Spotted Wintergreen

Species description

Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) is a small, rhizomatous evergreen herb that can reach 10-50 centimetres in height and typically grows in large colonies or clones. Each shoot bears a whorl of smooth, dark green toothed leaves with prominent white stripes along the upper surface and a terminal cluster of five white or pinkish flowers. Due to its clonal nature, groupings of stems may actually represent clones of an individual rather than genetically-distinct individuals.

In Canada, Spotted Wintergreen currently occurs in five populations, within which there are nine sub-populations, all located in southwestern Ontario. Spotted Wintergreen is a woodland understory species, typically associated with dry oak-pine mixed forest and woodland habitats with semi-open canopies and sandy soils. Suitable habitat for this species may be limited by the specific microclimate conditions required by the species, such as mycorrhizal soil fungi, slightly acidic soils, and a climate moderated by nearby water bodies. A map of the provincial distribution of Spotted Wintergreen is available on the Government of Ontario’s species at risk website.

Spotted Wintergreen faces several threats to its survival and recovery, including habitat loss and alteration from forestry operations, trampling or soil compaction from recreational uses, and invasive species (which outcompete and displace many native species). In some areas, plants also face disturbance from animal browsing and collection for horticultural purposes.

The survival and recovery of Spotted Wintergreen is influenced by other factors as well. Little is known about the reproductive biology of this species and it is suspected that there are a limited number of pollinators that can aid in fertilization of plants. Poor genetic exchange due to the species’ tendency to reproduce clonally and fragmented, isolated populations also limit the species’ fitness and reproductive potential.

Spotted Wintergreen is listed as endangered at both the provincial (Species at Risk in Ontario List) and federal (Schedule 1 under the Species at Risk Act) levels. Globally, it is considered to be secure.

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 Spotted Wintergreen as endangered and it was regulated under the previous Endangered Species Act in 2003. Spotted Wintergreen has retained its status as endangered under the ESA. The species is scheduled to be reassessed by COSSARO in 2015. In its future assessments, COSSARO may consider information regarding the species’ threats and trends in population and distribution gained through protection and recovery actions.

Species and habitat protection

Protecting Spotted Wintergreen 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. As a species that was regulated under the previous Endangered Species Act, Spotted Wintergreen has received species and habitat protection since 2003. The species is currently protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA. In addition, the habitat of Spotted Wintergreen is protected from being damaged or destroyed; general habitat protection, which is based on the general habitat definition in the ESA, has been in place since 2008 when the ESA came into force. The ESA does not require a habitat regulation to be developed for transition species ^{footnote 1[1]} such as Spotted Wintergreen. Further information on species and habitat protection is provided in section 2.3 of the introductory chapter of this document.

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

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Spotted Wintergreen was completed on February 18, 2010, which was in advance of the date required by the ESA. It represents best science advice to government. The strategy identified the habitat needs of Spotted Wintergreen and the threats that it faces, while recommending objectives and approaches for protecting and recovering the species. The recovery strategy also included recommendations on the areas of habitat to be considered in the development of a habitat regulation.

Government response statement

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (“the Ministry”) published the government response statement (GRS) for Spotted Wintergreen on November 18, 2010, which was within the legislated timeframe required under the ESA. The GRS is government policy that contains the Government of Ontario’s goal for the recovery of Spotted Wintergreen.

To help achieve this goal, the government leads and supports a number of recovery actions. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal are provided in section 2.5 of the introductory chapter of this document. The GRS for Spotted Wintergreen also outlines six actions for which the Ministry is using a variety of methods to support others to undertake. These government-supported actions fall under the objectives identified in the GRS, which are:

• Develop, implement and assess approaches to mitigate threats at each population occurrence;
• Address knowledge gaps and determine the minimum viable population size for the species;
• Monitor populations to determine trends and habitat conditions; and
• Increase the awareness of landowners and land managers of Spotted Wintergreen and increase their level of engagement in stewardship programs.

The subsequent sections of this chapter provide a review of actions that the government has led or supported to help achieve the recovery goal for Spotted Wintergreen.

Government funded projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Spotted Wintergreen is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund the Ministry has supported a total of 12 projects ($671,019) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Spotted Wintergreen. All of these projects targeted multiple species at risk including Spotted Wintergreen and partners reported that they were successful in securing additional funding ($518,538) from other sources. These values for additional funding and in-kind support include the estimated value of the time and expertise provided by volunteers, which are outlined below.

Stewardship partners also reported that the province’s funding support helped them to involve 581 individuals who volunteered 8,739 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen, which has an estimated value of $193,570.

The Ministry’s stewardship partners reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement actions contained in the GRS, they were successful in enhancing 2,558 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species (including Spotted Wintergreen) to 14,120 individuals. The remainder of this section highlights a comprehensive, multi-year project that was supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund and its corresponding government-supported recovery actions.

In particular, one stewardship partner conducted a project over four years to improve species at risk populations, including Spotted Wintergreen, within a protected area in southwestern Ontario. The partner improved habitat by closing 15 kilometres of all-terrain vehicle and bike trails in sensitive habitat, erected signage to depict which trails were authorized and for what type of use, and monitored illegal usage; all of these activities supported the GRS action to implement site-specific management approaches to mitigate threats. Monthly inspection of trails showed that unauthorized usage in sensitive areas had decreased following these efforts. These monitoring efforts also resulted in the discovery of a new sub-population of Spotted Wintergreen, which supports the GRS action to monitor existing populations. In addition, this partner undertook research to evaluate potential approaches to mitigate threats. Locations of 16 different invasive plant species were treated with herbicide and removed from the site; and, prescribed burns were applied to determine how Spotted Wintergreen would respond to disturbance. Monitoring of the post-burned areas showed increases in the number of Spotted Wintergreen plants observed. Finally, to complement their efforts to mitigate threats to Spotted Wintergreen, this partner developed a number of educational and outreach materials to provide to local landowners, including hosting an information session, publishing newspaper articles, launching a website, and distributing a new trail map. This supports the GRS action to develop and provide information and materials to increase awareness.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

• 
  $671,019

  for multi-species projects that included Spotted Wintergreen

• 
  $518,538

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  12

  projects

• 
  581

  volunteers

• 
  8,739

  hours

• 
  14,120

  people received outreach

• 
  2,558

  hectares of habitat enhanced

Efforts to minimize adverse effects on Spotted Wintergreen

Supporting partners to undertake activities to protect and recover Spotted Wintergreen, such as through permits and their associated conditions, is an important government-led action identified in the GRS for the species. One ‘protection and recovery permit’ (i.e., 17(2)(b) permit) related to surveys and research was issued for Spotted Wintergreen since the species has been protected under the ESA. ‘Protection and recovery permits’ are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist the protection or recovery of a species at risk. This permit was issued to allow the proponent to take a voucher specimen of Spotted Wintergreen if a population of greater than 10 individuals was rediscovered in an area where the species was historically known, which supports the action identified in the GRS to monitor existing populations.

No activities that pertain to Spotted Wintergreen have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA since the registry was established in 2013.

• 1
  protection and recovery permit

Occurrences of Spotted Wintergreen in Ontario

Natural Heritage Information Centre

As of 2008, it was estimated that there were seven extant (i.e., observed within the last 20 years) populations ^{footnote 2[2]} of Spotted Wintergreen in Ontario, with a number of sub-populations. Five other populations in Ontario were considered to be extirpated (i.e., no longer in existence).

The long-term viability of some of these populations and sub-populations is uncertain. Spotted Wintergreen is a cryptic plant that can be misidentified as another type of native plant (Common Pipsissewa), which occupies similar habitats (Ursic et al. 2010). The population sizes of Spotted Wintergreen can also fluctuate widely from year-to-year, which creates challenges in determining overall abundance and trends. Recent records of Spotted Wintergreen have shown both increases and decreases of the species in Ontario since 2008. Surveys completed in 2010 and 2014 at the St. Williams Forest resulted in the discovery of two new sub-populations within the larger population. In addition, since 2008 seven new sub-populations within the Turkey Point population have been documented. The data has also shown that several sub-populations within larger populations of Spotted Wintergreen have either decreased since 2008 (Turkey Point and St. Williams Forest) or are small populations that may be vulnerable to disturbance from nearby human activities (Ojibway Prairie Complex and Wainfleet).

Since 2008, when Spotted Wintergreen became protected under the ESA, the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received 112 observation records of the species, some as recent as 2014. These records, combined with information from survey efforts, have helped to redefine where the species is known or has been known to occur, and can provide additional information on the species’ habitat and threats. Since 2008, two populations in the Turkey Point area, which were previously considered to be separate and distinct, were determined to be a single population. In addition, two previously extant populations are now considered to be historical ^{footnote 3[3]} , one in Norfolk County and one in Simcoe County; however, it is believed that suitable habitat is still present at these locations and it is possible that the species may be re-confirmed through future surveys (COSEWIC 2000). In June 2014, a previously unknown population of Spotted Wintergreen was discovered near the Ojibway Prairie Complex in Windsor.

As a result of these changes, Spotted Wintergreen is currently found in five populations in southwestern Ontario. Overall, the recent submission of Spotted Wintergreen records has shown that three out of the five extant populations are considered to be relatively stable and/ or to have good long-term viability (Fisher’s Glen, St. Williams Forest and Turkey Point), whereas the remaining two extant populations are considered to have poor estimated viability (Ojibway Prairie Complex and Wainfleet). It is possible that there are observations of Spotted Wintergreen that have not been submitted to the Ministry. Encouraging the submission of observations of Spotted Wintergreen to the Ministry is included in the GRS as a government-led action.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Spotted Wintergreen, as well as every other species at risk, to the Ministry’s Natural Heritage Information Centre for incorporation into the provincial record of observations.

• 112
  observations of the species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal and recommendations

Summary of progress

Progress has been made toward all government-led actions and the majority of government-supported actions outlined in the GRS for Spotted Wintergreen. As indicated in this report, the Government of Ontario has directly undertaken actions to: encourage submission of Spotted Wintergreen data to the Natural Heritage Information Centre; protect Spotted Wintergreen and its habitat through the ESA; and support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Additionally, as indicated in the introductory chapter of this document, the government has established and communicated annual priority actions for support (section 3.1); educated other agencies and planning authorities on the requirement to consider the protection of the species and its habitat (sections 3.3 and 4.4); and undertaken communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario (section 4.3).

Progress has been made toward most of the government-supported recovery objectives, and nearly all of the associated actions, that are identified in the GRS for Spotted Wintergreen. Under the objective to develop, implement and assess approaches to mitigate threats at each population, progress has been made toward the two high priority actions identified in the GRS. Collectively, these actions have been implemented through a number of projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, and through the conditions of the ‘protection and recovery’ permit issued for Spotted Wintergreen. The actions under this objective are:

• Conduct research to identify threats, evaluate their impacts and develop potential approaches to mitigate them (Action No. 1; High Priority); and
• Implement site-specific management approaches to mitigate threats (Action No. 2; High Priority).

Under the objective to monitor populations to determine trends and habitat conditions, various projects enabled through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund have supported progress on the action to monitor the number of individuals and the general habitat conditions of existing populations (Action No. 5). In fact, one of these projects resulted in the discovery of a new population in the Niagara region.

Under the objective to increase awareness and engagement in stewardship programs of landowners and land managers of Spotted Wintergreen, progress has been made toward the action to develop and provide information and materials to stakeholders to increase awareness (Action No. 6). This action was implemented through various projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund.

The provincial record of observations indicates that Spotted Wintergreen in Ontario is exhibiting trends that are consistent with the aspect of the GRS recovery goal to protect and enhance all existing populations to sustainable levels. Since the species was listed in 2008, one additional population has been discovered, and all five extant populations have been monitored at least once as a result of continued survey efforts. Where possible, these surveys have documented the number of individuals at a particular site, and for multi-year surveys, have contributed to the Ministry’s understanding of increases or decreases within populations. Information on the habitat types in which Spotted Wintergreen has been found, as well as local threats, has also been documented.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, the review of progress towards protecting and recovering Spotted Wintergreen 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 Spotted Wintergreen should continue to guide protection and recovery actions for the species, particularly for those actions identified in the GRS as high priority. The following recommendations for the implementation of the GRS are suggested for moving forward with protection and recovery of Spotted Wintergreen:

• Although the majority of current Spotted Wintergreen populations occur within provincially or municipally-owned lands, further progress could be made towards protecting the habitat of Spotted Wintergreen through land securement and stewardship programs (Action No. 3).
• An important aspect of the GRS recovery goal is to determine the feasibility of restoring historical populations where the habitat is appropriate. Further progress could be made towards the action to conduct research to determine the reproductive biology, habitat, and disturbance requirements, and the minimum viable population level for Spotted Wintergreen (Action No.4). There have been limited projects that have addressed this action.

Moving forward, protecting and fully recovering Spotted Wintergreen 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 Fund, Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario or the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program. The Ministry 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 Spotted Wintergreen in Ontario.

Summary of progress toward the protection and recovery of Spotted Wintergreen in Ontario (2007 to 2014)

Provincial status

• Spotted Wintergreen is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). It was also listed under the previous Endangered Species Act, and has retained the same status since transition to the ESA. Spotted Wintergreen has received species and habitat protection since 2003.
• COSSARO is scheduled to reassess the status of this species in December 2015.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government

• Recovery Strategy for the Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) in Ontario (2010)
• Spotted Wintergreen: Ontario Government Response Statement (2010)

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (“the Ministry”) has enable its stewardship partners to conduct a total of 12 projects ($671,019) that have supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen.
• The Ministry’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 581 individuals who volunteered 8,739 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions and other in-kind support is $518,538.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 2,558 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Spotted Wintergreen and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen to 14,120 individuals.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Ministry has issued one ESA permit for this species. The permit was issued under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA. The permit was issued to conduct surveys of species at risk, including Spotted Wintergreen.
• There have been no registrations of activities for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA for this species.

Occurrences and distribution

• As of 2008, the species was known to occur in seven populations, all located in southern Ontario. Since 2008, one new population was discovered and two previously extant populations are now considered to be historical. In addition, two previously separate populations were combined into one population. As a result of these changes, there are currently five extant populations in Ontario.

References and related information

• Categorizing and Protecting Habitat under the Endangered Species Act
• COSEWIC. 2000. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Spotted Wintergreen Chimaphila maculata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 12 pp.
• Natural Heritage Information Centre
• Nature Conservancy of Canada. 2015. Southern Norfolk Sand Plain Natural Area
• Nature Conservancy of Canada. 2011. The Nature Conservancy of Canada 2010-2011 Report. Toronto, Ontario.
• Ontario’s Endangered Species Act
• Ontario’s Endangered Species Act Regulation 242/08
• Ontario Recovery Strategy and Government Response Statement for Spotted Wintergreen
• Policy Guidance on Harm and Harass under the Endangered Species Act
• Species at Risk in Ontario List
• Species at Risk Stewardship Fund
• Ursic, K., T. Farrell, M. Ursic and M. Stalker. 2010. Recovery strategy for the Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario. vi + 28 pp.