Parks Canada

Since 2009, up to nine (9) streams (White River, Willow River, Oiseau Creek, White Gravel River, North Swallow River, Swallow River, Cascade River, Tagouche Creek and Imogene Creek) are monitored with stream temperature HOBO loggers to assess thermal suitability for Brook trout (Salvelinus...

To assess the current state of wildland fire as an ecological process in the interior forests (Pukaskwa Plains, Bremner Uplands and Bremner-Widgeon Uplands ecodistricts) of Pukaskwa, the Area Burned Condition Class (ABCC) measure calculates the modern-day departure from historical wildland fire...

Herring gull (Larus arentatus, HERG), great blue heron (Ardea Herodias GBHE), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus, DCCO) and ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis, RBGU) have been monitored in Pukaskwa National Park since 1977 as part of the colonial waterbird monitoring program. A...

Benthic samples are collected from 6 streams (Oiseau Creek, White Gravel River, North Swallow River, Swallow River, Tagouche Creek and Imogene Creek) in mid to late September using standarized methods for collecting invertebrates developed by the Canadian Biomonitoring Network (CABIN). Five sub-...

Every five years, water quality is assessed in 32 inland lakes that are greater than 8 hectares in surface area. Samples are collected via helicopter and three key stressors (acidification, eutrophication and metal loading) are assessed using nine parameters [pH, aluminum, calcium, total...

Between 2010 and 2023, 17 remote, motion-activated wildlife cameras (Reconyx PC90 Rapidfire Covert IR, Reconyx PC800 Hyperfire Professional Semi-covert IR and PC 900 Hyperfire Professional High Output Covert IR) were deployed in the park to monitor caribou presence. Cameras were placed non-...

Nine acoustic bird song meters are deployed to monitor boreal bird species in mixed wood forests during the peak breeding season (24 May to 10 July). The song meters record morning (from 30 minutes before sunrise, for four hours) and evening (from 30 minutes before sunset, for one and a half...

Remote sensing techniques are used to monitor forest productivity in the park’s interior forest ecodistricts: Bremner Uplands, Widgeon Uplands and Pukaskwa River Plain. Forest productivity is measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Landsat imagery (Landsat 5, 7 and 8)...

The Water Quality Index (WQI), developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME) is used to assess the water quality of Pukaskwa’s rivers and streams. Three key stressors (acidification, eutrophication and metal loading) are assessed using nine parameters [pH, aluminum,...

Remote sensing techniques are used to monitor forest productivity in the park’s coastal ecodistricts: White River Plains and Coastal Hills. Forest productivity is measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Landsat TM imagery (Landsat 5, 7 and 8) choosing dates of peak...