Blackie Spit Park: Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Plan - City of Surrey

3.4 Monitoring Schedule
Monitor the success (in surrounding MUs) of invasive species management activities, making
adjustments to procedures, as necessary.
Management Unit 4: Dunsmuir Farm Old-field
1.0 Existing Conditions
Management Unit 4 is primarily an old-field with areas of shrub border (Drawing 3). The shrub
border occurs mostly south of the community garden (Figure 13) and along the west side. South of
the community garden, the well established and structurally diverse border contains a large variety
of plant species. Some of the predominant species are blackberry (both Rubus discolor and R.
laciniatus), elderberry, and black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata), with one to three individuals of
birch, black hawthorne (Crataegus douglasii), lodgepole pine, and blue spruce. The escaped
herbaceous policeman’s helmet is also abundant in the hedge. The west border of MU 4 is composed
of blackberry with elderberry and other shrubs.
The fields are characterized by three predominant cover types. The east end exhibits the influence
of the community gardens and grasses are dominated by herbaceous plants, including Canada thistle,
bedstraw (Galium sp.), and various horticultural plants (Figure 13).
The southern region is largely short pasture grasses, with significant intrusions of thistles, willowherb
(Epilobium ciliatum), Canada goldenrod, hairy cat’s-ear, silverweed (Potentilla anserina), stinging
nettle, common rush (Juncus effusus), and some elderberry (Figure 14).
The north part of the field is dominated by reed canarygrass and has approximately a 5% coverage
of mature elderberry bushes (Drawing 3) (Figure 14). Many of the elderberry bushes are dead or
dying, perhaps from dessication (Figure 14). Lodgepole pines have also been planted in this area.
A shallow drainage ditch runs through the area into the main ditch in MU 6 that drains the adjacent
subdivision.
The extreme north end is becoming overgrown with blackberries. There is a remaining open patch
of grass in which some elderberry and planted lodgepole pine are growing, but these, too, are
becoming overtaken by blackberries (Figure 15).
The eastern and southern areas had about 35-60 cm of organic topsoil over lenses or mixtures of grey
clay and organics. The northern area had 15-30 cm of organic and/or mineral soil, which was dry in
late July, over a variable clayey/sandy/gravelly/woody (though largely sandy/gravelly) substrate that
was impenetrable to the soil probe.
Blackie Spit Park: Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Plan – Management Unit 4 33