Evaluating Success of Restorative Planting for Shoreline Naturalization in Ontario

Evaluating Success of Restorative Planting for Shoreline Naturalization in Ontario

Brendan Cregg

Tom Whillans

April 2018

Online

Haliburton/Kawartha

Increasing human development and the urbanization of shorelines has significantly reduced the amount of natural vegetation around lakes and rivers in Ontario. Shoreline Naturalization is the practise of planting native species that naturally occur on shorelines to restore plant communities and ecosystem services on private and public shoreline properties. However, there has been a lack of post-planting monitoring and evaluation of success, which is critical for reaching project goals, integrating adaptive management, improving knowledge for future projects, and gaining support for future restoration. This study explores potential indicators of success by evaluating evidence of sustainability on shoreline naturalization projects after planting has occurred. This study also considers potential factors that may affect the success of shoreline naturalization projects by comparing indicators of sustainability between different sites, including survival, growth, and reproduction,. Additionally, this study proposes ten approaches that may improve the efficiency of future monitoring, planning, planting, and aftercare as well as the overall success of future projects. Survival, growth, and reproduction were all effective indicators to evaluate success but may be limited based on time scale, project goals, and methods of assessment. Further research could be done on potential indicators of success by using different methods of data collection, monitoring, and evaluation.

Trent University