Parks Canada

Gwaii Haanas evaluates changes to forest breeding songbird occupancy and diversity annually. Point counts are conducted using Acoustic Recording Units (ARUs) at permanent sampling sites.

The EPT index measures the proportion of freshwater organisms belonging to the taxa Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (or EPT for short). These species are considered to be highly sensitive to pollution and are a measure of good environmental conditions. Any significant declines to these...

Non-native mammal species are monitored annually in areas critical for the protection important seabird islands. Remote cameras are deployed for 15-days to annually detect any changes to the mammal community at key sites. Non-native species pose the greatest ecological threat in Gwaii Haanas....

The forest understory vegetation community is a key ecosystem component of Haida Gwaii forests. Understory plants provide food for native fauna (bears, birds etc.), structure for nesting habitat (eg. songbirds, auklets), and medicines for Haida use (among others). In Gwaii Haanas, 3 sites are...

Annual visual surveys are used to assess annual occupancy of breeding western toads at 10 known breeding ponds. Because of their reliance on wetland habitat for breeding, western toads are used as a measure of aquatic ecosystem health. The western toad is the only amphibian native to Haida...

Gwaii Haanas has partnered with ECCC to monitor a set of permanent plots mapping colony structure and burrow occupancy rate by excavating samples of burrows of Ancient Murrelet and Cassin’s Auklet. The data are used to determine if the breeding population areas are changing at specific key...

Water Quality is measured annually in both streams and lakes in Gwaii Haanas. Many water quality parameters are collected and they can be grouped into three categories: (1) Physical (e.g. temperature, depth); (2) Chemical (e.g. pH, nutrients) and (3) Biological (chlorophyll a). Water quality is...

Forest loss is monitored annually in Gwaii Haanas with remote sensing, where forest loss is defined as a change from forest to non-forest state over a period of time. Forest loss in Gwaii Haanas is caused by 4 main mechanisms: mass wasting on steep slopes, extreme wind events, extreme rain events...

In PEI National Park tree health and growth are monitored in 20 long-term permanent forest monitoring plots. These plots were established in 2006 in mature white spruce forests under the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) program. The measure reports on tree species dominance,...

The removal and restoration of outdated infrastructure has been an ongoing since 2009, with formal tracking and monitoring for forest and coastal ecosystems starting in 2014. The natural function of an ecosystem is highly degraded by above and below ground infrastructure. A five step scale was...

Forest canopy or over-story species composition provides useful information on forest tree species present at the stand and landscape level. Much of PEI National Park’s forest areas were cleared for settlement and agriculture prior to park establishment and have regenerated with early...

Dune systems are key features in protecting assets, land, and ecosystems behind them from the effects of storm surges, wave action, salt spray, as well as preventing salt water intrusion into coastal waterways and aquifers. The dune integrity measure is comprised of two sub-measures: (1) dune...

Seasonal flooding and water retention within low lying areas or areas associated with water drainage pathways creates unique and productive habitat within the landscape. The area of wetlands that are regularly flooded and contain substantial amounts of emergent and submerged vegetation is called...

Coastal erosion is the process that removes shoreline material, causing the coastline to retreat inland. The coastal landscape of Prince Edward Island is identified as a region sensitive to sea-level rise. Systematic measurements for coastal erosion were carried out between 2007-2010 using...

Beavers are a key component of the Riding Mountain National Park ecosystems. The park surveys active beaver food caches by air in 30 habitat blocks every 3 years. These surveys have been conducted since 1973.

Peregrine falcons are found in many regions of the northern Yukon including Vuntut National Park. These birds have the important role of top predator and are known to respond to environmental disturbances such as persistent synthetic toxic chemicals, human activity, and changes in breeding...

The Porcupine Caribou Herd is a population of barren-ground caribou whose range includes the northern Yukon, Alaska and the Northwest Territories. It is one of the largest caribou herds in North America. The Porcupine Caribou Herd is critically important to the Vuntut Gwitchin, and protecting...

Permafrost and snow are critical to the ecology of many northern ecosystems. They influence hydrology and vegetation and can dramatically affect the quality of wildlife habitat. In recent decades permafrost temperatures in North America have increased and snowfall and spring snow cover in the...

Permafrost and snow are critical to the ecology of many northern ecosystems. They influence hydrology and vegetation and can dramatically affect the quality of wildlife habitat. In recent decades permafrost temperatures in North America have increased and snowfall and spring snow cover in the...

Tundra is an important ecosystem in Vuntut National Park. It covers approximately 56% of the park and is used extensively by the Porcupine Caribou Herd during it’s spring and fall migrations. The Porcupine Caribou Herd is critically important to the Vuntut Gwitchin and protecting portions of the...