Field Botanists of Ontario hike to Port Burwell Provincial Park

On Sunday August 12 Dave Jolly led a Field Botanists of Ontario (FBO) hike through Port Burwell Provincial Park.  The hike started with an orientation and introduction to the Park, ecological studies performed to data, history and information about the Discovery Park by Park staff.  This was followed by a stroll through the Carolinian forest on Ravine Trail in search of examples of vascular plants recorded during the 2016 Ecological Land Classification (ELC) and vegetation survey work.

Photo: Dave Jolly

Plants observed included typical deciduous forest species such as Spotted St. Johnswort (Hypericum punctatum), Great Lobelia (Lobelia silphilatica), Agrimony (Agrimonia grypyosepela), Blue-stemmed x Canada Goldenrod (Solidago caesia x canadensis) and several sedge species - new to the Park such as Swan's Sedge (Carex swanii), Eastern Rough Sedge (Carex scabrata) and Slender Beakrush (Rhynchospora capillacea) were discovered courtesy of Will Van Hemessen and Rivka Schachak

Swan's Sedge inflorescence (Photo: Dave Jolly)

Venturing to the sand dune community the group marveled at the inconspicuous and easily overlooked emerging Hooker's Bugseed

Hooker's Bugseed (Photo: Dave Jolly)

A total of 26 new vascular plant species were added to the updated master plant list for the Park. This list of 464 taxa breaking down to 450 species (4 varieties, 5 hybrids and 5 sub-species).  Of these, the Park now boosts three Species at Risk (SAR), 5 provincially rare (i.e., species of conservation concern), 21 regionally rare (within the Carolinian forest region) and 30 locally rare (within Elgin county).  The official list was passed onto Park staff and the Discovery Program coordinator for Ontario Parks with the goal of publishing a pamphlet for Park patrons courtesy of EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment.