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<DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>This layer aggregates potential high conservation value grassland per 5 ha hexagon in the Boreal Hardwood Transition Ecozone, also known as BCR 12. It is one of three high value habitat datasets derived from the CWS-ON Landscape Conservation Atlas and Plan (COLCAP</SPAN><SPAN>)</SPAN><SPAN>. COLCAP is a comprehensive landscape assessment in BCR 12 and 13 that describes and assesses the CWS landscape biodiversity portfolio.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>In the COLCAP, natural grassland includes alvar, tallgrass/prairie/savannah/woodland, open sand dune, treed sand dune, rock barren and shrub rock barren communities; agricultural grassland includes pasture, hay and old fields, pasture and abandoned fields, and old cuts and burn areas. Data was extracted from the Southern Ontario Land Resource Information System v 2.0 (OMNRF, 2015), Natural Heritage Information Centre (OMNRF, 2013), Annual Crop Inventory (AAFC, 2013) and the Provincial Land Cover 28 (OMNRF, 1998).</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Using the </SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;">How Much Habitat is Enough</SPAN><SPAN>? guidelines, each study unit (5 ha hexagon) containing grassland was assessed and scored by the following criteria: protection and conservation, proximity, patch size, and habitat heterogeneity. These criteria were added together to calculate an overall grassland score within each study unit; this overall grassland score was divided into quartiles and the top 25% of scores were categorized as having potential high conservation value (PHCV).</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Species at risk (SAR) were assessed and scored by the following criteria: diversity, SAR richness, SAR irreplaceability, global rarity, candidate SAR, and probability of critical habitat. These criteria were added together to calculate an overall SAR score within each study unit; this overall SAR score was divided into quartiles and the top 25% of SAR scores within grassland were categorized as having PHCV.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Migratory bird criteria relevant to grassland (landbird stopover + grassland bird density) were added together to calculate an overall migratory bird score within each study unit; this overall migratory bird score was divided into quartiles and the top 25% of migratory bird scores were categorized as having PHCV.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Using these three criteria (overall grassland score, SAR score and migratory bird score), each study unit was assigned a final PHCV score (0-3). A final PHCV score of 0 indicated that while the study unit may contain grassland, it was not within the top 25% of overall grassland scores. Study units with a final PHCV greater than 0 were aggregated together at 750 m to derive High Value Habitat: Grassland.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Secondary Site - Grassland = less than 20 ha in size; Biodiversity Site - Grassland = greater than 20 ha in size.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV></DIV> |
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["Canadian Wildlife Service","Ontario","Boreal Hardwood Transition ecozone","Bird Conservation Region 12","grassland","SAR","migratory birds","high value","conservation"] |