to conserve and enhance these essential habitats for future generations and for wildlife. Public lands can only protect a portion of the habitat required to maintain ecological integrity. Consequently, land-use issues need to be addressed mainly on privately owned lands. The resistance of certain landowners to governmental control of private-land management (Medley et al. 1995), and the immense size and importance of the task has resulted in Stewardship Councils (set up at the county level by the Ministry of Natural Resources), as well as several other conservation organizations taking the lead in the advocacy of land-resource management. Land use problems need to be addressed in a cooperative and well informed manner at the landscape level. Maximum impact will be realized by co-ordinating the efforts of a wide range of individuals and agencies that have a vested interest in sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. It must also be remembered that a primary benefit of farming sustainably is its overriding positive affect on ground and surface water quality.
There are two very important fundamentals of upland habitat management that need to be addressed in old Norfolk County. The first is the management and conservation of upland habitats throughout the county to provide suitable nesting sites for birds and to reduce the impact of intensive agriculture on the ecological functioning of small inland wetlands. The second critical issue that needs to be addressed is the influence of intensive agriculture on the ecology of Long Point Bay, through sedimentation and non-point sources of contaminants and nutrients. The sources and potential impacts of non-point contaminant and nutrient loads on the Bay are discussed at length in Chapters 3 and 4. Consequently, this section will deal solely with the management actions that can potentially alleviate these problems.
The excessive tilling required by conventional farming practices has an adverse effect on soil structure and increases the rate of soil erosion. This ultimately results in the loss of agricultural productivity and the deposition of sediment, nutrients, and contaminants into wetlands and waterways (see Chapter 3 and 4). Conservation tillage is a relatively new farming practice whereby farmers leave at least 30% of the soil surface covered by crop residue by not plowing up or excessively tilling soils. They subsequently plant in the spring using a No-till drill/planter or modified conventional planter. Only enough tillage is done in the spring to ensure adequate seed and fertilizer placement and to remove previous crop residue in the planting area. By reducing tillage, farmers can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses (Levanon et al. 1992; Potter 1991), while potentially reducing soil loss up to 99 percent (Christiansen and Norris 1983; Razavian 1990). Conservation tillage till can be particularly efficient at retarding non-point source pollution from row crop activities when soil structure is coarse, such as in the old Norfolk Sand Plain.
The cover crops of rye planted following tobacco harvest made the conversion to conservation tillage practices much less necessary prior to the 1970s. However, the conversion of tobacco lands to cereal grain production over the past twenty years increased the need to inform farmers about the benefits of conservation tillage. This can sometimes be difficult as the fall plowing of row crops is a tradition and equipment conversion can be quite costly (Ramsay 1993). However, stewardship councils, Ontario Land Care, and other conservation organizations in old Norfolk County have done an excellent job of encouraging farmers to adopt conservation tillage on their farms. For instance the Sinclair-Campbell Project is a >1000 acre conservation tillage project which has been established adjacent to the Big Creek Marsh by Ontario Land Care. Ontario Land Care has also provided financial assistance for groups of farmers to purchase no till seed drills. Once again, the sands of old Norfolk have been the cause of an ecological success story for the county, as there is presently very little fall plowing taking place in old Norfolk, based primarily on the fact that sand is so susceptible to erosion.
Conservation tillage is probably one of the most promising upland management techniques in old Norfolk County as cereal grain production is increasing and minimum till conveys substantial benefit to farmers as well as waterfowl and several other forms of wildlife. Promoting conservation tillage still should continue to be one of the primary directives of conservation and agriculture organizations throughout old Norfolk County. Some of the benefits of conservation tillage include:
a/ Fall plowing buries substantial quantities of agricultural grains. By adopting conservation tillage practices, farmers can maximize the availability of waste grains to waterfowl as well as other species of wildlife. This is probably extremely important as waste corn left in fields following harvest has become one of the most important wildlife foods in North America, and this is particularly true for waterfowl (Bellrose 1976; Baldassarre et al. 1983). Cereal grains have a much higher fat content than natural foods and can provide birds with large quantities of energy and body fat for migration (Baldassarre et al. 1983). Increasing corn production and the adoption of conservation tillage practices has probably increased the carrying-capacity of Long Point Bay for Tundra Swans, Canada Geese and those dabbling duck species that forage in agricultural fields.
b/ Leaving crop stubble provides escape and nesting cover for wildlife.
c/ Probably one of the most important reasons to establish conservation tillage alternatives in old Norfolk is that it will reduce siltation while increasing the water quality in nearby waterways and wetlands. This is particularly important, as the majority of old Norfolk's runoff enters Long Point Bay, and the quality of these receiving waters can have substantial impacts on the ecological functioning of the Bay. However, conservation tillage increases the reliance on herbicides which may be toxic to submerged aquatic plants and may reduce invertebrate populations (e.g. atrazine; Dewey 1986).
d/ It saves farmers time and money as they spend less time working their land, and invest less in fuel, labor and machinery costs.
e/ It maintains soil structure.
f/ Conserving moisture by allowing snow and water to collect and infiltrate the soil.
g/ Residue also reduces soil erosion by covering soils, slowing down water runoff, and absorbing the impact of rain. This results in increased organic matter and better soil structure.
2/ Buffer strips
Agricultural practices have a dramatic effect on the ecological functioning of nearby wetlands. This can be mitigated by the establishment of vegetative buffer strips (VBS). VBS are bands of native vegetation established adjacent to wetlands, stream, rivers or drainage ditches. These strips provide wildlife habitat and also reduce the nutrient, contaminant and sediment loading to waterways. Exclusion fencing around buffer strips is generally unnecessary in old Norfolk due to the lack of livestock operations. VBS should be further promoted in old Norfolk County as they have numerous ecological benefits:
a/ Increasing the quality of water and sediments that enter Big Creek and ultimately, Long Point Bay (discussed at length in Chapter 4).
b/ Providing nesting habitat for waterfowl and several other species of birds, but may in some instances result in predator traps. The provision of wide buffer strips around wetlands would increase nesting success as Mallards tend to nest adjacent to wetlands in southern Ontario (Shane Gabor, personal communication).
c/ Providing riparian habitat corridors for several species of wildlife.
d/ Increasing the quality of stream and river water for fish and several other wetland aquatic species.
3/ Permanent cover plots
There are very few areas of permanent native grass cover in old Norfolk County. This can be attributed to the combination of fairly intensive agriculture and the fact that old Norfolk retains substantial amounts of woodlands. Consequently there is very little habitat available for those species (birds, insects, mammals, plants etc.) which are dependant on native grasslands. When little natural grass cover is available, waterfowl are forced to either breed in the few remaining patches of natural vegetation or on agricultural lands (Duebbert and Kantrud 1974; Cowan 1982; Clark and Diamond 1993; Pasitschniak-Arts and Messier 1995). While little is known about waterfowl populations breeding in Ontario, the success of a number of prairie nesting waterfowl species is seriously affected by mechanical destruction from farm machinery in intensively farmed landscapes (Cowardin et al. 1985; Greenwood et al. 1987; Klett et al. 1988; Sargeant and Raveling 1992). Increasing agriculture intensification, combined with high predator populations (e.g. raccoon, opossum, fox, coyote, skunks and weasels), are probably also having a substantial affect on grassland nesting waterfowl as well as several other species of grassland birds in southern Ontario. The reason being that agricultural fragmentation of landscapes enables predators to be more efficient at finding nests, as nests are concentrated in small patches of suitable habitat. The breeding success of waterfowl differs between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes (Nudds and Cole 1991), further supporting the hypothesis that current agricultural practices have a negative effect on production.
In response to this deficiency, Ontario Land Care provides financial incentives for landowners to convert portions of cropland, particularly marginal lands and that which is adjacent to productive wetlands, to permanent grass cover for wildlife. The establishment of permanent cover plots in old Norfolk County could have the following benefits:
a/ It would provide nesting sites for several non-waterfowl species of grassland dependent birds. It would also provide habitat, forage and movement corridors for several other species of wildlife.
b/ Mallards are the predominant breeding waterfowl in southern Ontario, comprising 42% of the estimated total breeding waterfowl population of 765,000 (Shane Gabor, personal communication). Mallards tend to nest most readily in grasslands on the prairies (Cowardin et al. 1985), whereas they have a higher tendency to nest adjacent to wetlands in southern Ontario (Shane Gabor, personal communication). This is probably simply a function of there being more grassland habitats available to prairie nesting Mallards. However, waterfowl nests in seeded dense grass cover exhibit the highest survival probabilities (Pasitschniak-Arts and Messier 1995). Therefore, the establishment of permanent upland cover plots for nesting ducks could increase old Norfolk's waterfowl production through increased nest density and hatching success. However, it is paramount that suitable breeding and brood rearing habitat is available when establishing nesting cover plots for waterfowl, particularly in old Norfolk County where wetland densities are extremely low.
c/ If incentives and guidance are provided to farmers to plant permanent cover on highly-erodible cropland, such as has been done by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the United States, farmers will also benefit from decreased soil erosion, a reduction in surplus crop production, and improved water quality (Bartlett 1988). This will also ultimately increase the quality of water and sediments that enter Long Point Bay (see Chapter 3 and 4).
4/ Delayed haying
Most Mallard and Blue-winged Teal nesting and re-nesting is complete by 1 July. When the cutting of hay is delayed until after that time, waterfowl experience a higher nesting success and there is less mortality imposed on nesting females. This practice is probably also beneficial to several other species of ground nesting birds and mammals that use grassland habitats. Ontario Land Care provides incentives to landowners to delay their hay cut long enough to ensure that waterfowl have finished nesting. This program will be of limited utility in old Norfolk County, simply due to the fact that there is very little hay production in the region.
Rotational grazing systems increase residual cover for nesting waterfowl and other species of birds, while also increasing the carrying capacity of the pasture (Gjersing 1975). As cattle production is of minor importance in old Norfolk County, this management strategy will also be of limited value.
Tobacco production in old Norfolk County required the planting of windbreaks to reduce the sandblasting of plants during heavy winds and to provide a more suitable microhabitat for tobacco growth. With the conversion of substantial acreage to corn production, certain landowners may feel that maintaining these shelterbelts is unnecessary. However, the ready erodability of sandy soils makes windbreaks a necessary aspect of the old Norfolk landscape. Windbreaks also supply habitat for wildlife, especially songbirds, while reducing the sedimentation of wetlands and streams.
Wood Ducks nest in cavities in trees and their populations have increased dramatically in southern Ontario over the past 15 years. This population increase can quite possibly be attributed to the provision of artificial nesting boxes by several conservation organizations and concerned individuals. The almost complete removal of forest cover throughout old Norfolk County by the early 1900s would may have reduced the availability of nesting cavities for this species. The further provision of artificial nesting boxes, particularly on inland swamps and river bottoms, will probably result in an increase in the population of Wood Ducks in old Norfolk County. A nesting basket program for Mallards and Blue-winged Teal could also be initiated in areas with sufficient wetland densities and brood rearing habitat (Marcy 1986). A nesting basket program has already been initiated on the Big Creek National Wildlife Area and it has shown some promising results.
While cattle farming is rare, there are a number of pig and chicken farms in old Norfolk County. Manure can have a profoundly negative effect on wetlands, streams, and rivers, and could possibly even influence the ecology of Long Point Bay. Consequently, landowners should be persuaded to spread manure only during the growing season and never in the winter, and the stockpiling of manure near watercourses should be discouraged (Gartshore et al. 1987).
"The economic value of land out of production remains, to a poorly-informed public, below the value of cultivated lands" (Medley et al. 1995). Consequently, education and guidance must be provided to ensure that those farming programs which are implemented to increase the sustainability of agricultural practices and the availability of wildlife habitat are met with approval by the general public. These education programs need to provide a balanced view of agricultural and environmental concepts and concerns.
Once deficiencies are recognized and a particular management program is deemed appropriate, direct monitoring and analysis of implemented programs is required in order to determine the degree of success obtained, as well as the appropriateness of using that management action in the future.
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