Annual Soil Humus Decay Rate Monitoring:  Monitoring annual decay rates (ADR) can provide valuable information about the productivity and turnover of biomass on the forest floor. These plots were established in 2009 in one of the forest health monitoring plots. Three ADR plots were established in each corner of the forest health plot.  Four birch tongue depressors were placed in each plot for an overall total of 48. Tongue depressors will be collected each fall and dried and weighed. New depressors will be inserted in their place.  The reduction in the weight of the tongue depressors will allow us to calculate decay rates.

Benthic Invertebrates: A benthic invertebrate monitoring program was initiated by Shannon Holton in two coldwater streams, namely Bauman Creek and Cruickston Creek in 2006 and continued in 2009 by Jennifer McCarter according to the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network (OBBN) protocols. Water samples are collected in the spring and samples and the organisms are identified later at rare.  Data is collected at each site including substrate type, air and water temperature, stream width and depth and riparian vegetation.  Water was also sampled periodically and tested for nitrates and total phosphorus.  Water pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen are also measured.  The highest diversity of benthic invertebrates was observed on sites with steeper gradients, cobble bottoms and higher forest cover. 

Birds:  Birds are being monitored in three key areas on rare property.  The first is in the cliffs/alvars area where Point Count stations approximately 180 metres apart were established in 2001 using a method established by the Forest Bird Monitoring Program of the Canadian Wildlife Service.  One-third of these stations were revisited in 2007 and the remaining stations were monitored in 2008 and 2009 by bird monitoring specialist Andy Steinberg.  Each station is monitored twice in a season (at least a week apart) during fair weather and all birds seen or heard in a 10-minute period in early morning are recorded.
The second area where bird monitoring is taking place is on the agricultural fields that have been taken out of crop production. In early summer, volunteer birders including Bill Wilson, Ruth Kroft, Jerry Guenther and Larry Hubble are walking the length of each field twice along its edges and hedgerows and recording bird observations for 10 minutes at listening stations at least 200 metres apart.  This annual monitoring will help us assess the importance of these restoration areas to bird populations.
The third monitoring project is the largest and most involved.  Environmental Advisory Team member Bill Wilson and Ministry of Natural Resources Biologist Art Timmerman have coordinated dozens of volunteers each winter since 1999 to monitor the bald eagle populations along the south shore of the Grand River between November and April. Observers note information on bald eagle movements, courtship activity, perching and roosting sites, arrival and departure dates and feeding preferences.  Intensive monitoring blitzes (held six times in 2007/08) have helped pinpoint maximum eagle numbers.  As many as 15 bald eagles were wintering along the Grand River (including rare property) in 2007/08 while as many as 21 bald eagles wintered along the Grand in 2008/09.

For more information on Bird Monitoring at rare go to: http://raresites.org/cms/en/Biodiversity/BirdSpecies.aspx?menuid=72

Butterflies: Two butterfly monitoring transects were established by Jessica Grealey in 2006 on rare property; one around the cliffs & alvars area and the other along the southern fields including the edge of Indian Woods.  These transects were walked weekly for 5 weeks between the July 18th and August 24th. All butterflies seen within ten metres of each transect as it was traversed were recorded.  As well, each transect was divided into sections (11 and 9 sections respectively). Observations were collected at the centre of each section for 10 minutes.  A total of 26 butterfly species were observed on the property over this first year of monitoring.
These transects were monitored again in 2009 for a much longer period of time by Charlotte Moore. Charlotte also established a new transect on rare property.  A total of 32 butterfly species were observed on rare in 2009 between  May 13th and August 13th.   
An Annual Butterfly Count is also held at rare in July every year.

Forest Health:  Six 20 m x 20 m plots were established in 2009-10 at rare in accordance with EMAN protocols for monitoring forest health.  Every tree over 10 cm in diameter at breast height was mapped and tagged.  These trees have also been identified and their heights and diameters at breast height have also been recorded.  The condition of all trees within the plots and the amount of gap closure will be assessed on an annual basis according to EMAN protocols. This long-term monitoring will allow us to assess any dramatic changes to the composition of our forests as triggered by factors such as climate change, exotic species introductions or the introduction of pests.

Lichens:  A tree lichen monitoring program was initiated by Nicole Weaver in 2004 in Indian Woods within four 20 x 20 m plots using Ecological Monitoring and Assessment (EMAN) protocols.  The oldest four trees in each plot were selected for monitoring (16 large trees representing six different species).  A lichen ladder was placed against the bark of each tree four times (at each of the four cardinal directions) to determine the presence or absence of 17 EMAN species (as well as any other species). Nine EMAN species and 8 other species were found growing on the bark of the selected trees.  The Lichen Diversity Value for this site is 16.9.
In the winter of 2008/09, these plots were relocated and photographed to allow for a photographic comparison of species diversity and size over time.

Salamanders: A salamander monitoring program was initiated in 2006 by Shannon Holton in Indian Woods near the 20 x 20 m plots originally established for lichen monitoring in accordance with Ecological Monitoring and Assessment (EMAN) protocols.  Twenty-nine salamander cover boards were placed 5 m apart around a vernal pool (small pond that may dry up in the summer).  Weekly counts and measurements were completed over five weeks in the fall. Climatic measurements including air and soil temperature, and wind speed were also measured.  During the first year over 160 red-backed salamanders were counted as well as one individual from the blue spotted/Jefferson complex.
The salamander boards were revisited in 2008 by Emily-Jane Hayes and in 2009 by Jennifer McCarter. As well, a new set of 20 salamander boards was established in 2008 in the Hogsback forest/wetland complex in the southeastern portion of rare. In 2009, 3 new boards were added to Indian Woods.  Monitoring now occurs over a nine-week period in the fall. New salamander species observed since 2006 include the Blue-Spotted Salamander, Four-Toed Salamander and Spotted Salamander.