Cherry Birch

Species information

This chapter provides a review of progress towards the protection and recovery of Cherry Birch in Ontario from 2007 to 2017.

Cherry Birch (Betula lenta) is a medium-sized tree that can reach a height of 25 metres and a diameter of 95 centimetres. The oval-shaped leaves are alternate and have toothed edges. The species is long-lived and can reach an age of 200 years or more. Young trees have smooth bark that is dark red to black in colour; as the tree ages, the bark becomes a lighter ashy-brown and breaks up into large plates. Unlike other birch species, the bark edges do not curl. The species is monoecious (both male and female flowers occur on the same tree) with catkins appearing in the early spring before the leaves emerge. The seeds are released in late fall to winter and dispersed by the wind. Seed germination is dependent on sunlight, ideally, lightly-shaded areas in forest canopy openings.

The range of Cherry Birch is primarily the northeastern United States where it is widespread. Two confirmed wild populations of the species in Canada occur at sites in the Niagara region of Ontario, west of St. Catharines and in Hamilton, Ontario.

Across its range, the tree is typically found in areas with moist well-drained soils, but the species has also been found at sites with clay-loam soils over limestone bedrock and coarse-textured rocky soils. In Ontario, the forest where Cherry Birch has been observed is composed of Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) and Eastern Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana). Trees from the Niagara region population are growing naturally on a forested slope, and seedlings were transplanted into a woodlot and on the lawn of a shoreline property on Lake Ontario.

Cherry Birch faces several threats to its survival and recovery, including habitat loss and degradation due to historical land clearing, and more recently, intensified clearing for agriculture and land development. The sites where the species occurs are surrounded by residential development. Shoreline erosion resulted in the loss of all mature trees that were formerly growing at site near the Niagara region population along the shore of Lake Ontario.

The survival and recovery of Cherry Birch are influenced by other factors as well. The species’ low numbers in Ontario could result in loss of genetic diversity, and excessive herbivory by rabbits and mice on transplanted seedlings may have an impact on successful transplanting in some locations.

Cherry Birch is listed as endangered at both the provincial level (Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List) and federal level (Schedule 1 under the Species at Risk Act). Globally, it is considered to be secure (NatureServe Explorer).

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 Cherry Birch as endangered. It was listed on the SARO List as endangered when the ESA came into force in 2008. In future assessments, COSSARO may consider information gained through protection and recovery actions regarding the species’ threats and trends in population and distribution.

Species and habitat protection

Protecting Cherry Birch and its habitat are key components in the implementation of the ESA and continue to be government-led actions, as identified in the government response statement (GRS). As an endangered species, Cherry Birch has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA since it came into force in 2008. The species’ habitat has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since June 30, 2013, based on the general habitat definition in the ESA. The ESA does not require a habitat regulation to be developed for transition^{footnote 1[1]} species such as Cherry Birch.

Any person who negatively impacts Cherry Birch or its habitat without prior authorization may be prosecuted under the ESA.

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Cherry Birch was published on January 11, 2013 which was in advance of the timeframe required by the ESA. Recovery strategies are advice to government and represent the best available scientific knowledge. The strategy identifies the habitat needs of the species and the threats that it faces, while recommending objectives and approaches for its protection and recovery. The recovery strategy also includes recommendations on the areas of habitat to be considered in the development of a habitat regulation.

Government response statement

The government published the GRS for Cherry Birch on October 11, 2013 which was in advance of the timeline required by the ESA. The GRS is the Government of Ontario’s species-specific policy on what is needed to protect and recover a given species, and includes the associated recovery goal.

To help achieve this goal, the government leads, supports and prioritizes recovery actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal are provided in section 2.5 of the Species at Risk Program Status (2008-2015).

The GRS for Cherry Birch also lists three actions the government supports others to undertake for the species. These government-supported actions fall under the objectives identified in the GRS, which are:

• Maintain the existing population and suitable habitat
• Improve knowledge of the species demographics and survey suitable habitat

Government-funded projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Cherry Birch is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported two projects ($73,130) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Cherry Birch. One project focused exclusively on the species, while the other project focused on multiple species at risk, including Cherry Birch. In addition to the government funding, partners reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($29,300) from other sources. This amount includes in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers. One stewardship partner reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 12 individuals who volunteered 38 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Cherry Birch, which has an estimated value of $1,300.

The government also supports proponents in conducting research that addresses important knowledge gaps for species at risk. Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the government provided funding to a partner to conduct research on a detection method for plant species at risk in Ontario, including Cherry Birch. The remainder of this section highlights one project supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions for the species.

Since 2015, the University of Guelph Arboretum has received financial support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to help implement a project entitled “Stewardship of Cherry Birch: Building on the Rare Woody Plants of Ontario Program at the Arboretum”. This project evaluated the health of Cherry Birch trees, habitat conditions, and the potential for recruiting and transplanting Cherry Birch trees on a private property in the Niagara region. The property owner supports these initiatives and continues to work with Arboretum staff.

As of 2017, the four pre-existing mature Cherry Birch trees on the private property were in “fair to good general health”, but were threatened by soil erosion, wind exposure, and improper pruning. Additionally, the area has been heavily fragmented, cultivated, and colonized by invasive plant species, rendering it unsuitable for seedling recruitment. In response to these threats, Arboretum staff coordinated the removal of dead tree limbs by qualified practitioners and propagated Cherry Birch seedlings that will be transplanted when growth is more advanced. Seeds were harvested at this site and at the Arboretum’s living gene bank. Several hundred seedlings are currently being cared for at the University of Guelph Arboretum.

This project supports each of the GRS actions to maintain the existing population and suitable habitat; and improve knowledge of the species demographics and survey suitable habitat.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

• 
  2

  projects included Cherry Birch

• 
  $73,130

  for multi-species projects that included Cherry Birch

• 
  $29,300

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  12

  volunteers

• 
  38

  volunteer hours

Efforts to minimize adverse effects on Cherry Birch

Supporting partners through permits and their associated conditions is an important government-led action. To date, no permits have been issued for Cherry Birch.

One activity that may affect Cherry Birch or its habitat has been registered under ‘Possession for educational purposes, etc. (section 23.15) of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. The registration requires the registered individual to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as:

• In the case of a living member of a species, the educational organization must take reasonable steps to ensure that the member is safe from harm while in its possession
• The educational organization in possession of the living or dead member of a species or parts of the species must create a detailed record that includes all of the information required under the regulation
• The records must be maintained and copies made available to the government upon request

Occurrences of Cherry Birch in Ontario

Three populations ^{footnote 2[2]} of Cherry Birch have been documented in Ontario. Two are considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years) and one is considered to be extirpated.

The two extant populations are located in the Niagara region at the Fifteen Mile and Sixteen Mile Creek valleys (four individuals) and in Hamilton at the Dundurn Castle National Historic Site (one individual). The viability of the Fifteen Mile and Sixteen Mile Creek valleys population is poor. The viability of the Cherry Birch at the Dundurn Castle National Historic Site has not yet been assessed.

Since 2008, the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received five records of the species. These records are based on observations made between 2008 and 2017 and come from a variety of sources. Records submitted have helped to refine where the species is known and has been known to occur and have provided additional information on the species’ habitat and threats. This information has resulted in the identification of a new individual Cherry Birch, the discovery of which is likely the result of increased search effort and education about Cherry Birch and may not represent actual population increases, but rather increased knowledge about the distribution and abundance of the species.

It is possible that there are observations of Cherry Birch that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species to the government is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Cherry Birch, and any other species at risk observed, to the government’s NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

Summary of progress

Progress has been made towards all of the government-led actions and all of the government-supported actions outlined in the GRS for Cherry Birch. The Government of Ontario has directly undertaken actions to:

• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA
• Encourage the submission of Cherry Birch data to the government’s central repository at the NHIC
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario
• Protect Cherry Birch and its habitat through the ESA
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Cherry Birch. Support will be provided through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services
• Establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to encourage collaboration and reduce duplication of efforts

Government-supported actions are organized under recovery objective focus areas. Progress has been made towards all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Cherry Birch.

Under the objective to maintain the existing population and suitable habitat, initial progress has been made towards Action No. 1 and considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 2.

• Work with interested partners and private landowners of existing sites to:
  • Maintain natural forested habitat
  • Implement best management practices to mitigate the impacts of shoreline and soil erosion near occurrences
  • Mitigate the impacts of herbivory by rabbits and mice (Action No. 1 – High Priority)
• Investigate the feasibility of collecting a small amount of seeds from mature Cherry Birch trees for propagation in a nursery and explore the potential of planting the seedlings at the existing site, where there is suitable habitat (Action No. 2).

The two actions have been implemented through a species-specific Species at Risk Stewardship Program project which included working with a private landowner who has Cherry Birch trees on their property and conducting a habitat assessment on the property to determine the feasibility of natural recruitment. This assessment determined that the landscape was highly fragmented and cultivated and contained an abundance of invasive, non-native species, rendering natural recruitment infeasible. To address this, project staff harvested seeds from mature trees and propagated hundreds of seedlings (in a nursery) that will be planted when growth is more advanced.

Under the objective to improve knowledge of the species’ demographics and survey suitable habitat, considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 3.

• Monitor existing populations of Cherry Birch to:
  • Assess the survival rate, health and status of saplings, seedlings, and trees
  • Determine population size and age distribution, including new recruitment of individuals (Action No. 3)

This action has been implemented through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. One project was a species-specific project which evaluated Cherry Birch tree health, population size, and age distribution. A research project investigated a method of detecting undiscovered plant species at risk, including Cherry Birch, which contributes to our understanding of population size.

The recovery goal for Cherry Birch is to maintain the persistence of Cherry Birch at or above current population levels within its current distribution in Ontario. Effort made towards the government-led and government-supported actions has helped to make progress towards the recovery goal for Cherry Birch. While the provincial record of observations suggest that Cherry Birch is in decline, stewardship partners continue to work with a private landowner to protect Cherry Birch trees on their property; they investigated a detection method for plant species at risk, including Cherry Birch; and they successfully propagated several hundred Cherry Birch seedlings that will be planted when growth is more advanced. These efforts support the persistence, protection, and recovery of Cherry Birch in Ontario.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress 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 Cherry Birch should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species, particularly those actions identified as high priority in the GRS. Relative to actions that have received a stronger level of support, the following action has received less support and may be considered in future decisions regarding the protection and recovery of the species:

• Work with interested partners and private landowners of existing sites to:
  • Maintain natural forested habitat
  • Implement best management practices to mitigate the impacts of shoreline and soil erosion near occurrences
  • Mitigate the impacts of herbivory by rabbits and mice (Action No. 1 – High Priority)

With continued support from a private landowner and an understanding of habitat conditions and threats, efforts can be focused on this action. This will be especially important if it is considered feasible in the future to plant cultivated trees in the area to supplement the natural population.

Moving forward, protecting and recovering Cherry Birch 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 Program. The government 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 Cherry Birch in Ontario.

Summary of progress towards the protection and recovery of Cherry Birch (2007 to 2017)

Provincial status

Cherry Birch is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). Cherry Birch was also listed under the previous Endangered Species Act, and has retained the same status since transition to the ESA. Cherry Birch has received species since 2008 and habitat protection since 2013.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government:

• Recovery Strategy for Cherry Birch (2013)
• Cherry Birch: Ontario Government Response Statement (2013)

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct two projects ($73,130) that have supported the protection and recovery of Cherry Birch. One project focused exclusively on Cherry Birch, while the other project focused on multiple species at risk, including Cherry Birch.
• The government’s support helped one stewardship partner involve 12 individuals who volunteered 38 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Cherry Birch. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is approximately $29,300.
• Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the government supported one research partner to investigate a detection method for plant species at risk in Ontario, including Cherry Birch.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• One activity has been registered for the species. The activity was registered under ‘Possession for educational purposes, etc.’ (section 23.15), under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA.

Occurrences and distribution

• Three populations of Cherry Birch have been documented in southern Ontario. Currently, two of these populations are extant, whereas the remaining population is considered extirpated. The two extant populations of Cherry Birch have been newly identified since 2008, indicating that the species has continued to persist in Ontario.

Related information

Categorizing and Protecting Habitat under the Endangered Species Act

Natural Heritage Information Centre

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act Regulation 242/08

Ontario Recovery Strategy and Government Response Statement for Cherry Birch

Policy Guidance on Harm and Harass under the Endangered Species Act

Species at Risk in Ontario List

Species at Risk Stewardship Program