Tiny Tassel (Crossidium seriatum): management plan 2022

Official title: Management Plan for the Tiny Tassel (Crossidium seriatum) in Canada 2022

Species at Risk Act
Management Plan Series
Adopted under Section 69 of SARA

Part 1 – Federal Addition to the Management Plan for Tiny Tassel (Crossidium seriatum) in British Columbia, prepared by Environment and Climate Change Canada

Preface

The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996)^{Footnote 2} agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for effective protection of species at risk throughout Canada. Under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c. 29) (SARA), the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of management plans for listed species of special concern and are required to report on progress within five years after the publication of the final document on the Species at Risk Public Registry.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change is the competent minister under SARA for the Tiny Tassel and has prepared the federal component of this management plan (Part 1), as per section 65 of SARA. To the extent possible, it has been prepared in cooperation with the British Columbia (B.C.) Ministry of Environment as per section 66(1) of SARA. SARA section 69 allows the Minister to adopt all or part of an existing plan for the species if the Minister is of the opinion that an existing plan relating to wildlife species includes adequate measures for the conservation of the species. The Province of B.C. provided the attached management plan for the Tiny Tassel (Part 2) as science advice to the jurisdictions responsible for managing the species in B.C. It was prepared in cooperation with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Success in the conservation of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that will be involved in implementing the directions set out in this plan and will not be achieved by Environment and Climate Change Canada, or any other jurisdiction alone. All Canadians are invited to join in supporting and implementing this plan for the benefit of the Tiny Tassel and Canadian society as a whole.

Implementation of this management plan is subject to appropriations, priorities, and budgetary constraints of the participating jurisdictions and organizations.

Additions and modifications to the adopted document

The following sections have been included to address specific requirements of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) that are not addressed in the Management Plan for Tiny Tassel (Crossidium seriatum) in British Columbia (Part 2 of this document, referred to henceforth as “the provincial management plan”) and/or to provide updated or additional information.

Under SARA, prohibitions regarding the protection of species and their habitat do not apply to species of special concern. Conservation measures in the provincial management plan dealing with the protection of individuals and their habitat are still adopted to guide conservation efforts but would not result in federal legal protection.

1 Species status information

This section replaces information on the SARA legal designation for the Tiny Tassel in Canada in Section 2 of the provincial management plan.

The legal designation of the Tiny Tassel on SARA Schedule 1 is Special Concern (2019).

2 Effects on the environment and other species

A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is conducted on all SARA recovery planning documents, in accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals^{Footnote 4}. The purpose of a SEA is to incorporate environmental considerations into the development of public policies, plans, and program proposals to support environmentally sound decision-making and to evaluate whether the outcomes of a recovery planning document could affect any component of the environment or any of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy’s^{Footnote 5} (FSDS) goals and targets.

Conservation planning is intended to benefit species at risk and biodiversity in general. However, it is recognized that implementation of management plans may also inadvertently lead to environmental effects beyond the intended benefits. The planning process based on national guidelines directly incorporates consideration of all environmental effects, with a particular focus on possible impacts upon non-target species or habitats. The results of the SEA are incorporated directly into the management plan itself, but are also summarized below in this statement.

The provincial management plan for the Tiny Tassel contains a section describing the effects of management activities on other species (i.e., Section 8). Environment and Climate Change Canada adopts this section of the provincial management plan as the statement on effects of management activities on the environment and other species. Management planning activities for the Tiny Tassel will be implemented with consideration for all co-occurring species at risk, such that any potential negative impacts to these species or their habitats are mitigated or avoided. Some management actions for the Tiny Tassel (e.g., inventory and habitat protection) may promote the conservation of other species at risk that overlap in distribution and rely on similar habitat attributes.

3 References

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2020. Species Summary: Crossidium seriatum. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria B.C. Available: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (Accessed December 15, 2020).

NatureServe. 2020. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. Crossidium seriatum page: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.122670/Crossidium_seriatum (Accessed: December 15, 2020).

Part 2 – Management Plan for Tiny Tassel (Crossidium seriatum) in British Columbia, prepared by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment

Official title: Management Plan for tiny tassel (Crossidium seriatum) in British Columbia

Prepared by B.C. Ministry of Environment
September 2016

Acknowledgements

This management plan was prepared by Brenda Costanzo (B.C. Ministry of Environment [MOE]). Additional assistance was provided by: Jenifer Penny and Marta Donovan (B.C. Conservation Data Centre); Jordan MacDonald, Peter Fielder, Dave Fraser, and Leah Westereng (MOE); Byron Woods (B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations); and Marc Jones (PhD candidate, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus). Louise Blight and Orville Dyer (MOE), Kella Sadler and Matt Huntley (Environment and Climate Change Canada–Canadian Wildlife Service [ECCC–CWS), Pacific region), Marie-Andrée Carrière (ECCC–CWS, National Capital Region), Kim Borg (ECCC-CWS-National Capital Region), and Kirk Safford (BC Parks) provided additional comments.

Executive summary

Tiny tassel (Crossidium seriatum) is a small (1–1.5 mm high) moss that is dark green to golden brown in colour. Individual leaves are 0.6–1.3 mm long by 0.3–0.6 mm wide with a rounded to slightly notched leaf tip. On the underside of the leaf, the midrib has filaments with rounded projections.

Tiny tassel was designated as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) because of its narrow range and threats of erosion related to recreational use of the habitat and maintenance of road cuts. It is not yet listed in Canada on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA).^{Footnote 6} In British Columbia, tiny tassel is ranked S3 (vulnerable) by the Conservation Data Centre and is on the provincial Blue list. The B.C. Conservation Framework ranks tiny tassel as a priority #1 under goal #1 (contribute to global efforts for species and ecosystem conservation) and goal #3 (maintain the diversity of native species and ecosystems).

The management goal is to maintain all known extant populations and any future populations of tiny tassel that may be found in British Columbia.

The following are the management objectives:

1. to secure long-term protection^{Footnote 7} for the known populations and habitats of tiny tassel
2. to determine the levels of real and potential threats to this species and its habitat and to mitigate their effects; and
3. to confirm the distribution of tiny tassel (including any new populations) and to reliably determine population trends through monitoring

1 COSEWIC* species assessment information

Assessment summary: November 2014

Common name:^a Tiny Tassel

Scientific name:^a Crossidium seriatum

Status: Special Concern

Reason for designation: This very small moss has a very narrow range in Western Canada. It occurs only in the semiarid shrub steppe of four valleys in the Okanagan region of southernmost central British Columbia. Surveys have confirmed this species from only 20 sites on steep slopes associated with calcareous glacial lake deposits. Threats include erosion due to recreational use of the habitat, and maintenance of road cuts. Climate change may also be a threat, although the potential impacts are unknown. One site has been extirpated due to habitat conversion.

Occurrence: British Columbia

Status history: Designated Special Concern on November 2014.

* Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

^a Common and scientific names reported in this management plan follow the naming conventions of the B.C. Conservation Data Centre, which may be different from names reported by COSEWIC.

2 Species status information

Tiny tassel^a

Legal designation:

FRPA:^b No

OGAA:^b No

B.C. Wildlife Act:^c No

SARA:^d No

Conservation status^e

B.C. List: Blue

B.C. Rank: S3 (2015)

National rank: N2N3 (2012)

Global Rank: G2G4 (2009)

Other Subnational ranks:^f

State: Arizona (SNR),

California (SNR),

Nevada (S2),

New Mexico (SNR)

B.C. Conservation Framework (CF)^g

Goal 1: Contribute to global efforts for species and ecosystem conservation.

Priority:^h #1 (2010)

Goal 2: Prevent species and ecosystems from becoming at risk.

Priority: #6 (2010)

Goal 3: Maintain the diversity of native species and ecosystems.

Priority: #1 (2010)

CF action groups:^g

Inventory; Compile Status Report; List under Wildlife Act; Planning; Send to COSEWIC; Habitat Protection; Habitat Restoration; Private Land Stewardship

^aData source: B.C. Conservation Data Centre (2016) unless otherwise noted.

^b No = not listed in one of the categories of wildlife that requires special management attention to address the impacts of forestry and range activities on Crown land under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA; Province of British Columbia 2002) and/or the impacts of oil and gas activities on Crown land under the Oil and Gas Activities Act (OGAA; Province of British Columbia 2008).

^c No = not designated as wildlife under the B.C. Wildlife Act (Province of British Columbia 1982).

^d No = not on any Schedules under the Species at Risk Act (SARA; Government of Canada 2002). The COSEWIC assessment will be reviewed by the Governor in Council who may, on the recommendation of the Minister, amend the List to include this species on Schedule 1 of the SARA.

^e Red: Includes any indigenous species or subspecies that have, or are candidates for, Extirpated, Endangered, or Threatened status in British Columbia. Blue: Includes any indigenous species or subspecies considered to be of Special Concern (formerly Vulnerable) in British Columbia. S = subnational; N = national; G = global; T = refers to the subspecies level; B = breeding; X = presumed extirpated; H = possibly extirpated; 1 = critically imperiled; 2 = imperiled; 3 = special concern, vulnerable to extirpation or extinction; 4 = apparently secure; 5 = demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure; NA = not applicable; NR = unranked; U = unrankable.

^f Data source: NatureServe (2015).

^g Data source: B.C. Ministry of Environment (2009).

^h Six-level scale: Priority 1 (highest priority) through to Priority 6 (lowest priority).

3 Species information

3.1 Species description

Tiny tassel (Crossidium seriatum) is a small (1–1.5 mm high) moss that is dark green to golden brown in colour. Individual leaves are 0.6–1.3 mm long by 0.3–0.6 mm wide with a rounded to slightly notched leaf tip. Leaf margins are rolled back from the tip to the leaf base. The midrib extends to a thin hair point at the leaf tip. On the underside of the leaf, the midrib has filaments with rounded projections. Capsules are 1.5–2.3 mm long and cylindrical in shape with a conical operculum (covering of the capsule). Spores are 11–13µm in diameter (COSEWIC 2014).

3.2 Populations and distribution

3.2.1 Distribution

Tiny tassel is a shrub–steppe species from the arid regions of western North America (Figure 1 of part 2), including sagebrush, grassland, and desert habitats. In Canada, it is mainly found in south-central British Columbia in the shrub–steppe habitats in the Fraser, Thompson, Nicola, and Okanagan river valleys (Figure 2 of part 2), usually on steep silty bluffs. Occurrences are found within the very dry, hot Ponderosa Pine or Bunchgrass biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia.

3.2.2 Population size

The B.C. Conservation Data Centre has information on 21 element occurrences (EOs).^{Footnote 8} Of these occurrences, 19 are considered extant, and one is extirpated (EO25) owing to conversion of habitat to agriculture (COSEWIC 2014). Another occurrence (EO16) may have been disturbed by ongoing road activity, and is possibly extirpated (B.C. Conservation Data Centre 2016) as it has not been relocated since the initial observation in 2006 (Table 1 of part 2). No counts exist of mature individuals as the tiny tassel is small and can occur singly among other mosses; therefore, it is difficult to determine exact population numbers.

Figure 1 of part 2. Tiny tassel distribution in North America (COSEWIC 2014).

Figure 2 of part 2. Tiny tassel distribution in British Columbia (B.C. Conservation Data Centre 2016). Mapped population numbers correspond with those provided in Table 1 of part 2

3.3 Habitat and biological needs of the Tiny tassel

3.3.1 Habitat

In British Columbia, tiny tassel occurs in the very dry, hot Ponderosa Pine and the Bunchgrass biogeoclimatic zones (Meidinger and Pojar [eds.] 1991) in the shrub–steppe areas of south-central British Columbia. It inhabits lacustrine silts, which are generally calcareous glacial lake deposits and fine in texture. These lacustrine silts are found along the Thompson and Okanagan rivers where tiny tassel occurs at elevations from 300 to 700 m. Exposure on these sites can be open and exposed as well as shaded in nature (COSEWIC 2014).

3.3.2 Biological needs

The species requires either long-range spore dispersal by wind currents to appropriate substrate (lacustrine silts), or short-range dispersal of vegetative parts or spores to the same substrate to establish (Table 2 of part 2). Although not a strong competitor, it does co-exist with other moss species in its habitat. Tiny tassel could be restricted in the amount of spatial area it inhabits because other mosses outcompete it for growing space (COSEWIC 2014).

3.4 Limiting factors

Limiting factors are generally not human-induced and include characteristics that make the species less likely to respond to management/conservation efforts.

It is thought that tiny tassel reproduces through spores and stem or rhizoid tissue (COSEWIC 2014); however, sporophytes are only produced in seepage sites or after rain events. No sporophytes have been seen in the province, except at the now extirpated site in Cache Creek.

Lacustrine soils (calcareous glacial lake deposits) on steeply sloped silt bluffs are the preferred habitat for the species and therefore soil type may be a limiting factor (COSEWIC 2014).

4 Threats

Threats are defined as the proximate activities or processes that have caused, are causing, or may cause in the future the destruction, degradation, and/or impairment of the entity being assessed (population, species, community, or ecosystem) in the area of interest (global, national, or subnational) (adapted from Salafsky et al. 2008). For purposes of threat assessment, only present and future threats are considered.^{Footnote 9} Threats presented here do not include limiting factors,^{Footnote 10}

which are presented in Section 3.4.

4.1 Threat assessment

The threat classification below is based on the IUCN–CMP (World Conservation Union–Conservation Measures Partnership) unified threats classification system and is consistent with methods used by the B.C. Conservation Data Centre. For a detailed description of the threat classification system, see the Open Standards website (Open Standards 2014). Threats may be observed, inferred, or projected to occur in the near term. Threats are characterized here in terms of scope, severity, and timing. Threat “impact” is calculated from scope and severity. For information on how the values are assigned, see Master et al. (2012) and table footnotes for details. Threats for the tiny tassel were assessed for the entire province (Table 3 of part 2).

4.2 Description of threats

The overall province-wide Threat Impact for this species is Low.^{Footnote 11} The overall Threat Impact considers the cumulative impacts of multiple threats. The greatest threat is road maintenance activities (Table 3 of part 2). Details are discussed below under the Threat Level 1 and 2 headings.

Threat 1. Residential and commercial development (threat impact negligible)

1.1 Housing and urban areas

Tiny tassel occurs mainly in the Thompson and Okanagan river valleys where a high demand for residential development occurs; however, since this species prefers silty bluffs, the steepness and geological instability of these areas reduces the scope of this threat (COSEWIC 2014).

Threat 2. Agriculture and aquaculture (threat impact negligible)

2.1 Annual and perennial non-timber crops

Expansion of crops, pasture, or vineyards is similarly limited by the geological instability and steepness of the preferred habitat of tiny tassel (COSEWIC 2014). One location at Cache Creek (EO25) was converted from sagebrush steppe to agriculture (COSEWIC 2014).

Threat 4. Transportation and service corridors (threat impact low)

4.1 Roads and railroads

Road expansion or maintenance that involves removal of the lacustrine silt that tiny tassel requires to grow would threaten the species’ survival due to loss of habitat. Five populations are potentially affected by road activity (EO7, EO9, EO13, EO14, and EO16). Plants could be accidentally destroyed, buried or removed and its habitat disturbed or buried by road expansion. It is likely that road expansion would be the most likely event that would destroy plants on steep banks, as no one can walk there and invasive plants are mostly absent. However, any of these activities would likely only affect the lower portions of banks closest to the roadway.

Although some occurrences may have grown owing to the creation of a road cut 20–30 years ago overall this activity was considered to have a negative impact on the species. Over the next 15 years, the likelihood of re-colonization is uncertain as it is unknown how long it took for a road cut to be re-colonized by tiny tassel. New roads could create new habitat for tiny tassel, however, due to the limited sporophyte production of this species the habitat may not be colonized (COSEWIC 2014).

Threat 6. Human intrusions and disturbance (threat impact negligible)

6.1 Recreational activities

Mountain biking trails occur close to one tiny tassel site (COSEWIC 2014). Overall, this activity is popular in the Kamloops and Penticton areas and bike trails could have direct impact on populations through scraping the mosses off the substrate and/or compacting them into the ground. As well, mountain biking activities could result in increased erosion on the bluffs, affecting a larger area of the habitat occupied by tiny tassel.

6.3 Work and other activities

Collecting of the moss species for research or inventory is thought to have a negligible impact on the populations.

Threat 11. Climate change and severe weather (threat impact unknown)

11.4 Storms and flooding

Climate change could increase the amount of suitable habitat available (through creating drier conditions in the spring/summer) and also could increase the sporophyte production (through more heavy rainfall events in the fall/winter). Nevertheless, this increased rainfall could also cause more erosion on the silty bluffs where tiny tassel occurs, thereby reducing habitat for the species.

5 Management goal and objectives

5.1 Management goal

The management goal is to maintain all known extant populations and any future populations of tiny tassel that may be found in British Columbia.

5.2 Rationale for the management goal

The overall goal is to maintain all known extant populations of the species within British Columbia. This includes the current extant populations as well as any populations that are found in the future. No quantitative management goal is possible for tiny tassel as basic population demographics and trends are unknown for all populations. As with many rare plant species, we lack adequate information about the historical distribution of tiny tassel.

5.3 Management objectives

The following are the management objectives for tiny tassel:

1. to secure long-term protection^{Footnote 12} for the known populations and habitats of tiny tassel
2. to determine the levels of real and potential threats to this species and its habitat and to mitigate their effects; and
3. to confirm the distribution of tiny tassel (including any new populations) and to reliably determine population trends through monitoring

6 Approaches to meet objectives

6.1 Actions already completed or underway

The following actions have been categorized under the action groups of the B.C. Conservation Framework (B.C. Ministry of Environment 2009). Status of the action group for this species is given in parentheses.

Compile status report (complete)

• COSEWIC report completed (COSEWIC 2014)

Send to COSEWIC (complete)

• Tiny tassel assessed as of Special Concern (COSEWIC 2014). (Re-assessment due 2024.)

Planning (complete)

• B.C. Management Plan completed (this document, 2016)

Inventory (complete)

• Inventory for the completion of the COSEWIC status report was undertaken in 2013

Habitat protection and private land stewardship (in progress)

• One population at Mt. Wheeler (EO 29) is in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area and is afforded the protection under the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act
• One population in Penticton (EO9) occurs within the critical habitat identified for nugget moss (Environment and Climate Change Canada 2012)

6.2 Recommended management actions

7 Measuring progress

The following performance measures provide a way to define and measure progress toward achieving the management goal and objectives. Performance measures for each objective are listed below with the target of achieving each stated measurable within the next five years.

Measurable(s) for objective 1

• Populations of tiny tassel have stewardship agreements in place or other forms of protection established

Measurable(s) for objective 2

• The main threat to tiny tassel populations (e.g., road maintenance) is assessed and mitigated to the extent possible; monitoring is in place to determine effectiveness of mitigation

Measurable(s) for objective 3

• Inventory of suitable habitats is conducted, with population trends indicating that the numbers of plants at known sites are stable or increasing over the long term

8 Effects on other species

Other moss species at risk that occur in tiny tassel habitat include nugget moss (Microbryum vlassovii), which is Red-listed by the B.C. Conservation Data Centre and is listed as Endangered on the SARA’s Schedule 1. Grimmia plagiopodia (no common name) is a Red-listed moss that also inhabits lacustrine bluffs in the province.

Management activities for tiny tassel will be implemented with consideration for all co-occurring species at risk, such that there are no negative impacts to these species or their habitats.

9 References

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2016. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. B.C. Min. Environ., Victoria, BC. <http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/> [Accessed July 12, 2016]

B.C. Ministry of Environment. 2009. Conservation framework—Conservation priorities for species and ecosystems: primer. Ecosystems Br., Environ. Stewardship Div., Victoria, BC. <http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/species-at-risk-documents/cf_primer.pdf> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the tiny tassel Crossidium seriatum in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa, ON. <http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=2773> [Accessed January 5, 2016]

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2012. Recovery Strategy for the Nugget Moss (Microbryum vlassovii) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. XVI pp. + Appendix.

Government of Canada. 2002. Species at Risk Act [S.C. 2002] c. 29. Justice Laws website <http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/S-15.3/page-1.html> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Master, L.L., D. Faber-Langendoen, R. Bittman, G.A. Hammerson, B. Heidel, L. Ramsay, K. Snow, A. Teucher, and A. Tomaino. 2012. NatureServe conservation status assessments: factors for evaluating species and ecosystems at risk. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. <http://www.natureserve.org/sites/default/files/publications/files/natureserveconservationstatusfactors_apr12_1.pdf> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Meidinger, D. and J. Pojar [eds.] 1991. Ecosystems of British Columbia. B.C. Min. For., Victoria, BC. Spec. Rep. Ser. No. 6.

NatureServe. 2015. NatureServe explorer: an online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. <http://www.natureserve.org/explorer> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Open Standards. 2014. Threats taxonomy. <http://cmp-openstandards.org/using-os/tools/threats-taxonomy/> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Province of British Columbia. 1982. Wildlife Act [RSBC 1996] c. 488. Queen’s Printer, Victoria, BC. <http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_96488_01> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Province of British Columbia. 2002. Forest and Range Practices Act [SBC 2002] c. 69. Queen’s Printer, Victoria, BC. <http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_02069_01> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Province of British Columbia. 2008. Oil and Gas Activities Act [SBC 2008] c. 36. Queen’s Printer, Victoria, BC. <http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_08036_01> [Accessed May 22, 2015]

Salafsky, N., D. Salzer, A.J. Stattersfield, C. Hilton-Taylor, R. Neugarten, S.H.M. Butchart, B. Collen, N. Cox, L.L. Master, S. O’Connor, and D. Wilkie. 2008. A standard lexicon for biodiversity conservation: unified classifications of threats and actions. Conserv. Biol. 22:897–911.