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Morrell Nature Sanctuary Guidebook
This guidebook provides an introduction to the Morrell Nature Sanctuary, including a brief history of the site, a description of the physical and biotic environment, colour photographs of common plants and animals, a list of the various educational programs offered by the Morrell Sanctuary Society, and a self-guide interpretive tour of the sanctuary. Print copies of the guidebook are available from the Sanctuary office for $10 each.
Miscellaneous Papers of the Morrell Sanctuary Society for Environmental Education
The Multiple Roles of the Morrell Nature Sanctuary: Conservation, Education, Recreation
Abstract: Three specific roles can be defined for the Morrell Nature Sanctuary relating to conservation, environmental education, and recreation. As a protected area, the need to conserve the sanctuary’s biological diversity and ecological integrity is of great importance. Formerly under private ownership by Bill Morrell, the property was not originally designed as a nature reserve and modern conservation planning was not applied with respect to the size, shape, and management of the area when acquired by the Nature Trust of BC. The legacy of past disturbances on the site limits to some extent the conservation options available. Consequently, the sanctuary is generally not involved with species-level conservation, with a few exceptions such as the western toad, but instead focuses more on ecosystem-level conservation objectives that aim to preserve the overall biodiversity contained within this representative fragment of the coastal Douglas-fir rain shadow forest. The maintenance of ecological integrity may also be maintained through public outreach and education. Thus, environmental education is another primary role of the sanctuary, which in effect serves as a teaching forest. As students and visitors learn more about the natural environment through interpretive programs, they more fully understand the reason for restrictions on recreation and other activities. In addition, such programs increase environmental awareness and bolster public appreciation for nature. Finally, the proximity of the sanctuary to a large urban community invites and supports recreational use, such as hiking, dog walking, trail running, and family picnics. However, to remain compatible with the sanctuary’s conservation goals, the type, intensity, and extent of use must be managed to minimize negative impacts. Therefore, certain restrictions are imposed, such as leashing dogs, staying on established trails, and resisting the urge to pick wild flowers or mushrooms. At the present time, visitors are also expected to practice social distancing and adhere to all relevant COVID-19 safety precautions mandated by the provincial health authority. To read the complete report, please click here.
Abstract: Three specific roles can be defined for the Morrell Nature Sanctuary relating to conservation, environmental education, and recreation. As a protected area, the need to conserve the sanctuary’s biological diversity and ecological integrity is of great importance. Formerly under private ownership by Bill Morrell, the property was not originally designed as a nature reserve and modern conservation planning was not applied with respect to the size, shape, and management of the area when acquired by the Nature Trust of BC. The legacy of past disturbances on the site limits to some extent the conservation options available. Consequently, the sanctuary is generally not involved with species-level conservation, with a few exceptions such as the western toad, but instead focuses more on ecosystem-level conservation objectives that aim to preserve the overall biodiversity contained within this representative fragment of the coastal Douglas-fir rain shadow forest. The maintenance of ecological integrity may also be maintained through public outreach and education. Thus, environmental education is another primary role of the sanctuary, which in effect serves as a teaching forest. As students and visitors learn more about the natural environment through interpretive programs, they more fully understand the reason for restrictions on recreation and other activities. In addition, such programs increase environmental awareness and bolster public appreciation for nature. Finally, the proximity of the sanctuary to a large urban community invites and supports recreational use, such as hiking, dog walking, trail running, and family picnics. However, to remain compatible with the sanctuary’s conservation goals, the type, intensity, and extent of use must be managed to minimize negative impacts. Therefore, certain restrictions are imposed, such as leashing dogs, staying on established trails, and resisting the urge to pick wild flowers or mushrooms. At the present time, visitors are also expected to practice social distancing and adhere to all relevant COVID-19 safety precautions mandated by the provincial health authority. To read the complete report, please click here.
Underground Connections in the Forest
Abstract: When walking through the forest with a broad tree canopy high overhead and a profuse under-story of shrubs, ferns, and herbs, one rarely considers the ecological interactions taking place beneath the forest floor. Most people are aware that plants are generally rooted in the soil, from which they acquire nutrients and water. Combining these soil resources with radiant energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and the genetic information programmed into their DNA, plants grow and develop through photosynthesis (the process by which sunlight is used to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water). However, there is much more going on below the soil surface. Of special interest are the underground connections created by natural root grafts, mychorrhizal networks, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. These connections are examples of protocooperation (root grafts) and mutualism (mychorrhiza and nitrogen fixation). Protocooperation is an interaction which stimulates both partners, but is not obligatory; that is, both participants can survive and develop in the absence of the other. Mutualism, however, is an obligate interaction; the absence of the interaction depresses both partners. To read the complete report, please click here.
Abstract: When walking through the forest with a broad tree canopy high overhead and a profuse under-story of shrubs, ferns, and herbs, one rarely considers the ecological interactions taking place beneath the forest floor. Most people are aware that plants are generally rooted in the soil, from which they acquire nutrients and water. Combining these soil resources with radiant energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and the genetic information programmed into their DNA, plants grow and develop through photosynthesis (the process by which sunlight is used to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water). However, there is much more going on below the soil surface. Of special interest are the underground connections created by natural root grafts, mychorrhizal networks, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. These connections are examples of protocooperation (root grafts) and mutualism (mychorrhiza and nitrogen fixation). Protocooperation is an interaction which stimulates both partners, but is not obligatory; that is, both participants can survive and develop in the absence of the other. Mutualism, however, is an obligate interaction; the absence of the interaction depresses both partners. To read the complete report, please click here.
Bloody Brittlegill
A Comparison of Plant Species Composition in the Morrell Nature Sanctuary: 1976, 2018
Abstract: Plant communities typically change over time, with some species disappearing and new ones emerging in response to habitat alteration, ecological succession, and other factors. A comparison of plant species lists compiled in 1975-76 and again in 2018 can give us some insight into such changes at the Morrell Nature Sanctuary. We cannot attach too much ecological significance to this study because the data were collected by different people using different methods and for different purposes. Nevertheless, it is instructive to consider how plant diversity in the sanctuary has varied over the 42 years between these two surveys. Although one must be cautious when interpreting findings from this study, it is quite clear that the evident expansion of non-native species into the sanctuary is cause for concern. For example, English holly, spurge-laurel (Daphne), spotted knapweed, English daisy, annual hawksbeard, foxglove, tansy ragwort, rose campion, yellow archangel, Shepherd’s cress, and periwinkle were noted in 2018, but not in 1976; some of these introduced species are a significant problem today, particularly holly and spurge-laurel. Likewise, there are several non-native species present in both the 1976 and 2018 lists, such as Scotch broom, common St. John's wort, hairy cat's-ear, wall lettuce, sheep sorrel, common tansy, and common dandelion. Bob Harvey has also pointed out that English ivy is present in the sanctuary, an invasive species that was not recorded in 1976 or in 2018. The proximity of the sanctuary to a major urban centre indicates that the threat posed by invasive plants will remain an ongoing problem, and curtailing encroachment of the more aggressive species is a continuing management goal today at the sanctuary. To view the complete report, please click here.
Abstract: Plant communities typically change over time, with some species disappearing and new ones emerging in response to habitat alteration, ecological succession, and other factors. A comparison of plant species lists compiled in 1975-76 and again in 2018 can give us some insight into such changes at the Morrell Nature Sanctuary. We cannot attach too much ecological significance to this study because the data were collected by different people using different methods and for different purposes. Nevertheless, it is instructive to consider how plant diversity in the sanctuary has varied over the 42 years between these two surveys. Although one must be cautious when interpreting findings from this study, it is quite clear that the evident expansion of non-native species into the sanctuary is cause for concern. For example, English holly, spurge-laurel (Daphne), spotted knapweed, English daisy, annual hawksbeard, foxglove, tansy ragwort, rose campion, yellow archangel, Shepherd’s cress, and periwinkle were noted in 2018, but not in 1976; some of these introduced species are a significant problem today, particularly holly and spurge-laurel. Likewise, there are several non-native species present in both the 1976 and 2018 lists, such as Scotch broom, common St. John's wort, hairy cat's-ear, wall lettuce, sheep sorrel, common tansy, and common dandelion. Bob Harvey has also pointed out that English ivy is present in the sanctuary, an invasive species that was not recorded in 1976 or in 2018. The proximity of the sanctuary to a major urban centre indicates that the threat posed by invasive plants will remain an ongoing problem, and curtailing encroachment of the more aggressive species is a continuing management goal today at the sanctuary. To view the complete report, please click here.
The Sanctuary's Flourishing Ferns
Abstract: The Morrell Nature Sanctuary is home to a number of different fern species, including sword fern, licorice fern, deer fern, bracken fern, and lady fern. Ferns are among the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with fossil specimens dating back about 390 million years ago. Most ferns are “sciophytes” (shade-loving) and have adapted to the lower light conditions of the understory by utilizing a special protein called neochrome. Neochrome enables ferns to absorb both red and blue light instead of just blue light like many of the other plants that grow above them. Ferns reproduce through the production of spores, a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. To view the complete report, please click here.
Abstract: The Morrell Nature Sanctuary is home to a number of different fern species, including sword fern, licorice fern, deer fern, bracken fern, and lady fern. Ferns are among the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with fossil specimens dating back about 390 million years ago. Most ferns are “sciophytes” (shade-loving) and have adapted to the lower light conditions of the understory by utilizing a special protein called neochrome. Neochrome enables ferns to absorb both red and blue light instead of just blue light like many of the other plants that grow above them. Ferns reproduce through the production of spores, a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. To view the complete report, please click here.
The Sanctuary's Forest and Climate Change
Abstract: A significant concern about climate change is the potential for increased tree mortality due to drought and moisture stress. This report briefly summarizes the implications of climate change for two important tree species in the Morrell Nature Sanctuary; western redcedar and Douglas-fir. While there is considerable uncertainty in predicting the timeframe and impact of climate change on our local forests, the literature suggests that both western redcedar and Douglas-fir are relatively tolerant of moisture stress, and that their ranges may not be significantly affected by climate change, at least, in the foreseeable future. To read the complete report, please click here.
Abstract: A significant concern about climate change is the potential for increased tree mortality due to drought and moisture stress. This report briefly summarizes the implications of climate change for two important tree species in the Morrell Nature Sanctuary; western redcedar and Douglas-fir. While there is considerable uncertainty in predicting the timeframe and impact of climate change on our local forests, the literature suggests that both western redcedar and Douglas-fir are relatively tolerant of moisture stress, and that their ranges may not be significantly affected by climate change, at least, in the foreseeable future. To read the complete report, please click here.