Bird surveys (summer 2018) following habitat restoration along three watercourses and in an agroforestry plot in the Lake Saint-Pierre region – Baie-du-Febvre Area

Introduction

Lake Saint-Pierre and its floodplain, which is the largest in Québec, is one of the major components of the St. Lawrence ecosystem. With more than 288 resident and migratory bird species and 79 fish species (MDDEFP, 2013), the lake offers an exceptional natural environment, which has received international recognition for its rich biodiversity (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and RAMSAR site).

Agricultural activities have been carried out on the fertile floodplain of Lake Saint-Pierre for several centuries. However, beginning in the second half of the 20th century, perennial crops were gradually replaced by annual crops, even in the floodplain area (Dauphin and Jobin, 2016). Agricultural practices associated with annual cropping have resulted in degradation of natural habitats and reduced the amount of habitat available for many wildlife species (Latendresse et al., 2008; Rioux et al., 2009). Grassland birds (Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, etc.), whose populations are in decline (NABCI, 2012), and waterfowl are among the species that have been adversely affected by the disappearance of wet meadows and the conversion of perennial crops to annual crops. The loss of plant substrates due to fall tillage promotes soil erosion during high water periods and results in the destruction of key fish spawning and rearing grounds in the spring. This degradation has played a significant role in the decline of the Yellow Perch population in Lake Saint-Pierre (Magnan et al., 2017). To date, roughly 5,000 ha of potential Yellow Perch spawning habitat has been lost (TCRLSP, 2017).

With the aim of balancing agricultural activities and wildlife protection, an approach for restoring wildlife habitats on the shoreline of Lake Saint-Pierre has been developed (Groupe de travail « Intendance en milieu agricole: culture du littoral au lac Saint-Pierre », 2010). This approach involves stream maintenance (bank reprofiling, planting, etc.) and conversion of annual crops back to perennial crops or natural grasslands. In these regards, three watercourses of the Baie-du-Febvre area were restored in 2012 with the goal of restoring fish habitat while allowing the cultivation of adjacent lands. In parallel with this work, an agroforestry plot was established at Bertco Farm to evaluate the impact on wildlife and agronomy of intercropping traditional cereal crops (or alfalfa) and rows of trees (oaks, maples, poplars, walnuts) spaced 40 m apart in a single field.
Bird surveys were conducted for the first time in the summer of 2012 to provide a portrait of the avian communities present at these four sites (ie. The three watercourses and the agroforestry plot) before the start of the habitat management and restoration work. New inventories were conducted in the summer of 2017 to measure the evolution of bird communities five years after the work was completed. Due to the high water levels in 2017, the inventories were repeated in 2018 in order to draw a representative portrait of the bird communities that frequent the various sites.

This approach is part of the project “Restore the Lake Saint-Pierre shoreline”, which is being carried out jointly by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Québec Department of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP), as part of the 2016-2021 programming of the St. Lawrence Action Plan (SLAP).

Prepared by

Alexandre Nicole et Diane Dauphin
Canadian Wildlife Service
Québec Region
Environment and Climate Change Canada

Full version PDF

For an accessible format of this document, please contact us.