Elk - Waterton Lakes - Grasslands

Elk - Waterton Lakes - Grasslands Elk are by far the dominant ungulate in Waterton Lakes Naitonal Park, with a population large enough to influence park ecosystems, particularly in the montane and aspen parkland ecoregions. As important grazers, they help to maintain grassland health by preventing woody plant encroachment, but overgrazing will cause grassland health to deteriorate. In Waterton Lakes National Park, aerial elk surveys (Figure 1) have been conducted since the early 1970s. The winter elk population census is conducted by means of an aerial or ground survey, in which a complete minimum population count is calculated, with the goal of detecting change over time. Historic counts are collated from park files and annual reports, as well as survey reports. 2018-04-12 Parks Canada barb.johnston@pc.gc.ca Nature and Environmentelkwapitiminimum population countaerial surveyspopulation sizeungulatesOvergrazingundergrazingAlberta Elk - Waterton Lakes - air survey data - 1CSV https://124gc.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/external/_layouts/15/download.aspx/EZ3zV2qQaqhJl8S_o36YaBMBou7PJj_Mxn7i0aPjGfXBIw?e=ghFSiB Elk - Waterton Lakes - ground counts data - 2CSV https://124gc.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/external/_layouts/15/download.aspx/EQarxa9LLY5BnyCE0n6W_SUBPJCH91r33iLH9yq5DvM7IA?e=RmaAjs Elk - Waterton Lakes - historic data - 3CSV https://124gc.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/external/_layouts/15/download.aspx/Ef4eX4TVnchGuPdEu2vbQSoBbNo0m4jJ3UQ7yhC3rR8k_g?e=bkr9Xv Elk - Waterton Lakes - data dictionary - 4CSV https://124gc.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/external/_layouts/15/download.aspx/ERYFFPPcTvZHo1f_Qr-CNcUBnBAiDN6xiDThPnxqI6VkLw?e=tYlQtb

Elk are by far the dominant ungulate in Waterton Lakes Naitonal Park, with a population large enough to influence park ecosystems, particularly in the montane and aspen parkland ecoregions. As important grazers, they help to maintain grassland health by preventing woody plant encroachment, but overgrazing will cause grassland health to deteriorate. In Waterton Lakes National Park, aerial elk surveys (Figure 1) have been conducted since the early 1970s. The winter elk population census is conducted by means of an aerial or ground survey, in which a complete minimum population count is calculated, with the goal of detecting change over time. Historic counts are collated from park files and annual reports, as well as survey reports.

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