Break down
 Presentation on ELC and OWES
 Break
 Field exercise will consist of (1h-1.5):
 Performing a soil survey
 Delineate a wetland boundary using plants
 Wetland community groups
 Break
 What your wetland is worth
Why are Wetlands Important?
They are the heart of the ecosystem!
• All things need
water to survive
• Food hub
• Reproduction hub
• Most biologically
diverse areas of
Ontario
Water Management
 Flood prevention
 Filters sediments and chemicals
 Recharge areas for ground water (Drinking Water)
Why We Evaluate Wetlands
 Categorize landscape
 Relativity to other wetlands
 Environmental impact assessments
 Municipal and Provincial planning
 Quantifying Significant
 Determine value based on
environmental and economical
qualities
Benefits to Evaluation
 Protect Existing Wetland
 72% of the wetlands present prior to
European settlement have been destroyed in
Southern Ontario.
 Interest
 Know what's on you property
 Track changes and heath of your environment
 Tax Break
 The Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program
offers 100 % tax exemption of PSWs
 Land must be at least 1/5 of a hectare (1/2 acre)
in size.
Controversy
 The Provincial Policy Statement prohibits
development and site alteration in and
adjacent (PSWs).
Problems
 Assessment can impact neighbor
 Exemptions allow for infrastructure works,
agriculture and some resource extraction
activities
 MNR is responsible for evaluation approval
ELC Components
ELC Example
Image: TRCA, 2013
OWES Components
A numerical ranking of wetland values or functions
1. Biological Component: productivity and habitat diversity
2. Social Component: direct human including economically
valuable products, recreational activities and educational uses
3. Hydrological Component: water-related values, such as the
reduction of flood peaks and contributions to groundwater
recharge and discharge, and water quality improvements.
4. Special Features Component: geographic rarity of wetlands,
rare species, ecosystem age, and habitat quality for wildlife
Are You Significant?
PSW defined as any evaluated wetland that scores:
 600+ total
 200+ in Biological Component or Special Features Component
 Note each category capped at 250 points
Easy Points Special Features
200 points gets you PSW stats
RARITY
 Wetlands Type (80 points)
 Endangered or Threatened Species Breeding (250 points)
 Endangered or Threatened Species Feeding Habitat (150 points)
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OR HABITAT (25 to 150 points)
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Colonial Waterbirds
Waterfowl Staging and Moulting
Migratory Passerine, Shorebird or Raptor Stopover
Ungulate Habitat
Fish Habitat
 Red-necked Grebe
 Black-crowned Night Heron
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013
 Black Tern
 Common Tern
 Caspian Tern
 (smaller)
Photo: Philip Jeffrey
 Great Egret
 Great Blue Heron
 scored for nesting occurrences, only
Photo: Mdf CC
Photo: Badjoby CC
International concern under the
North American Waterfowl
Management Plan.
Goal of 640,000 breeding birds
in the original breeding ground
survey area.
Delineation
Wetland boundaries
uses the “50%
wetland vegetation”
rule is used.
(BIRDS EYE VIEW or
Relative Cover)
Categorize Your Wetland
Community Type
 Wetland Type
 Dominate vegetation type >25%
Wetland Types
 M = marsh
 W = open water marsh
 S = swamp
 F = fen
 B = bog
Swamp (100 to 200yrs)
 Swamps are wooded wetlands with 25% cover or
more of trees or tall shrubs and standing water
What about Ephemeral pools?
Trees of silver maple, hybrid
soft maple, white elm,
black/green ash and yellow
birch are among the best
indicators of a deciduous swamp
Photo : UFORA
Black spruce, eastern hemlock,
and tamarack indicate conifer
swamps.
Photo: Ben Kimball
M-Marsh W-Open Water Marsh
(10-15yrs)
 Marshes are wet. Standing or slowly moving water. No
dominant trees species. Do not completely dry up.
Marsh: communities dominated by
narrow-leaved emergents, robust
emergents, broad-leaved
emergents or herbs
Open water marsh: communities
dominated by submergents,
floating plants or un-vegetated
open water <1m deep
W Vs. M Pictures
Marsh Indicator Species
W - Marsh
 Myriophyllum sp. Water-milfoil
 Potamogeton sp. Pondweed
 Nuphar or Nymphaea sp. Water-lily
Photo: Christian Fischer
Photo: André Karwath
M-Marsh
 Carex emoryi Riverbank Sedge
 Typha sp. Cattail
 (also in swamps)
Photo: User:Bogdan CC
Photo: Marcus, Joseph A.
Fen (+500yrs)
 Live tree cover can’t exceed 25%.
 Peat-filled, chiefly Sphagnum.
 Fens can be dominated by sedges, grasses, and low
shrubs, e.g., sweet gale (Myrica gale).
Fen species
 Sphagnum moss sp.
 Scheuchzeria sp. Pod-grass
James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster
 Drosera sp. Sundew
 Orchids
James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster
Photo: Jacopo Werther
Bog (+1000yrs)
 Peat-filled, chiefly Sphagnum.
 Not diverse usually less than 14 species of vascular
plants with over 25% cover
 Surface water and peat are strongly acidic (pH 4.7) and
deficient in mineral nutrients.
Note: Do not use harvested peat for gardening!
Vegetation
Forms
Trees: >6m
Tall shrubs: 1-6m
Low shrubs: <1 m
Example Sheet
 What looks 25% (absolute cover)
 f,*ne water lily (f)
 su*, f, ne pondweed (su)
 Wetland Type (M<W<F<B<S)
 Map Code: suW1
 Soil
 % Fish Habitat ?
Field Work
 Soil
 Plant ID
 Delineation
 Community Groups
 On your own
What is your Wetland Worth?
Biological Component
 Productivity Growing Degree Days
Biodiversity
 1.1.2 Wetland Type
 1.1.3 Site Type
 1.2.1 Number of Wetland Types
1.2.2 Vegetation Communities
 1.2.3 Diversity of Surrounding Habitat
 1.2.4 Proximity to Other Wetlands
 1.2.5 Number of Interspersions
 1.2.6 Open Water Type
 1.3 Size
Biological Component
Final Score:
What is your Wetland Worth?
Social Component
Economically Valuable Products
 2.1.1 Wood Products
 2.1.2 Lowbush Cranberry
 2.1.3 Wild Rice
 2.1.4 Commercial Fishing (Bait/Coarse)
 2.1.5 Furbearers
 2.2 Recreational Activities
Landscape Aesthetics
 2.3.1 Distinctness
 2.3.2 Absence of Human Disturbance
Education and Public
 2.4.1 Uses
 2.3.2 Facilities and Programs
 2.4.3 Research and Studies
 2.5 Proximity to Human Settlement
 2.6 Ownership
 2.7 Size in relation to Social Component
 Add 2.1, 2.2 and 2.5 / Total Wetland Size
 2.8 Aboriginal Values
Social Component Score:
References
 All photos not sited on slides are property of Adopt-A-
Pond
 All material taken from
 1st ed. 2013. Northern Manuel Ontario Wetland
Evaluation System. 978-1-4606-0203-4 PDF
 Ecological Land Classification SCSS Field Guide FG-02,
Ministry of Natural Resources