GOREWAY - CASTLEMORE 1 · 2017-07-28 · vegetation types (Table 2). One of these communities, Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest (FOD2-3, S-rank S3S4), is provincially rare. Several

GOREWAY - CASTLEMORE 1

Region of Peel NAI Area # 2161, 2209, 2212, 2215, 2221, 2222, 2223, 2224, 2226, 2229, 2231, 2232, 2234, 2357, 2533, 2536, 2542, 2640,

2645

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

City of Brampton

Size: 139 hectares Watershed: Humber River

Con 2 (Albion Twp.), Lots 6-9

Ownership: 8% private, 92% public (TRCA; City

of Brampton)

Subwatershed: West Humber River

General Summary This is an urban site along the wide valley bottom and sides of the West Humber River and some of its tributaries. It is comprised of predominantly of deciduous forest and cultural meadow, with the remainder as other culturally-impacted terrestrial communities, bluffs and wetland communities. The natural portion spreads across a large area but in a linear fashion that is highly fragmented by agricultural and successional habitat. However, as the general area is surrounded by urban development, the agricultural and successional lands play an important role in supporting biodiversity. Habitat diversity and species diversity are high here with rare and at risk species and communities supported. TRCA ELC surveyors, botanists and ornithologists have provided complete data coverage for the core NAI inventories (vegetation communities, plant species, breeding birds) plus incidental observations of other fauna over the delineated area (Table 1). TRCA ecologists have also surveyed frog species at this site. Table 1: TRCA Field Visits Visit Date Inventory Type Unspecified 1995 Fauna 08 June 2001 Fauna 06 Aug. 2001 Fauna 08 Aug. 2001 Fauna 23 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 24 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 25 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora

26 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 29 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 30 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 31 Oct. 2001 ELC, Flora 01 Nov. 2001 ELC, Flora 02 Nov. 2001 ELC, Flora 02 July 2007 Fauna

Physical Features This area is in the Peel Plain physiographic region; characterized by flat to undulating topography. The watercourses here have eroded valleys into the surrounding plain. Soils of this region tend to be low- permeability clays, deposited when glacial meltwater ponded up over a layer of low permeability deposits. Rainwater has a tendency to run off rather than infiltrate into the ground. The surrounding built environment with overall decreased permeability exacerbates runoff. This area contains the confluence the west and main branches of the West Humber River, with vegetated riparian zones. The branches and river take winding courses that help the area to function in absorbing influxes of runoff and releasing it slowly later on.

Date of this Site Summary: October 2011


Human History This area of Brampton was predominantly farmland from the 1800’s into the 1970’s when development started to convert it into other uses. Originally, single-unit houses on large lots were built and in the 2000’s there was increased development of housing subdivisions with small lots. Development of existing farmland is ongoing. This natural area has Hawthorn-dominated communities that indicate past grazing use. There are two adjacent stormwater management ponds at the northern tip of this natural area. Goreway Rd. borders this area to the west, with Queen St. E. to the south and McVean Drive to the east. The remainder of the natural area is surrounded by low-medium density residential development, some commercial/industrial usage and some agricultural and successional usage. Vegetation Communities The general community types present here are open bluff (0.8%), treed bluff (0.1%), deciduous forest (28%), meadow marsh (3%), shallow marsh (0.5%), deciduous swamp (0.7%), floating-leaved shallow aquatic (0.2%), open aquatic (0.01%), cultural meadow (33%), cultural thicket (4%), cultural savannah (15%), cultural woodland (8%) and plantation (6%). One-hundred-and-eighty-nine plant communities were mapped for this area, comprised of 37 different vegetation types (Table 2). One of these communities, Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest (FOD2-3, S-rank S3S4), is provincially rare. Several of these communities are considered to be TRCA regional Communities of Conservation Concern: Open Clay Bluff (BLO1-1, L-rank L3), Deciduous Treed Bluff (BLT1-B, L-rank L3), Dry-Fresh Oak - Hickory Deciduous Forest (FOD2-2, L-rank L3), Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest (FOD2-3, L-rank L3), Narrow-leaved Sedge Mineral Shallow Marsh (MAS2-3, L-rank L3) and Round-leaved Dogwood Cultural Thicket (CUT1-D, L-rank L3). Ten additional community types are TRCA regional Communities of Urban Conservation Concern: Dry-Fresh Oak – Hardwood Deciduous Forest (FOD2-4, L-rank L4), Dry-Fresh Beech Deciduous Forest (FOD4-1, L-rank L4), Dry-Fresh Ironwood Deciduous Forest (FOD4-A, L-rank L4), Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - Oak Deciduous Forest (FOD5-3, L-rank L4), Fresh-Moist White Elm Lowland Deciduous Forest (FOD7-1, L-rank L4), Broad-leaved Cattail Mineral Shallow Marsh (MAS2-1A, L-rank L4), Red (Green) Ash Mineral Deciduous Swamp (SWD2-2, L-rank L4), Duckweed Floating-leaved Shallow Aquatic (SAF1-3, L-rank L4), Raspberry Cultural Thicket (CUT1-5, L-rank L4) and Native Sapling Cultural Thicket (CUT1-A, L-rank L4). The communities dominated by oak and hickory (Dry-Fresh Oak - Hickory Deciduous Forest, FOD2-2; Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest, FOD2-3; Dry-Fresh Oak – Hardwood Deciduous Forest, FOD2-4) produce abundant mast (nuts) which is an important food source for a variety of wildlife. Table 2: ELC Vegetation Communities Map reference *

Vegetation type Size in hectares

% of natural area

BLO1-1 Open Clay Bluff (4 communities) 1.08 0.78 BLT1-B Deciduous Treed Bluff 0.20 0.14 FOD2-2 Dry-Fresh Oak - Hickory Deciduous Forest 2.18 1.57 FOD2-3 Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest

PROVINCIALLY RARE S-rank S3S4 0.21

0.15 FOD2-4 Dry-Fresh Oak – Hardwood Deciduous Forest

(3 communities) 0.87

0.63 FOD4-1 Dry-Fresh Beech Deciduous Forest 0.44 0.32 FOD4-A Dry-Fresh Ironwood Deciduous Forest 0.73 0.53 FOD4-H Dry-Fresh Hawthorn - Apple Deciduous Forest 10.13 7.31



(8 communities)

FOD5 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple Deciduous Forest Ecosite 0.26 0.19 FOD5-1 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple Deciduous Forest


1.65 FOD5-3 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - Oak Deciduous Forest 0.50 0.36 FOD5-4 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - Ironwood Deciduous Forest 2.63 1.90 FOD5-8 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - White Ash Deciduous

Forest 0.64

0.46 FOD6-1 Fresh-Moist Sugar Maple - Ash Deciduous Forest 2.03 1.47 FOD7-1 Fresh-Moist White Elm Lowland Deciduous Forest


6.33 FOD7-2 Fresh-Moist Ash Lowland Deciduous Forest


0.67 FOD7-3 Fresh-Moist Willow Lowland Deciduous Forest


2.86 FOD7-A Fresh-Moist Manitoba Maple Lowland Deciduous

Forest (10 communities) 2.63

1.90 MAM2-2 Reed Canary Grass Mineral Meadow Marsh


1.41 MAM2-10 Forb Mineral Meadow Marsh (3 communities) 2.26 1.63 MAS2-1A Broad-leaved Cattail Mineral Shallow Marsh


0.43 MAS2-3 Narrow-leaved Sedge Mineral Shallow Marsh 0.10 0.07 SWD2-2 Red (Green) Ash Mineral Deciduous Swamp


0.68 SAF1-3 Duckweed Floating-leaved Shallow Aquatic 0.29 0.21 OAO1-T Turbid Open Aquatic 0.01 0.01 CUM1-1 Dry-Moist Old Field Meadow (28 communities) 45.67 32.97 CUT1-5 Raspberry Cultural Thicket 0.15 0.11 CUT1-A Native Sapling Cultural Thicket (9 communities) 5.25 3.79 CUT1-B Buckthorn Cultural Thicket 0.35 0.25 CUT1-D Round-leaved Dogwood Cultural Thicket


0.30 CUS1-1 Hawthorn Cultural Savannah (10 communities) 10.10 7.29 CUS1-A Native Cultural Savannah (20 communities) 10.27 7.41 CUW1-A Native Cultural Woodland (6 communities) 4.23 3.05 CUW1-B Exotic Cultural Woodland (6 communities_ 2.41 1.74 CUW1-D Hawthorn Cultural Woodland (5 communities) 4.91 3.54 CUP1-A Restoration Deciduous Plantation (2 communities) 2.58 1.86 CUP2-A Restoration Mixed Plantation (4 communities) 2.13 1.54 CUP3-A Restoration Coniferous Plantation 3.61 2.61 TOTAL AREA INVENTORIED 138.68

* Note: The map reference code refers to the vegetation type shown on mapping for this area and also to the Appendix list of species typically encountered in this vegetation type. Species Presence Vascular Plants A total of 227 species occur in this natural area, of which 169 (74%) are native. One species, Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is Endangered both nationally and provincially, as well as being provincially rare (S-rank S3?; Table 3). Nine species here are regionally rare (Table 4). Twenty-two of the species are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern and an additional 47 species are TRCA regional Species of Urban Conservation Concern (Table 4).



Breeding Birds A total of 55 species of breeding birds occur in this natural area, of which 53 (96%) are native. Three of these are Species At Risk. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is Threatened nationally and provincially and both Barn Swallow (Hirundo rusitca) and Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) are Threatened nationally. Thirteen of the species are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern and an additional 19 species are TRCA regional Species of Urban Conservation Concern (Table 4). Four of the breeding bird species here are colonial-nesting species, Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia), Barn Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) and Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis). This area provides interior forest habitat that supports three area-sensitive forest interior bird species, Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla). Expanses of grassland and other young successional habitat at this site provide sufficient space for seven grassland bird species, namely Bobolink, Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida), Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) and Sedge Wren. Two of these grassland bird species, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, are area-sensitive. The wetlands of the area support the breeding of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Sedge Wren and Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola). Herpetofauna Six native, herpetofaunal species (five frogs/toads and one snake species) occur at this site. One frog species, the Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata), is Threatened nationally (Table 3). Three of the frog species present here are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern and the remaining two frog species and the snake species are TRCA regional Species of Urban Conservation Concern (Table 4). Mammals Six species of mammals were observed incidentally at this site, all of which are common native species. Three of the species are TRCA regional Species of Urban Conservation Concern (Table 4). Targeted inventories for other less easily detected mammal groups such as small mammals and bats, would likely reveal additional mammal species to be present. Table 3: Designated Species At Risk Scientific name Common name COSEWIC COSSARO S rank G rank VASCULAR PLANTS Juglans cinerea Butternut END END S3? G4 BIRDS Hirundo rusitca Barn Swallow THR S5B G5 Dolichonyx oryzivorus Bobolink THR THR S4B G5 Sturnella magna Eastern Meadowlark THR S5B G5 HERPETOFAUNA

Pseudacris triseriata Western Chorus Frog

THR S4 G5

Table 4: Regionally Rare Species (shown in bold), TRCA Regional Species of Conservation Concern (L1-L3) and TRCA Regional Species of Urban Conservation Concern (L4) (Kaiser, 2001; Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 2007) Scientific name Common name S rank G rank L-rank VASCULAR PLANTS Acer rubrum Red Maple S5 G5 L4 Acer saccharinum Silver Maple S5 G5 L4 Acer saccharum ssp. nigrum Black Maple S4? G5T5 L4



Acer spicatum Mountain Maple S5 G5 L4 Acer x freemanii Freeman's Maple SNR GNA L3 Amelanchier laevis Allegheny Serviceberry S5 G4G5Q L4 Aquilegia canadensis Wild Columbine S5 G5 L3 Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata Swamp Milkweed S5 G5T5 L4 Aster macrophyllus Large-leaf Wood Aster S5 G5 L4 Betula papyrifera Paper Birch S5 G5 L4 Boehmeria cylindrica False Nettle S5 G5 L4 Caltha palustris Marsh Marigold S5 G5 L4 Cardamine diphylla Two-leaf Toothwort S5 G5 L4 Carex albursina White Bear Sedge S5 G5 L3 Carex arctata Black Sedge S5 G5? L4 Carex deweyana Short-scale Sedge S5 G5 L4 Carex lacustris Lake-bank Sedge S5 G5 L4 Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania Sedge S5 G5 L4 Carex pseudo-cyperus Cyperus-like Sedge S5 G5 L4 Carex retrorsa Retrorse Sedge S5 G5 L4 Carex siccata Dry-spike Sedge S5 G5 L3 Carex trisperma var. trisperma

Three-seed Sedge subspecies S5 G5T5 L3

Carpinus caroliniana ssp. virginiana Blue Beech S5 G5 L4 Carya cordiformis Bitter-nut Hickory S5 G5 L4 Carya ovata Shag-bark Hickory S5 G5 L3 Caulophyllum giganteum Giant Blue Cohosh S4? G4G5Q L4 Chelone glabra White Turtlehead S5 G5 L3 Cinna arundinacea Stout Wood Reedgrass S4 G5 L3 Cornus amomum ssp. obliqua Silky Dogwood S5 G5T5 L3 Cornus rugosa Roundleaf Dogwood S5 G5 L4 Crataegus macracantha Long-spined Hawthorn S5 GNR L4 Dryopteris intermedia Evergreen Woodfern S5 G5 L4 Elymus riparius River Wild-rye S4? G5 L4 Euonymus obovatus Running Strawberry-bush S5 G5 L3 Eupatorium perfoliatum Common Boneset S5 G5 L4 Fagus grandifolia American Beech S4 G5 L4 Fraxinus nigra Black Ash S5 G5 L4 Hackelia deflexa Northern Stickseed S5 G5 L2 Hydrophyllum canadense Blunt-leaf Waterleaf S4 G5 L3 Juglans cinerea Butternut S3? G4 L3 Larix laricina American Larch S5 G5 L3 Leersia virginica White Grass S4 G5 L4 Lemna trisulca Star Duckweed S5 G5 L3 Lonicera canadensis American Fly-honeysuckle S5 G5 L3 Lycopus uniflorus Northern Bugleweed S5 G5 L4 Mimulus ringens Square-stem Monkey-flower S5 G5 L4 Penstemon digitalis Foxglove Beardtongue S4S5 G5 L3 Penthorum sedoides Ditch-stonecrop S5 G5 L4 Picea glauca White Spruce S5 G5 L3 Pinus resinosa Red Pine S5 G5 L2 Polygonatum pubescens Downy Solomon's-seal S5 G5 L4 Polygonum hydropiperoides Mild Water-pepper S5 G5 L3 Populus grandidentata Large-tooth Aspen S5 G5 L4 Quercus macrocarpa Bur Oak S5 G5 L4



Quercus rubra Northern Red Oak S5 G5 L4 Rosa blanda Smooth Rose S5 G5 L4 Sagittaria latifolia Broadleaf Arrowhead S5 G5 L4 Salix amygdaloides Peach-leaved Willow S5 G5 L4 Salix discolor Pussy Willow S5 G5 L4 Salix lucida Shining Willow S5 G5 L3 Salix petiolaris Meadow Willow S5 G5 L4 Sicyos angulatus One-seed Bur-cucumber S5 G5 L3 Sium suave Hemlock Water-parsnip S5 G5 L4 Thuja occidentalis Eastern White Cedar S5 G5 L4 Trillium erectum Red Trillium S5 G5 L4 Trillium grandiflorum White Trillium S5 G5 L4 Tsuga canadensis Eastern Hemlock S5 G4G5 L4 Typha latifolia Broad-leaf Cattail S5 G5 L4 Waldsteinia fragarioides Barren Strawberry S5 G5 L4 BIRDS Empidonax alnorum Alder Flycatcher S5B G5 L4 Setophaga ruticilla American Redstart S5B G5 L3 Riparia riparia Bank Swallow S4B G5 L4 Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow S5B G5 L4 Ceryle alcyon Belted Kingfisher S4B G5 L4 Coccyzus erythropthalmus Black-billed Cuckoo S5B G5 L3 Dolichonyx oryzivorus Bobolink S4B G5 L3 Certhia americana Brown Creeper S5B G5 L3 Toxostoma rufum Brown Thrasher S4B G5 L3 Spizella pallida Clay-colored Sparrow S4B G5 L3 Geothlypis trichas Common Yellowthroat S5B G5 L4 Sturnella magna Eastern Meadowlark S5B G5 L4 Megascops asio Eastern Screech-owl S5 G5 L4 Contopus virens Eastern Wood-pewee S4B G5 L4 Dumetella carolinensis Gray Catbird S5B G5 L4 Myiarcyhus crinitus Great Crested Flycatcher S4B G5 L4 Picoides villosus Hairy Woodpecker S5 G5 L4 Eremophila alpestris Horned Lark S5B G5 L4 Oporornis philadelphia Mourning Warbler S4B G5 L3

Stelgidopteryx serripennis Northern Rough-winged Swallow S4B G5 L4

Seiurus aurocapilla Ovenbird S4B G5 L3 Vireo olivaceus Red-eyed Vireo S5B G5 L4 Pheucticus ludovicianus Rose-breasted Grosbeak S4B G5 L4 Bonasa umbellus Ruffed Grouse S5 G5 L2 Cistothorus platensis Sedge Wren S4B G5 L3 Melospiza georgiana Swamp Sparrow S5B G5 L4 Tachycineta bicolor Tree Swallow S4B G5 L4 Rallus limicola Virginia Rail S5B G5 L3 Sitta carolinensis White-breasted Nuthatch S5 G5 L4 Empidonax traillii Willow Flycatcher S5B G5 L4 Hylocichla mustelina Wood Thrush S4B G5 L3 Coccyzus americanus Yellow-billed Cuckoo S4B G5 L3 HERPETOFAUNA Bufo americanus American Toad S5 G5 L4 Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis Eastern Gartersnake S5 G5T5 L4



Rana clamitans Green Frog S5 G5 L4 Rana pipiens Northern Leopard Frog S5 G5 L3 Pseudacris triseriata Western Chorus Frog S4 G5 L2 Rana sylvatica Wood Frog S5 G5 L2 MAMMALS Castor canadensis Beaver S5 G5 L4 Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern Cottontail S5 G5 L4 Odocoileus virginianus White-tailed Deer S5 G5 L4

Site Condition and Disturbances This is a large natural area influenced by its urban surroundings. In spite of extensive past and present disturbances, this area plays a key role in providing a large area of natural habitat as a refuge for species within a heavily urbanized area. This area continues to support many species that are sensitive to urbanization, in part due to its large size and habitat complexity. All of the communities show some disturbance from the presence of exotics, and in most communities, invasive species. This disturbance is enhanced by the high proportion of “edge” on account of the linear nature of the natural area that follows the path of a number of creeks. Only a few communities are severely disturbed by invasives. Most of the communities have only moderate or light disturbance, reflecting the presence of fewer serious invasive species and more restricted distribution of them in the communities. Many of the communities also show light to moderate disturbance from the presence of trails or from trampling of vegetation. However, these trails present only localized disturbance. The natural area also shows generally light levels of disturbance from filling and from grazing. The filling is associated with natural communities adjacent to agricultural patches along the valley slopes. While filling disturbance is mostly light, there are a few places where it creates a moderate to severe disturbance. Grazing disturbance is predominantly light with much of it being centralized in communities where treed cover occurs. This area of Brampton was mostly farmland from the 1800’s until the 1970’s when it started to be developed for residential, commercial and industrial use. Development is ongoing. Much of this natural area (the cultural meadow, cultural savannah, cultural thicket, cultural woodland, cultural plantation, and Hawthorn-Apple deciduous forest) is regenerating from large-scale disturbance and was likely cultivated or grazed by livestock. Ecological Features and Functions With forest communities greater than 2 ha, wetlands over 0.5 ha in size, cultural meadow/cultural savannah totalling over 10 ha, this natural area has the potential to support and sustain biodiversity, healthy ecosystem functions and to provide long-term resilience for the natural system. The riparian areas provide a transitional zone between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, helping to maintain the water quality of the river and providing a movement corridor for plants and wildlife. By containing a very wide variety of habitat types, this natural area supports biodiversity, particularly for species that require more than one habitat type for their life needs. This natural area contains a provincially rare vegetation community and thus has the potential to support additional biodiversity above and beyond that found in common community types. This area has good connectivity with adjacent natural areas along the West Humber River valley in both the upstream and downstream directions. Busy arterial roads separate these adjacent areas which may limit the successful movement of some species. Connecting corridors are wide and the natural habitat in each direction is extensive. There is also a connection, across a road to the north-east, with an adjacent narrow riparian corridor of a tributary stream that winds through a residential subdivision. The relatively close proximity of other areas of natural habitat creates above-average



potential for wildlife movement between natural areas, species dispersal and recovery from disturbance, creating additional resilience for the ecosystem. The West Humber River, a major tributary of the Humber River, runs through this area and thus supports the connectivity function of the Humber River and its tributaries by providing a natural habitat corridor that facilitates the cross-regional movement of wildlife along this corridor between major provincial corridors. This area contains five Species At Risk (one plant species, three bird species, one frog species). The area also supports one provincially rare plant species and nine regionally rare plant species. This natural area provides breeding habitat for four species of colonial-nesting birds. Treed patches here are large enough to support three species of area-sensitive forest interior birds. The patches of open country, meadow and early successional habitat are large enough to support seven species of grassland birds, of which two are area-sensitive. One species of waterfowl and two species of wetland-nesting birds also occur in this area. The wetlands of this area support amphibian breeding. Based on the above features, this area should be evaluated to determine if significant wildlife habitat is present in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, Region of Peel Official Plan, and Brampton Official Plan. Opportunities Existing linkages to other natural areas should be maintained and where possible enhanced. Traffic on some of the bounding roads is significant and wildlife movement could benefit from the installation of engineered wildlife road crossings if possible. The distribution and extent of invasive species in this natural area could be monitored. Since current disturbance levels from invasive species are generally only light to moderate, there is an opportunity to check their spread or even to reduce their presence, before levels become unmanageable. Some regenerating old fields could be maintained as such to provide habitat for grassland birds, instead of allowing succession to treed communities. This can be accomplished by periodic (once every 3-5 years) mowing, with mowing delayed in the season until after the young of grassland birds have fledged. The Butternut trees present at this site could have their health assessed by a Butternut Assessor to determine if they might be candidates for inclusion in the Butternut Recovery Program. Literature Cited Kaiser, Jeff. 2001. The Vascular Plant Flora of the Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed. Prepared for: Credit Valley Conservation, the Regional Municipality of Peel, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. 2006. Terrestrial Natural Heritage Program Data Collection Methodology.


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GOREWAY - CASTLEMORE 1 · 2017-07-28 · vegetation types (Table 2). One of these communities, Dry-Fresh Hickory Deciduous Forest (FOD2-3, S-rank S3S4), is provincially rare. Several