Parks Canada

Georgian Bay Islands National Park uses point counts to monitor forest birds on Beausoleil Island; this measure focuses on the abundance of five common songbird species and overall diversity.

Hydrological patterns determine water depth, flow intensity, duration, and frequency of flooding, as well as low flow periods. Water levels in streams are not considered stable, but fluctuate seasonally. Hydrologic conditions primarily affect abiotic factors such as habitat structure, temperature...

Hydrological inputs and outputs determine water depth, flow patterns, and duration and frequency of flooding. The seasonal pattern of changes in a wetland’s water level is called the hydroperiod. Year-to-year variability of hydroperiod is related to climate and site specific conditions....

Annual decay rates in soil humus are monitored in 12 permanent forest plots within PEI National Park using year-to-year dry weight losses of standardized wood pieces (tongue depressors) as a proxy for soil decomposition. Climate change, pollution, dominant vegetation and land-use can all have...

Water temperature is considered a key ecosystem driver in freshwater ponds and streams of PEI National Park. American eel and Eastern Brook trout have been chosen for evaluating pond and stream temperature conditions as they are a common residents in most Atlantic Canada water bodies. Eastern...

Plant Watch is a national program which has been incorporated into ecological integrity monitoring in PEI National Park. The program adds to understanding of how common plant phenology is responding to climate change. PEI National Park monitors the first bloom Julian dates of four species within...

Thousand Islands NP installs temperature data loggers to monitor hourly stream water temperatures at designated stream study sites from spring until fall.

Existing invasive exotic species and the potential introduction of new invasive species pose a threat to forest biodiversity and function. The PEI National Park invasive species composite measure consists of two annual field measurements: the percentage of forest ecosystem with invasive species...

Plant Watch is a national program which has been incorporated into ecological integrity monitoring in PEI National Park. The program adds to understanding of how common plant phenology is responding to climate change. PEI National Park monitors the first bloom Julian dates of five species within...

Stream benthic invertebrates are important indicators of aquatic health and have been monitored in PEI National Park to assess community diversity as well as abundance of pollution tolerant and intolerant taxa in streams. Benthic invertebrates are collected on an annual basis using the sampling...

In order to assess long-term changes in streams Thousand Islands NP monitors their water quality yearly in July. Samples are analyzed for multiple parameters including: total phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate, turbidity, and specific conductivity.

Thousand Islands NP monitors wetland water quality yearly in May/June. Samples are analyzed for multiple parameters including: total phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate, turbidity, and specific conductivity.

Measuring decay rate in GBINP allows tracking changes in soil condition and processes. Decay rate was measured by placing wooden sticks in different forest plots and comparing dry wieghts of the sticks before and after the placement, in approximately one year.

The sustainability of species at risk is an important assessment of ecosystem biodiversity. The status of each threatened species can infer how well an ecosystem is functioning to maintain species diversity. Assessing the status of coastal species at risk, including piping plover (Charadrius...

Terra Nova National Park censuses tern nests on 23 small islands in Newman Sound, to monitor species productivity and population dynamics.

The second largest concentration of common terns (Sterna hirundo) in North America is found on Tern Islands, a set of three small barrier islands separated by water at high tide located within Kouchibouguac National Park. These seabirds are indicators for the condition of coastal, marine, as well...

Red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) are colonial birds found on Tern Islands, a set of three small barrier islands separated by water at high tide located within Kouchibouguac National Park. These piscivorous sea ducks are indicators for the state of the breeding islands and associated...

Shellfish monitoring has been accepted by the Pacific Bioregion of Parks Canada as a measure of ecosystem health in soft substrates in the intertidal zone. Surveys are used to capture the status of selected bivalves within the national park reserve to determine long-term population numbers and...

Permafrost and the active layer (the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually) are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of permafrost...

This program measures kelp density from annual dive transects during August and September at a number of sites in the Broken Group Islands of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Kelp species assessed include Agarum spp., Macrocystis pyrifera, Eisenia arborea, Pterygophora californica, Saccharina...