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GRASSLAND SET- ASIDE Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust By Shawana Michalek, Sammy Penner and Maggie Stewart Student Researchers, British Columbia Institute of Technology The effects of mowing a newly established GLSA on raptor bevaiour during winter

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GRASSLAND SET-ASIDE

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

By Shawana Michalek, Sammy Penner and Maggie Stewart Student Researchers, British Columbia Institute of TechnologyThe effects of mowing a newly established GLSA on raptor bevaiour during winter

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Mitigation Process

Project Scope

Methods

Findings

Management Implication

Question Period

AGENDA

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Grassland Set-aside Project

MITIGATION PROCESS

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta, BC Fraser River Delta Agriculture Fertile soil Economic/cultural

FarmDelta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta, BC Critical habitat

Important Bird Area Small mammals Pollinators

Habitat Loss

Habitat

FarmDelta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust (DF&WT) Mitigates conflict Unites local farmers Promotes

conservation Six programs

Habitat

Farm

DF&WT

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Habitat

Grassland Set-aside Clover/grass Fallowed fields

Increases: habitat Soil fertility

GLSA

Farm

DF&WT

Crop

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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PROJECT SCOPEGrassland Set-aside Project

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Objectives Mown vs. unmown

Vegetation Small mammals Raptor behaviour

GLSA age

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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MownUnmown

Legend

Field Set-up 82 x 82m quadrants

3 mown 3 unmown Centered Tower

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Grassland Set-aside Project

VEGETATION METHODS

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Vegetation Surveys 2 randomized

transects 5 quadrats per

transect

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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0.5m

QuadratMeasurements1. Average Height2. Percent Cover

Clover Grass Seed head Bare ground Thatch

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Grassland Set-aside Project

VOLE METHODS

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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5m

Each quadrant = 25 traps

Vole Trapping Centered grids 150 traps

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Vole Data Mark re-capture Biological inventory Analyzed by

Minimum Number Alive

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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RAPTOR METHODSGrassland Set-aside Project

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Raptor Survey 3 hour intervals Total of 96 hours Focal species: NOHA

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Raptor Data Behaviours

10 sec. intervals Flying high/low Touch-down Perching

605

10

15

20253035

40

45

5055

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Grassland Set-aside Project

FINDINGS

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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80

50

Seasonal Evolution of Vegetative Cover (%)

October 2014 November 2014

March 2015

70

403020

10090

60

100

Mea

n Co

ver

(%)

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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October

November

March

< 1 year old GLSA

4 year old – GLSA in March 2015

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Townsend’s Vole Low abundance

All traps empty Supported by

other researchers Population cycles GLSA age

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Northern Harrier hunting preference

n = 16

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Northern Harrier Mark re-capture

Northern Harrier hunting preference

n = 16

2014 - 152013 - 142012 - 132011 - 12Four years old Three years

oldTwo years old < 1 year old

10090

80

7060

50

40

30

20

100

Year of Study(Grassland Set-aside Age)

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Grassland Set-aside Project

MANAGEMENT

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Recommendations Maintain unmown

GLSA > 1 year old Continue research

Vole cycles Age of GLSA

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Conclusion DF&WT leadership

Vegetation Vole abundance Raptor behaviour

Multi-year data set Long-term

management

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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ACKNOLEDGMENTSGrassland Set-aside Project

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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A special thanks to…

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust: Christine Terpsma, Program Coordinator Mary Taitt, Chair Trevor Harris, property owner

British Columbia Institute of Technology Eric Anderson, Project Supervisor BCIT Instructors:

Danny Catt Tom Saare Kelly Hatfull Doug Ransome

Volunteers: Neusa Amboni, Dan Garney, Mary Tang, Krystal Brennan and Sean Chathom

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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QUESTIONS?Grassland Set-aside Project

Contacts:Shawana Michalek [email protected]

Maggie Stewart [email protected]

Samantha Penner [email protected]

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Bald Eagle observations (n = 70)

Red-tailed Hawk (n = 7)

Recorded from 29 October 2014 to 25 January 2015.

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Great Blue Heron observations (n = 8)

Recorded from 29 October 2014 to 25 January 2015.

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Methods for calculatingMean Time (%) for NOHA FL

Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Translating Raw Data

Mown Habitat Unmown HabitatSpecies

Sex Start Time

End Time

0:00

0:10 0:20 0:00 0:10 0:20

NOHA F 11:48 11:48 FH FL FH

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Percent Time per observationMown Habitat Unmown Habitat

Species

Sex

Start Time

End Time

0:00

0:10

0:20 0:00 0:10

0:20

Time Interv

als

NOHA F 11:48 11:48 FH FL FH 3

NOHA M 12:53 12:53 FL FL 2

% of timeMown Habitat Unmown HabitatFH FL FH FL

=COUNTIF(range, "FH")/number of time intervals= 1/3 = 34%

=1/3 = 34%

=1/3 = 34% =0/3 = 0%

=COUNTIF(range, "FH")/number of time intervals= 0/2 = 0%

=0/2 = 0%

=0/2 = 0% =2/2 = 100%

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Figure – mean time (%) per observation

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Percent Time per species

Mown Habitat Unmown HabitatSpecies Mean % time

(FL)Mean % time (FH)

Mean % time (FL)

Mean % time (FH)

NOHA =sum%timeFL/#NOHAobserved=(34% + 0%)/2= 17%

=(34% + 0%)/2= 17%

=(34% + 0%)/2= 17%

= (100% + 0%)/2= 50%

% of timeMown Habitat Unmown HabitatFH FL FH FL

34% 34% 34% 0%

0% 0% 0% 100%