Hine’s Emerald

Species information

This chapter provides a review of progress towards the protection and recovery of Hine’s Emerald in Ontario from 2007 to 2017.

Hine’s Emerald (Somatachlora hineana) is a dragonfly known for its brilliant emerald green eyes. It is relatively large, measuring 60 to 65 millimetres long with a 90 to 95 millimetre wingspan, and has a dark metallic green thorax with two creamy yellow lateral stripes. This dragonfly can be difficult to track in flight as it moves swiftly and erratically. It has excellent evasive abilities and cryptic colouration and frequently flies high, often in dappled shade.

Hine’s Emerald lives in groundwater-fed wetlands with grassy vegetation, such as fens. Adults use various habitats for foraging, resting, breeding and movement. Adjacent forest areas provide protected, shaded areas for perching and roosting. Larvae use crayfish burrows (during periods of low water and during the winter) that offer protection from seasonal drought and freezing. In Ontario, it has only been documented in and around Minesing Wetland, near Barrie.

The species faces several threats to its survival and recovery including habitat loss due to changes in hydrology, such as water level fluctuations and quality, competition from invasive species, and natural vegetation succession. European Common Reed (Phragmites australis australis), an invasive species which forms dense stands in fens, virtually eliminates native biodiversity and threatens the only site that is known to be occupied by Hine’s Emerald.

The survival and recovery of Hine’s Emerald is influenced by other factors as well. The dependency of Hine’s Emerald on Digger Crayfish (Fallicambarus fodiens) indicates that a threat to the persistence of burrowing crayfish in Ontario would have a severe negative effect on this dragonfly. The species also only occurs in one wetland in Ontario, and survey results suggest that Hine’s Emerald may only occur at a very few additional Canadian locations.

Hine’s Emerald is listed as endangered at 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 imperiled (NatureServe Explorer).

Provincial status

The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) assessed Hine’s Emerald as endangered in 2011. As a result, it was added to the SARO List under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or the Act) in 2012. 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 Hine’s Emerald 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, Hine’s Emerald has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA since it was listed in 2012. The species’ habitat has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since 2012. Habitat protection for the species was initially based on the general habitat definition in the ESA. The habitat of Hine’s Emerald is now protected through a habitat regulation that came into force in 2015.

The government developed a regulation (Ontario Regulation 242/08, section 27.3) to provide clarity to the public and others on what areas are protected as Hine’s Emerald habitat. The regulated habitat includes areas that are required by the species to carry out its life processes within its range in Ontario. The habitat regulation was developed based on information about the habitat needs of the species as well as social and economic factors, collected from a variety of sources including comments received through public consultation.

Any person who negatively impacts Hine’s Emerald or its habitat without prior authorization may be prosecuted under the ESA.

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Hine’s Emerald was published on January 11, 2013, which was within 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 government response statement for Hine’s Emerald on October 11, 2013. 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 Hine’s Emerald also lists four actions the Government of Ontario supports others to undertake for the species. These government-supported actions fall under the objectives identified in the GRS, which are:

• Maintain the quantity and quality of Hine’s Emerald habitat and mitigate threats
• Increase knowledge of Hine’s Emerald biology in Ontario including distribution, abundance, life history and habitat needs

Government-funded projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Hine’s Emerald is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported three projects ($107,373) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Hine’s Emerald^{footnote 1[1]}, and all projects focused exclusively on the species. Partners reported that they were successful in securing additional funding ($72,069) from other sources. This amount includes in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving five individuals who volunteered 60 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Hine’s Emerald, which has an estimated value of $2,200. Stewardship partners also reported providing outreach on Hine’s Emerald to 150 individuals.

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 Hine’s Emerald habitat associations.

This section highlights two projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions for the species.

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority received funding through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to implement projects to better understand the relationship between Hine’s Emerald dragonfly habitat and groundwater characteristics in the Minesing Wetlands in support of addressing key knowledge gaps for its recovery.

The first project mapped and identified the groundwater regimes in the Minesing Wetlands and the associated upgradient recharge areas in addition to the determination of groundwater levels, chemistry and recharge rates in the fen and recharge areas. The groundwater flow direction is to the west towards the Nottawasaga River from the Snow Valley Uplands, which corresponds to the associated recharge area. Potential for groundwater alterations to impact Hine’s Emerald larval habitat was identified via elevated presence of sodium and chlorine noted in sites located in the discharge wetland system near a road. Project recommendations included establishing a regular groundwater monitoring program and implementing best management practices (BMPs) related to minimizing the amount of road salt and associated contaminant run-off.

The subsequent project evaluated comparable Hine’s Emerald habitat associations based on similar local groundwater characteristics via a desktop modelling exercise and further conducted field investigation and evaluation of groundwater levels, chemistry and recharge rates. Hine’s Emerald preferred habitat was found to be strongly associated with areas of calcium-rich groundwater discharge at the base of slopes with a mix of open and closed canopy habitats and contiguous natural habitat in the surrounding upland areas of Minesing Wetlands. Based on preferred groundwater characteristics, areas of potential Hine’s Emerald larval habitat were identified as over 12 square kilometres located in other Provincially Significant Wetlands. Project recommendations included searching for Hine’s Emerald along accessible openings that were near wetlands that may be used for breeding to detect additional population locations.

These projects support the GRS actions to increase knowledge of Hine’s Emerald biology in Ontario, including distribution, abundance, life history and habitat needs.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

• 
  3

  projects included Hine's Emerald

• 
  $107,373

  project for Hine's Emerald exclusively

• 
  $72,069

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  5

  volunteers

• 
  60

  volunteer hours

• 
  150

  people received outreach

Efforts to minimize adverse effects on Hine’s Emerald

Supporting partners through permits and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.

One permit has been issued for Hine’s Emerald since the species has been protected under the ESA, which was a ‘protection or recovery’ permit (i.e., 17(2)(b)). ‘Protection or recovery’ permits are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist in the protection or recovery of a species at risk. The permit was issued exclusively for Hine’s Emerald to increase the knowledge regarding current population size and structure and habitat preferences of the species.

No activities that pertain to Hine’s Emerald have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA since the registry was established in 2013.

Occurrences of Hine’s Emerald in Ontario

A single population^{footnote 2[2]} of Hine’s Emerald has been documented in Ontario, and it is considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years). This population is located in Minesing Wetlands, between the towns of Barrie and Wasaga Beach in southern Ontario.

The government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received 43 records of the species. These records are based on observations between 2007 and 2016 and come from a variety of sources. Eight observations were received since Hine’s Emerald was listed in 2012 and all were observed in 2016. 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.

Significant search efforts were made between 2007 and 2009, and it is estimated that the population of Hine’s Emerald is at least 59 individuals based on the last observation. The viability of the population is estimated to be excellent or good.

It is possible that there are observations of Hine’s Emerald 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 to the government increases our knowledge of where it occurs 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 Hine’s Emerald, and any other species at risk observed, to the 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 the majority of the government-led actions and the majority of government-supported actions outlined in the GRS for Hine's Emerald. 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 Hine's Emerald 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 Hine's Emerald and its habitat through the ESA. Develop and enforce the regulation identifying the specific habitat of the species
• Support conservation, agency, municipal, industry partners and Indigenous communities to undertake activities to protect and recover the Hine's Emerald. Support will be provided through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and 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 the majority of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Hine's Emerald.

Under the objective to maintain the quantity and quality of Hine’s Emerald habitat and mitigate threats, initial progress has been made towards Action No. 2.

• Maintain suitable habitat function by controlling invasive plant species within Hine's Emerald habitat and implementing Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry protocols for the control of European Common Reed (Action No. 2).

This action was implemented through a project supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, which reported on the types of invasive species, their distribution, their potential impacts on Hine’s Emerald and fen ecology, and recommendations for control.

Under the objective to increase knowledge of Hine’s Emerald biology in Ontario including distribution, abundance, life history and habitat needs, considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 3 and Action No. 4.

• Develop and implement a standardized monitoring program to assess changes in populations and habitat over time, including:
  • Monitoring groundwater quantity and quality in recharge areas and larval habitat
  • Monitoring burrowing crayfish population levels and threats without disturbing the crayfish burrows (i.e. no pumping or digging of burrows) (Action No. 3 – High Priority)
• Conduct surveys of suitable habitat surrounding Minesing Wetlands to determine if there are any additional populations (Action No. 4)

Action No. 3 was implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. One project mapped and identified groundwater regimes in the Minesing Wetlands and the associated upgradient recharge areas in addition to the determination of groundwater levels, chemistry and recharge rates in the fen and recharge areas. A second project evaluated comparable Hine’s Emerald habitat associations based on similar local groundwater characteristics via a desktop modelling exercise and further conducted field investigation and evaluation of groundwater levels, chemistry and recharge rates. A third project examined Digger Crayfish densities within the larval habitat of Hine’s Emerald and found that the number of Digger Crayfish occurring in Minesing Wetlands is not likely to be a determining factor in Hine’s Emerald habitat selection.

Action No. 4 was implemented through one project supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, which included surveying 26 sites for Hine’s Emerald around Minesing Wetlands. Eight of these sites were identified as probable locations for Hine’s Emerald.

The recovery goal for Hine’s Emerald is to maintain the persistence of the species and its habitat where it currently exists in Ontario. Effort made towards the government-led and government-supported actions has helped to make progress towards the recovery goal for Hine’s Emerald. The provincial record indicates that there were eight observations of Hine’s Emerald in 2016 at Minesing Wetlands and that the viability of the population is estimated to be excellent or good. In addition, stewardship partners have reported on the types, distribution and potential impacts of invasive species on Hine’s Emerald, surveyed sites around Minesing Wetlands, and undertaken research to better understand Hine’s Emerald biology in Ontario, including distribution, abundance, life history and habitat needs.

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 Hine’s Emerald 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 activities and associated decisions regarding the protection and recovery of the species:

• Develop and distribute BMPs to promote the protection of wetlands and upland groundwater infiltration associated with the Minesing Wetlands in order to maintain the current water balance and water quality. BMPs may include:
  • Using low impact development approaches that maintain the current quantity of groundwater flowing from recharge areas in adjacent uplands into the Minesing Wetlands
  • Minimizing the amount of contamination run-off due to road salt, pesticides, fertilizers, etc., into the Snow Valley Uplands, which runs into the underlying aquifer that feeds into the Minesing Wetlands
  • Improving faulty septic systems (Action No. 1 – High)

Although some progress has been made, further work is required to fully implement Action No. 2 and Action No. 3, including controlling invasive plant species within Hine’s Emerald habitat and developing and implementing a standardized monitoring program to assess changes in populations and habitat over time.

Moving forward, protecting and recovering Hine’s Emerald 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 Hine’s Emerald in Ontario.

Summary of progress towards the protection and recovery of Hine's Emerald (2007 to 2017)

Provincial status

Hine’s Emerald is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). The species has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken and its habitat has been protected from damage or destruction under the ESA since 2012. Habitat protection for the species is now based on a habitat regulation that came into force in 2015.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government

• Recovery Strategy for Hine’s Emerald (2013)
• Hine’s Emerald: Ontario Government Response Statement (2013)
• Hine’s Emerald Habitat Regulation: Ontario Regulation 242/08, Section 27.3 (2015)

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct three projects ($107,373) that have supported the protection and recovery of Hine’s Emerald, which focused exclusively on Hine’s Emerald.
• Stewardship partners reported that they were successful in securing additional funding ($72,069) from other sources. This amount includes in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers. Partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving five individuals who volunteered 60 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Hine’s Emerald, which has an estimated value of $2,200. Stewardship partners also reported providing outreach on Hine’s Emerald to 150 individuals.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The government has issued one ‘protection or recovery’ permit for this species issued under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA.

Occurrences and distribution

• One population located at Minesing Wetlands has been documented in Ontario and is considered to be extant.
• Eight observations were received since Hine’s Emerald was listed in 2012 and all were observed in 2016. Significant search efforts were made between 2007 and 2009, and it is estimated that the population of Hine’s Emerald is at least 59 individuals based on the last observation. The viability of the population is estimated to be excellent or good.

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 Hine’s Emerald

Policy Guidance on Harm and Harass under the Endangered Species Act

Species at Risk in Ontario List

Species at Risk Stewardship Program