MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 1

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1 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 1 Region of Peel NAI Area # 9648 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Town of Caledon Size: 93 hectares Watershed: Humber River Con 9, Lots Ownership: 100 % private Subwatershed: Main Humber River General Summary This biologically rich natural area stretches across a large area of landscape, but is linear and fragmented. Almost half of this area is wetland, along the course of the winding Cold Creek, a tributary of the Humber River. The terrain is rolling with upland forest and lowland wet pockets. Although this area itself has high biodiversity, it is relatively isolated from other natural areas. TRCA s ELC surveyors, botanists and ornithologists have provided complete data coverage for the core NAI inventories (vegetation communities, plant species, breeding birds) plus incidental observations of other fauna over the delineated area (Table 1). TRCA ecologists have also surveyed frog species in this area. Note that full species lists are not currently available so only TRCA-tracked species and species dominant in the vegetation communities are reported here. Table 1: TRCA Field Visits Visit Date Inventory Type 12 Apr Fauna 15 Apr Fauna 18 Apr Fauna 07 May 2004 Flora 20 May 2004 ELC, Flora 04 June 2004 Fauna 07 June 2004 Fauna 21 June 2004 Fauna 30 June 2004 Fauna 13 Sept ELC, Flora 14 Sept ELC, Flora 16 Sept ELC, Flora 17 Sept ELC, Flora 21 Sept ELC, Flora 04 Oct ELC, Flora 05 Oct ELC, Flora 18 Oct ELC, Flora 19 Oct ELC, Flora 29 Oct ELC, Flora Natural Feature Classifications and Planning Areas This natural area is part of: Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan Greenbelt Plan Physical Features This area is in the Oak Ridges Moraine physiographic region; characterized by hilly topography of fine-grained sand glacial deposits. Soils tend to be sandy loams that allow high rates of recharge to groundwater aquifers. Wetlands occur in many of the pockets between hills. Cold Creek, collects drainage from the many wetlands at this site, and flows through this natural area. Human History This natural area lies centrally between three historic hamlets, Cedar Mills to the west, Castlederg (originally Mount Hope) to the south, and Hammertown in King Township to the east. All of these were settled by Europeans in the 1850 s and served their agricultural communities. For example,

2 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 2 Hammertown, settled mainly by Scottish immigrants had a blacksmith (the name Hammertown was inspired by the sound of the smith s hammer on anvil), a carpenter s shop, a shoemaker, a post office, a school and two churches. A church was the centre of Cedar Mills, built in 1857 with a grist mill added in As cedar forests were still plentiful in the area by the 1890 s the place earned the name Cedar Mills (Caledon Public Library, 2009; Scheinman, 2009). Since then, most of the countryside was cleared for agriculture. There are now large parts in plantations or being allowed to regenerate naturally. The forest communities in this natural area are mid-aged indicating previous clearing. A large cultural meadow adjacent to the west side of the natural area appears to be undergoing succession from past agricultural land use. This area contributes to the ecological functions of the core natural area and also contributes important habitat for open country wildlife. Agricultural and manicured lands fragment this natural area, although the fragmentation appears to result more from varying amounts and rates of re-naturalization of previously cleared lands). Some of the surrounding land remains in agricultural production. To the north, adjacent land use is rural estate residential. There are also two contiguous natural patches that were not covered in the inventory work, that have been excluded from the delineation of this natural area. Vegetation Communities The general community types present here are treed bluff (2 %), coniferous forest (0.3 %), deciduous forest (19 %), mixed forest (5 %), meadow marsh (7 %), shallow marsh (6 %), deciduous swamp (2 %), mixed swamp (2 %), thicket swamp (6 %), floating-leaved shallow aquatic (1 %), submerged shallow aquatic (2 %), mixed shallow aquatic (0.2 %), open aquatic (6 %), cultural meadow (4 %), cultural thicket (0.2 %), cultural woodland (0.2 %) and plantation (38 %). One-hundred-and-six plant communities were mapped for this area, comprised of 49 different vegetation types, none of which are provincially rare (Table 2). One community, Willow Organic Thicket Swamp (SWT3-2) is regionally rare. Several of the communities are considered to be TRCA regional Communities of Conservation Concern: White Cedar Treed Bluff (BLT1-A, L-rank L2), Dry- Fresh Hardwood Hemlock Mixed Forest (FOM3-1, L-rank L3), Fresh-Moist Hemlock - Hardwood Mixed Forest (FOM6-2, L-rank L3), Bur-reed Mineral Shallow Marsh (MAS2-7, L-rank L3), Broadleaved Cattail Organic Shallow Marsh (MAS3-1A, L-rank L3), White Cedar - Hardwood Organic Mixed Swamp (SWM4-1, L-rank L3), Willow Organic Thicket Swamp (SWT3-2, L-rank L3), Duckweed Mixed Shallow Aquatic (SAM1-2, L-rank L3) and Pondweed Mixed Shallow Aquatic (SAM1-4, L-rank L3). Twelve communities were only classified to the ecosite level. Most of the forest communities are mid-aged. None are mature. Table 2: ELC Vegetation Communities Map reference * Vegetation type Size in hectares % of natural area BLT1-A White Cedar Treed Bluff FOC2-2 Dry-Fresh White Cedar Coniferous Forest FOD5-1 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple Deciduous Forest FOD5-2 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - Beech Deciduous Forest (2 communities) FOD5-7 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple - Black Cherry Deciduous Forest FOD5-8 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple White Ash Deciduous Forest FOD6-4 Fresh-Moist Sugar Maple white Elm Deciduous Forest FOD7-2 Fresh-Moist Ash Lowland Deciduous Forest

3 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 3 FOD8-1 Fresh-Moist Poplar Deciduous Forest FOM3-1 Dry-Fresh Hardwood Hemlock Mixed Forest FOM6-2 Fresh-Moist Hemlock - Hardwood Mixed Forest FOM7-1 Fresh-Moist White Cedar - Sugar Maple Mixed Forest MAM2-2 Reed Canary Grass Mineral Meadow Marsh (6 communities) MAM2-5 Narrow-leaved Sedge Mineral Meadow Marsh (2 communities) MAM2-10 Forb Mineral Meadow Marsh (3 communities) MAM3-2 Reed Canary Grass Organic Meadow Marsh MAS2-1A Broad-leaved Cattail Mineral Shallow Marsh MAS2-1b Narrow-Leaved Cattail Mineral Shallow Marsh (9 communities) MAS2-2 Bulrush Mineral Shallow Marsh MAS2-7 Bur-reed Mineral Shallow Marsh MAS3-1A Broad-leaved Cattail Organic Shallow Marsh (4 communities) SWD2-2 Red (Green) Ash Mineral Deciduous Swamp SWD3-2 Silver Maple Mineral Deciduous Swamp ( communities) SWM4-1 White Cedar - Hardwood Organic Mixed Swamp SWT2-2 Willow Mineral Thicket Swamp (2 communities) SWT2-5 Red-osier Mineral Thicket Swamp (3 communities) SWT3-2 Willow Organic Thicket Swamp SAF1-3 Duckweed Floating-leaved Shallow Aquatic (4 communities) SAS1-1 Pondweed Submerged Shallow Aquatic SAS1-2 Waterweed Submerged Shallow Aquatic SAS1-3 Stonewort Submerged Shallow Aquatic ( communities) SAM1-2 Duckweed Mixed Shallow Aquatic (2 communities) SAM1-4 Pondweed Mixed Shallow Aquatic OAO1 Open Aquatic Ecosite (12 communities) CUM1-A Native Forb Old Field Meadow CUM1-b Exotic Cool-season Grass Old Field Meadow ( communities) CUM1-c Exotic Forb Old Field Meadow CUT1-A3 Coniferous Sapling Cultural Thicket CUW1-A1 White Cedar Cultural Woodland CUP2-b Black Locust - Conifer Mixed Plantation ( communities) CUP3-1 Red Pine coniferous Plantation (2 communities) CUP3-2 White Pine Coniferous Plantation (3 communities) CUP3-3 Scotch Pine Coniferous Plantation (2 communities) CUP3-8A White Spruce Tamarack Coniferous Plantation CUP3-C White Spruce Coniferous Plantation (2 communities) CUP3-e Norway Spruce Coniferous Plantation CUP3-F Tamarack Coniferous Plantation CUP3-G White Cedar Coniferous Plantation (2 communities) CUP3-H Mixed Conifer Coniferous Plantation (7 communities) TOTAL AREA INVENTORIED * Note: The map reference code refers to the vegetation type shown on mapping for this area and also to the Appendix list of species typically encountered in this vegetation type.

4 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 4 Species Presence Vascular Plants A total of 211 species occur in this natural area, of which 170 (81 %) are native. None are Species At Risk or provincially rare. Thirteen species are regionally rare (Table 4). Fifty-two species are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern (Table 4). Breeding Birds At least 13 bird species are in this area. Eleven species are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern (Table 4). Four species of area-sensitive forest interior birds are found here, namely Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Veery (Catharus fuscescens) and Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). One species of colonial-nesting bird, Green Heron (Butorides virescens), occurs at this site. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), a grassland bird species occurs in this natural area. Two species of wetland-nesting birds, Sora (Porzana carolina) and Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), breed in wetlands of this area. Herpetofauna Four species of herpetofauna are present. The Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata) is nationally Threatened (Table 3). Three frog species are TRCA regional Species of Conservation Concern (Table 4). Table 3: Designated Species At Risk Scientific name Common name COSEWIC COSSARO S rank G rank HERPETOFAUNA Pseudacris triseriata Western Chorus Frog THR S4 G5 Table 4: Regionally Rare Species (show in bold) and TRCA Regional Species of Conservation Concern (L1-L3) (Kaiser, 2001; Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 2007) Scientific name Common name S rank G rank L-rank VASCULAR PLANTS Abies balsamea Balsam Fir S5 G5 L3 Adiantum pedatum Northern Maidenhair-fern S5 G5 L3 Alnus incana ssp. Rugosa Speckled Alder S5 G5T5 L3 Anemone acutiloba Liverleaf S5 G5 L3 Carex crinita Fringed Sedge S5 G5 L3 Carex lupulina Hop Sedge S5 G5 L3 Carex plantaginea Plantain-leaved Sedge S5 G5 L3 Carex tuckermanii Tuckerman Sedge S4 G4 L3 Carex utriculata Northwest Territory Sedge S5 G5 L3 Caulophyllum giganteum Giant Blue Cohosh S4? G4G5Q Ceratophyllum demersum Common Hornwort S5 G5 L3 Cicuta bulbifera Bulb-bearing Water-hemlock S5 G5 L3 Claytonia caroliniana Carolina Spring-beauty S5 G5 L3 Claytonia virginica Narrow-leaved Springbeauty S5 G5 L3 Dicentra canadensis Squirrel-corn S5 G5 L3 Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's Breeches S5 G5 L3 Dryopteris cristata Crested Shield-fern S5 G5 L3 Dulichium arundinaceum Three-way Sedge S5 G5 L2 Eleocharis intermedia Matted Spike-rush S4 G5 L3 Eleocharis smallii Creeping Spike-rush S5 G5? L3

5 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 5 Epilobium coloratum Purple-leaf Willow-herb S5 G5 Equisetum fluviatile Water Horsetail S5 G5 L3 Equisetum scirpoides Dwarf Scouring Rush S5 G5 L3 Galium trifidum ssp. trifidum Small Bedstraw S5 G5T5 L3 Gymnocarpium dryopteris Oak Fern S5 G5 L3 Ilex verticillata Common Winterberry S5 G5 L3 Iris versicolor Blue Flag S5 G5 L3 Juniperus communis Ground Juniper S5 G5 L3 Lemna trisulca Star Duckweed S5 G5 L3 Lysimachia thyrsiflora Water Loosestrife S5 G5 L3 Monotropa hypopithys American Pinesap S4 G5 L3 Myriophyllum heterophyllum Broadleaf Water-milfoil S4? G5 L2 Nymphaea odorata American Water-lily S5 G5 L2 Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern S5 G5 L3 Physocarpus opulifolius Eastern Ninebark S5 G5 L3 Picea glauca White Spruce S5 G5 L3 Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern S5 G5 L3 Potamogeton epihydrus Ribbon-leaf Pondweed S4S5 G5 L2 Potamogeton foliosus Leafy Pondweed S5 G5 L3 Potamogeton natans Floating Pondweed S5 G5 L3 Potamogeton zosteriformis Flatstem Pondweed S5 G5 L2 Pyrola elliptica Shinleaf S5 G5 L3 Ranunculus hispidus var. Swamp Buttercup S5 G5T5 L3 caricetorum Sagittaria cuneata Northern Arrowhead S4? G5 L3 Scirpus cyperinus Cottongrass Bulrush S5 G5 L3 Sparganium emersum Greenfruit Bur-reed S5 G5 L3 Sparganium eurycarpum Large Bur-reed S5 G5 L3 Spirodela polyrrhiza Greater Duckweed S5 G5 L3 Streptopus lanceolatus Rose Twisted-stalk S5 G5 L3 Trientalis borealis ssp. borealis Starflower S5 G5T5 L3 Utricularia vulgaris Greater Bladderwort S5 G5 L2 Uvularia grandiflora Large-flowered Bellwort S5 G5 L3 Vallisneria americana Eel-grass S5 G5 L3 Wolffia borealis Dotted Watermeal S4S5 G5 L3 BIRDS Coccyzus erythropthalmus Black-billed Cuckoo S5B G5 L3 Toxostoma rufum Brown Thrasher S4B G5 L3 Seiurus aurocapilla Ovenbird S4B G5 L3 Dryocopus pileatus Pileated Woodpecker S5 G5 L3 Bonasa umbellus Ruffed Grouse S5 G5 L2 Piranga olivacea Scarlet Tanager S4B G5 L3 Porzana carolina Sora S4B G5 L3 Catharus fuscescens Veery S4B G5 L3 Rallus limicola Virginia Rail S5B G5 L3 Meleagris gallopavo Wild Turkey S5 G5 L3 Hylocichla mustelina Wood Thrush S4B G5 L3 HERPETOFAUNA Pseudacris crucifer Spring Peeper S5 G5 L2 Pseudacris triseriata Western Chorus Frog S4 G5 L2 Rana sylvatica Wood Frog S5 G5 L2

6 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 6 Site Condition and Disturbances This site is relatively undisturbed. The primary type of disturbance is from exotic plants. Most communities exhibit small localized populations of non-invasive exotic species. Moderate levels of exotic species, with some populations of invasive species, occur in several communities at the east portion of the natural area. A couple of the forest communities have small areas of trampling due to localized trails and there is some localized trash/dumping disturbance in a few communities. Ecological Features and Functions With forest communities greater than 4 ha and wetlands over 0.5 ha in size this natural area has the potential to support and sustain biodiversity, healthy ecosystem functions and to provide long-term resilience for the natural system. The riparian area provides a transitional zone between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, helping to maintain the water quality of the stream and providing a movement corridor for plants and wildlife. By containing a wide variety of habitat types, this natural area supports biodiversity, particularly for species that require more than one habitat type for their life needs. The recently-built rural estate residential development north of this natural area has effectively isolated natural communities to the north of this development. It is possible that as landscaping plants of this housing development mature, wildlife movement across this development barrier will be improved. This natural area is relatively isolated from other large areas of natural communities. Some connectivity of the eastern tip of the natural area with small patches of natural vegetation and more extensive young plantations does occur across Mt. Wolfe Rd. However, the corridor is interrupted and not of high quality. The large young plantation patch adjacent to the southeast part of the area affords the best connectivity, across Castlederg Sdrd. to more young plantations and wetland pockets. There is poor connectivity to any large blocks of natural habitat. Cold Creek, a major tributary of the Humber River, runs through this area and thus supports the connectivity function of the Humber River and its tributaries by providing a natural habitat corridor that facilitates the cross-regional movement of wildlife along this corridor between major provincial corridors. This area supports one Species At Risk frog species and 13 regionally rare vascular plant species. Four species of area-sensitive forest interior birds nest here. One species of colonial-nesting bird occurs here. One species of grassland bird nests in this area. Wetlands of this area support two species of wetland-nesting birds. The wetlands of this area also support amphibian breeding. Based on the above features, this area should be evaluated to determine if significant wildlife habitat is present in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, Region of Peel Official Plan, and area municipal Official Plan. Opportunities Although this natural area is diverse, biologically rich, and is being substantially increased in size as the successional communities and young plantations grow and mature, it lacks good connectivity with

7 MT. PLEASANT BRUNO RIDGE 7 nearby natural areas across the landscape. The area occupies the central portion of the concession block, so any opportunity to create or widen naturally vegetated corridors that extend to roads and vegetated areas across the roads would be beneficial. Landowners who are allowing parts of their property to naturalize or who have established plantations should be encouraged and supported in these activities. Not only will this re-naturalization increase the size of the habitat unit and create forest interior habitat, but it will also re-connect other forest and wetland communities that have been isolated in the past by agricultural clearing and usage. The barrier to connectivity with natural communities to the north on account of the rural estate residential development and its manicured grounds might be mitigated to some extent by encouraging landowners to create wildlife movement corridors. If access could be obtained, surveying of the contiguous natural patches would be beneficial in order to obtain full coverage of this natural area, beyond the delineated portion. Additional inventories of dragonflies/damselflies, butterflies, mammals and reptiles may be productive given the habitat diversity at this site. Literature Cited Caledon Public Library Caledon s History. Available at Last Accessed 18 November 2010 Kaiser, Jeff The Vascular Plant Flora of the Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed. Prepared for: Credit Valley Conservation, the Regional Municipality of Peel, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Scheinman, A Town of Caledon Cultural Heritage Landscapes Inventory. Envision The Hough Group. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Terrestrial Natural Heritage Program Data Collection Methodology.

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DIXIE HIGHWAY Region of Peel NAI Area # 1304, 1320, 2449, 2625, 3961

DIXIE HIGHWAY Region of Peel NAI Area # 1304, 1320, 2449, 2625, 3961 DIXIE HIGHWAY 407 1 Region of Peel NAI Area # 1304, 1320, 2449, 2625, 3961 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority City of Brampton Size: 36 hectares Watershed: Etobicoke Creek Con 4 E, Lots 13, 14 Ownership: