NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: South Slave Region

Tags: lichen, caribou, caribou habitat, habitat restoration

Objective(s): 1. Enhance boreal caribou winter forage in the areas that were impacted by past mining activities in the Pine Point area by transplanting terrestrial lichen (Cladonia rangiferina, C. mitis, and C. stellaris). 2: Monitor survival and growth of lichen transplants to improve transplant techniques and study rates of lichen re-establishment post-disturbance in treated and untreated areas. 3: Develop progressive reclamation prescriptions to allow for end land uses that align with DKFN stewardship goals. 4: Support a community-based program in Fort Resolution for the stewardship of boreal caribou habitat.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5886. Through the development and establishment of a terrestrial lichen transplant and monitoring program, the project aims to meet the following objectives: • Objective 1: Enhance boreal caribou winter forage in the areas that were impacted by past mining activities in the Pine Point area by transplanting terrestrial lichen (Cladonia rangiferina, C. mitis, and C. stellaris). • Objective 2: Monitor survival and growth of lichen transplants to improve transplant techniques and study rates of lichen re-establishment post-disturbance in treated and untreated areas. • Objective 3: Develop progressive reclamation prescriptions to allow for end land uses that align with DKFN stewardship goals. • Objective 4: Support a community-based program in Fort Resolution for the stewardship of boreal caribou habitat. Based on previous work in the area, during which LGL and DKFN successfully established lichen transplants, the goal is to collect, transplant, and re-establish lichen. Seeding an area with lichen colonies could restore the area to productive lichen habitat in as little as 20 years, much sooner than natural re-establishment. Lichen growth is influenced by environmental conditions, such as forest cover and soil moisture. Typically, terrestrial lichens favor dry, nutrient poor soils where there is less competition from vascular species. The team will primarily collect three species of native reindeer lichen: Cladonia mitis, C. rangiferina, and C. stellaris. Healthy lichen will be collected by hand from areas near Pine Point. Lichen will only be collected where it is abundant, and no more than 20% of lichen cover will be removed from an area. Lichen will be collected under moist conditions – should lichen be dry (brittle) at the time of collection, it will first be misted with water prior to collection. There are known suitable collection sites around the junction of Highways 5 and 6, and DKFN members will assist in identifying others collection sites. Collected lichen will be stored in industrial garbage bags (158 L capacity) and transported to the transplant area on the same day to increase likelihood of establishment. Recipient sites will be identified that are comprised of six transplant plots measuring 10 m by 10 m (100 m2) in the Pine Point area prior to transplanting. This will involve delineation of the area, measurement of soil moisture and temperature, and pre-treating substrate to improve micro-site conditions. During transplantation, lichen mats (approximately the size of an outstretched hand) will be placed in different treatment plots. Each plot will receive approximately 100 L of lichen, with careful handling to ensure mats remain intact. Prior to transplants, the baseline soil conditions of each plot will be recorded. This will include data on the soil moisture and nutrient regimes. Two of six plots will contain a pre-treated substrate treatment, where the substrate is scarified with a rake to increase moisture retention. Two plots will receive an amendment where additional vegetation material (e.g., mosses, woody debris, mulch) are placed for moisture retention and to improve growing conditions. The details of the amendments will be documented. The last two plots are control plots. One control plot will receive substrate enhancement, but no lichen will be transplanted here. The other control plot will be located in an adjacent forested area where lichen would naturally occur - no lichen will be transplanted here. Lichen species composition will be recorded at the time of transplants from all plots. Transplanted lichen percent cover will also be estimated by using a 50 cm by 50 cm quadrat and taking five random measurements within the plot. Lastly, all plots will be photographed, georeferenced, and marked with pin flags for easy identification during the post-treatment monitoring. Sites will be located in the Pine Point Tailings Impoundment Area (there is a 15 cm gravel cover here) and in other areas within the Pine Point Mine where no future mining activities are planned, such as the old airfield. There will be approximately two to four replicates (a set of 6 plots, as described) per site. The number of replicates will be determined in the field and will be based on the encountered site conditions and accessibility at the time. Monitoring at the Pine Point site has demonstrated higher levels of parameters of potential concern (e.g., lead, zinc) in soils. There is the potential for concentrations of these parameters in the lichen should it become established. If lichen transplants in this area prove to be successful, part of the longer-term monitoring of the post-treatment sites will include tissue analysis to assess any toxicity risk to caribou. It is anticipated this work will occur in years 6 and 10. The speed of habitat recovery will be measured by monitoring the persistence and growth of transplanted lichen over a 10 year period, with monitoring planned 1, 3, 6, and 10 years post-treatment. It is intended that trained DKFN technicians continue the monitoring independently in years 3, 6, and 10. The integrity of the transplant sites will be protected by erecting a site barrier (e.g., fence) or signage. This is to ensure the long-term maintenance and monitoring of the sites; however, we do not want to impose barriers on land use so the appropriate site protection measure will be discussed with DKFN members and will be implemented based on their guidance. Lichen coverage, health, growth, and species composition will be recorded during monitoring and compared across treatment types and controls. Data on soil and amendment conditions will also be recorded during the post-treatment monitoring. This will be the focus of analysis, which will aim to determine how fast lichen communities can regenerate by transplants versus natural re-establishment, and which treatments perform best. Growth will be measured using the 50 cm by 50 cm quadrat again for better precision. In addition, the site(s) where lichen were collected from in 2023 will be examined during the monitoring period to document and compare the rate of natural recovery. The reporting of specific locations where lichen is collected to non-project partners will be dependent upon consent being received from individuals and the provision of an information sharing agreement with the DKFN. Future work associated with the project includes developing a protocol for transplanting lichen that can be applied to other sites within the boreal caribou range. The project team expects to begin drafting this protocol after year 3 monitoring. This protocol can then be updated as needed in future years. The intent is to have a simple, cost-effective procedure that can be adapted into regionally-specific community-based programs. Project findings and the resulting protocol can also be used by industry partners to develop reclamation prescriptions to allow for end land uses that align with DKFN stewardship goals. The results of the transplants after year 2 will be shared with members of the DKFN and posted on the Nation’s Facebook page to extend reach. The community will also be invited to visit the project area and see the transplants firsthand. A more detailed project summary will be provided to the DKFN Chief and Council and industry partners. Project updates will be provided to community members during ongoing engagement events to be scheduled for the Tailing Impoundment Area Closure Plan and the Pine Point Mine Environmental Assessment. The project team will also present the project at the South Slave Wildlife Workshop and/or CIMP regional workshops, as appropriate. The team’s development of a lichen transplantation protocol tailored for community-based programs will help build capacity for similar projects in other First Nation communities. It is intended that this protocol will be shared among other groups interested in completing similar work in their territories. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: May 02 - September 30, 2024