Proposed Lockyer's Waters Ecologicial Reserve.
Lockyer's Water's is a small old growth forest located in the Avondale Valley between Salmonier Line and Middle Gull Pond, less than forty kilometeres from downtown St John's. In 1997 the documented Erioderma population was approximately 800 thalli. By 2005 the population had declined to less than 200 thalli .However an additional 200 thalli have been located throughout the protected area and today the population throughout the proposed reserve is estimated to be approxiamtely 400 thalli.
Although logging has been prohibited within the proposed reserve since 1996 the area is still under considerably pressure from sourrounding developments. In addition to the extensive clear cutting on its Northern and Western boundaries proir to 1997, between 1999 and 2004 extensive logging took palce on the Southern Boundary(Tower Road).The area also has large cottage developments on its Eastern and Western boundaries, (Hawcos Pond-Middle Gull Pond) and is just 2 kilometers from the TCH and 10 kilometers from the Holyrood Generatng Station .
Since 1996 Lockyer's Water's and the Avondale Wilderness area have become synonymous with the rare tree lichen Erioderma pedicellatum. Erioderma pedicellatum (Ep) is one of the oldest lichens known and highly sensitive to poor air quality, thus its presence is a good indicator of a healthy forest ecosystem.
Erioderma pedicellatum is listed as an endangered species at the world level by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, (IUCN Lichen Red List September 2003) and listed as vulnerable under the Newfoundland Endangered Species Act (August 2002).
Although Erioderma pedicellatum once had a global distribution in Sweden, Norway, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, today it is extinct in Sweden, and New Brunswick and on the brink of extinction in Nova Scotia (22 Thalli) and Norway (1 Thalli) .
Below is a September 2004 photo of last recorded Erioderma pedicelatum in Norway. Photo courtesy of Tom-Hellik Hofton 
Erioderma pedicellatum was first identified and researched in Newfoundland in 1956, by Finnish lichenologists Thevo Athi, University of Helsinki. Between 1980 and 1984 Dr Wolfgang Maass from the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) conducted further research throughout the island, identifying hundreds of sites.
In 1993 Dr. Maass revisited Newfoundland and identified several thalli at the Salmonier Nature Park, located just a couple of kilometres from Lockyer's Waters and the Avondale Wilderness. During the 1994-95 public consultation process on the developing the Central Avalon Integrated Resource Management Process, Mac Pitcher, Curator at the Salmonier Nature Park informed Eugene Conway Chair of the Northeast Avalon Community Futures Association (NACFA) of the work and findings of Dr Wolfgang Maass. Without doubt this information would later play a significant role in the future protection of Erioderma pedicellatum in Newfoundland.
The struggle to protect Erioderma here in Newfoundland started back in the spring of 1996 when Newfoundland Forest Service (NFS) released plans toclear-cut the Avondale River Watershed, one of the few small areas unscathed by clear-cut commercial logging left in the entire Central Avalon Peninsula. The Avondale River Watershed includes the Avondale Waters and the Lockyer's Waters, that merge near the TransCanada Highway (TCH) to form the Avondale River, and than flow on to the ocean through the Town of Avondale.
During the 1996 public consultation process to develop a Forest Management Plan for District One Avalon Peninsula, planning team member Eugene Conway, Mayor Town of Conception Harbour informed the planning team that a proposed forest access road into the Avondale Wilderness could have a negative impact on the rare tree lichen Erioderma pedicellatum, and he requested that a survey for the rare species be conducted before road construction began (Lavrock Meeting May 7, 1996).
Although, government representatives greeted the request with scepticism, fortunately under pressure from several Non Government Organizations (NGO) planning team members to protect the integrity of the Lockyers Waters Canoe Routes, the Minister of Forestry agreed to redirect the proposed road to the top of the ridge and along an old logging trail that had been established several years earlier.
Although unknown to everyone at the time had this road followed its original planned route up through the valley one of the largest unknown populations of Erioderma pedicellatum in the world would have been destroyed.
Erioderma located August 1996
Using photographs and descriptions provided by Dr Wolfgang Maass, during July and August 1996 Eugene Conway conducted extensive surveying throughout the Central Avalon Peninsula. On August 30 in the Clam River/Peddles Water area of the Central Avalon Eugene Conway and Mac Pitcher located what would be the first of thousands of erioderma thalli to be later found throughout the Southwest Coast and Avalon Peninsula.
On Sept 7 1996, Eugene Conway and Gordon Cooper from the Newfoundland and Labrador Wilflife Federarion (NLWF) located several huindred thalli of the rare lichen Erioderma pedicellatum which what was than the largest known Ep population in the world adjacent to McGee's Gully at Lockyer's Water's.
On Sept. 14/1996, the Central Avalon Coalition (CAC) contacted Swiss Lichenologists Dr Christoph Scheidegger who was attending a meeting of the International Association of Lichenologists (IAL) in Salzburg Austria. As a result Dr Scheidegger and another 127 scientists from around the world sent a letter to Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin requesting that he give
immediate protection to the Eiroderma pedicellatum population identified at Lockywer's Water's.
In October 1996, Swiss Lichenologists Dr Christoph Scheidegger, visited Newfoundland and conducted preliminary research at Lockyer's Water's on behalf of the International Association of Lichenologists (IAL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Forest Snow and Landscape.
In November 1996, Premier Brian Tobin in response to concerns expressed by D r Scheidegger and the International Association Of Lichenologists (IAL) halted the planned clear-cut commercial logging of this small area to protect the tree lichen Erioderma pedicellatum. However a request to halt the road construction was denied and the road was completed.
On December 14,1996 Eugene Conway on behalf of the CAC made application under the Wilderness Ecological Reserve Act (WERAC) the Department of Tourism, Parks Division to have an area approximately 15 sq km. at the Lockyer's Waters protected as an Erioderma Ecological Reserve.
In March 1997, The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and Newfoundland Forest Service (NFS) commissioned Dr Wolfgang Maass, Nova Scotia to do a report on the status of Erioderema pedicellatum in Newfoundland.
In June 1997 the Avondale Watershed Restoration Committee, received a $250,000 six month Youth Services Canada (YSC) project and an eight week ($10,000) Conservation Corp Team and a private donation of $5,000.00 from Voisey's Bay Nickel. A total of 25 people were employed to conduct research on Erioderma pedicellatum at Lockyer's Water's along with assessing the potential for salmon enhancement in the adjacent Avondale Watershed.
In September 1997, Dr Scheidegger accompanied by Dr Wolfgang Maass from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia once again conducted Erioderma research at Lockyer's Water's.
From October to December 1997, YSC participants traveled to several Primary, Elementary and High Schools on the Avalon Peninsula informing students about the significance of the wildlife living in the Lockyer's Water's area.
In February 1998, Sherry Mchugh, 1997 YSC Team Leader traveled to Switzerland where she received employment at the Swiss Federal Institute for four months analyzing the research data her team had collected at Lockyer's Water's during 1997.
In October 1998, Dr. Christoph Scheidegger made his third visit and spent two weeks working at Lockyer's Water's.
In June 1999, the Newfoundland Lichen Education and Research Group received $150,000.00 from Youth Services Canada and 14 youth, a project coordinator and project biologists conducted six months of Erioderma pedicellatum research at Lockyer's Water's.
In August 1999, David Yetman Youth Services Canada Project Biologists traveled to Switzerland where he presented a paper on the success of the Lockyer's Water's YSC research and outlined recommendations for increasing lichen research using local youth.
In October 1999, David Yetman began his Masters Research on the genetics of Erioderma pedicellatum at Lockyer's Waters under the direction of Memorial University biologists Luise Hermanutz, and Dr Christoph Scheidegger , Swiss Federal Institute of Forest Snow and Landscape .
In Jan 2000, David Yetman traveled to Switzerland and continued his research at the Swiss Federal Institute.In May 2000 Dr Christoph Scheidegger visited Newfoundland for his fourth trip to re-photograph the lichens he had photographed at Lockyers Waters on three previous trips. Also at that time Dr Sheidegger was appointed adjunct professor with the MUN Biology Department.
In May 2000 David Yetman returned from Switzerland and continued his research at Lockyer's Water's.
In February 2001 Dr Wolfgang Maass submitted his report on the status of Erioderma in Newfoundland to COSEWIC.
In April 2001 David Yetman returned to Switzerland to conduct further research on the life cycle of Erioderma pedicellatum.
In May 2002, COSEWIC listed Eriodrma pedicellatum (boreal felt lichen) in New Brunswick as extinct, Nova Scotia as endangered and Newfoundland as vulnerable.
In August 2002, Erioderma pedicellatum (boreal felt lichen) was listed as vulnerable and give protection under Newfoundland's endangered species act, with a management plans required within three years.
In September 2002 INCO comissioned the Newfoundland Lichen Education and Research Group (NLERG) to do a review of the Erioderma pedicellatum populations documented by Sherry Mchugh during 1997 YSC project at Lockyers
Waters.
In November 2002, NLERG submitted their Lockyers Waters review to INCO. The review suggested that approximately 85% of the documented Erioderma pedicellatum in sites 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9 had disappeared. Further previously tagged sites throughout the Central Avalon had losses up to 65%.
In August 2003 NLERG through funding provided by INCO contracted C-CORE and Sherry Mchugh to conduct a reassessment of sites 3,4,7,8, &9 at Lockyers Waters. In addition Dr Wolfgang Maass was contracted to conduct an assessment of the Erioderma pedicellatum populations at Southeast Placentia and Fitzgerald Pond Park.
In January 2004 C-CORE submitted their report to NLERG. The report concluded that sites 3,4,7,8, 9 had suffered at least a 50% loss since 1997.
In January 2004 Dr Wolfgang Maass submitted his report to NLERG on the SE Placentia area, indicating that although the locale contained less than 50 Erioderma Pedicellatum, however it must be considered a significant find,because it is less than ten kilometres from the proposed Hydrometallurgical Nickel facility to be constructed at Argentia could serve well as a
future-monitoring site for atmospheric pollution.
In 2004 Dr Christoph Scheidegger , visited Lockyer's Waters to review and photograph many of the several hundred Erioderma thalli that he has been documenting since 1996.
During November 2005 the Newfoundland Lichen Education and Research Group with funding provided by INCO contracted Dr Ian Goudie to establish a baseline report for a two year monotoring program of several hundred Ep at Lockyer's Waters.
In May 2006 , Dr Goudie submitted his first monotoring report which showed a signifciant decline during the period from November 2005 and May 2006.
In January 2008 Dr Goudie submitted his final monotoring report confirmining a continuing declining trend for the globally-rare Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum) in eastern Newfoundland as numbers in the relatively large sample at Lockyer’s Waters (n = 344) declined by approximately 13.9% over the summer period of spring to fall 2007. We confirmed a very low rate of juvenile recruitment was occurring in the monitored populations (e.g. ~3.6 % of the summer population in Lockyer’s Waters). The results did not corroborate the 2005 to 2006 findings that recruitment was lower, and mortality higher, in winter. The higher mortality registered in spring to summer 2007 (0.139) compared to winter 2006 to Spring 2007 (0.098) may have been related to the delayed spring and cool summer temperatures as adults demonstrated lower survival rates. Also both the winter (n = 13) and the summer (n = 13) intervals demonstrated identical recruitment in fall 2006 to fall 2007, in contrast to fall 2005 to fall 2006 when recruitment was much higher in summer (11 and 21, respectively). Nevertheless, it is now clear that the juvenile 1 class, hence the recruits, are the cohort most vulnerable to mortality. The Boreal Felt Lichen population is declining rapidly at both study areas. The sample sizes for the Southeast Placentia area are small. Overall, these life stage data corroborated previous declines evident in data estimating numbers of thalli in Lockyer’s Waters in 1997, 2002, 2003 compared to 2005 (Goudie and Conway 2005), and more recently for 2005 to 2006 (Goudie and Conway 2007a). The preliminary population model presented here supported that the primary life cycle transitions influencing population growth (Lambda-£) were the survival of the necrotic-loose and necrotic regenerating cohorts. It is apparent that these cohorts may be relatively stable in that there is proportionately less transition to other life stages. However, an assessment of the stable age distribution indicates that fewer juvenile and adults, and more necrotic-loose and necrotic regenerating cohorts would be expected in the population if stabilized by these calculated demographic rates. An interpretation is that the population attained its current distribution of cohorts under a different set of demographic rates.Population viability is being influenced least by juveniles, and these data continue to support that recruitment in the forest landscape may not be the issue limiting population viability in the Boreal Felt Lichen, and the population is sustained by longevity of adult thalli. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the single most important action promoting conservation is the retention of stands containing thalli (Sillett et al. 2000). This is an important finding for management and conservation of Erioderma pedicellatum because it suggests that identification and retention of “potential habitat” on the landscape may be of limited value if stands currently supporting this rare lichen are lost to commercial harvesting, fire, air pollution or other causes.Sustainability of populations of the boreal felt lichen in the Avalon boreal forest maybe compromised by the lack of regenerating forests of balsam fir within areas where mature thalli occur. Currently, virtually all located juvenile and adult Erioderma pedicellatum occur on mostly over-mature balsam fir. In natural cycling stands we would expect balsam fir to be regenerating in the understory of over-mature stands as trees reach senescence and die. The prolific natural regeneration of balsam fir in the absence of moose creates a continuum of ‘wave forests’ within the existing stands of the boreal felt lichen, likely creating the microclimatic and substrate conditions for continued colonization and regeneration of this lichen within landscape units. In general, balsam fir is not successfully regenerating in most parts of the study area due to excessive browsing by moose (Alces alces). We hypothesize that this is limiting habitat quality and availability for recruitment of the boreal felt lichen in the study areas.
Since Lockyer's Waters was granted protection by Premier Brian Tobin in 1996 it is estimated that over $500,000.00 has been invested in Erioderma research at that site. This investment has provided employment for 40 youth and enabling two off those youth to study Erioderma pedicellatum at the Swiss Federal Institute of Forest Snow and Landscape in Switzerland.
Logging road running north toward the Lockyer's Waters Reserve
Mechanical Tree Harvester (INSIDE CIRCLE) clear cutting adjacent to the southern boundary of the proposed reserve.
Area along Southern Boundary after Harvester completed its work
On November 5/2004 the Newfoundland Lichen Education and Research Group(NLERG) recieved confirmation that the Wilderness and Ecologicial Reserves Advisory Council ( WERAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting this internationally important area and recommended that Lockyer's Waters remain a proirity candidate site for the establishement a an ecologicial reserve.