Thread-leaved sundew (Drosera filiformis) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 6
The extent of critical habitat for the thread-leaved sundew in southwestern Nova Scotia is not declining appreciably. Some of the sites suffer minor levels of disturbance by trampling by all-terrain vehicles and digging of small amounts of horticultural peat by individual persons. Overall, however, these are local disturbances and are not a significant threat to the survival of the rare sundew. In fact, small plants and seedlings are frequently noted in these sorts of anthropogenic microdisturbances, and also in deer trails.
However, a site supporting one of the largest populations of the thread-leaved Sundew in Canada at the Swaine's Road Bog has been repeatedly proposed for development as a peat mine. If such a development were to occur, it would destroy or degrade the habitat of the rare plant. This damage could be caused by the direct harvesting of peat from places where the rare sundew is growing, or through indirect effects of hydrological changes associated with peat mining within a nearby contiguous wetland. In 1991, the Nova Scotia Minister of the Environment refused to allow a proposed mine to proceed at this site. The stated rationale for this decision was the risks posed to the survival of thread-leaved sundew in Nova Scotia and Canada. This was a rare example in which consideration for the survival of an endangered species of plant has halted a proposed resource development in Canada or elsewhere. Nevertheless, because this site has relatively deep peat and easy access, there are continuing proposals to develop a peat mine there. Moreover, all of the habitats of the thread-leaved sundew are potentially threatened by such developments (although only the Swaine’s Road site has so far been specifically targeted). This is because of the increasing resource value associated with the use of peat as a source of energy or for horticultural purposes, as well as the possibility of converting such sites for the commercial cultivation of cranberries.
Protection/Ownership
None of the known critical habitats of thread-leaved sundew is in an officially protected area. Most of the Swaine’s Road Bog is owned by the Municipality of Barrington, but some areas are privately owned. The other sites are mostly privately owned, but parts are provincial crown land.
The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources is preparing a management plan for coastal plain species and their habitats in the province. Although thread-leaved sundew does not cohabit with other coastal plain species (most of which occur on the shorelines of certain lakes and rivers), it will be included in the management plan.
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