Parks Canada

Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) inventory supports Jasper National Park’s Multi-species Action Plan. Common nighthawks are a Threatened Species protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Common nighthawks migrate north between early May to mid-June to breed in or near open or...

Birds are the most diverse of land vertebrates and are an important indicator of ecosystem health. Large protected areas, such as Jasper National Park, provide important habitat for a wide range of bird species. Data collected can provide a number of ecological indices; for example, used to...

These data are water quality parameters sampled by Environment Canada via a Memorandom of Understanding. The individual parameters were used to calculate results for the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers (CCME) water quality index (WQI).

Bank swallows (Riparia riparia) and Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) have been listed as Threatened species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In Jasper National Park, black swifts nest at variety of sites associated with vertical soil banks, including...

What? Adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations are being monitored in the Clyburn River in Cape Breton Highlands National Park during the fall salmon run. When? Monitoring frequency is annually during the adult Atlantic salmon fall run in the Clyburn River. How? Approximately eight...

What? Bicknell’s Thrush (a SARA listed Species at Risk) and other boreal avifauna species abundance is being monitored in the boreal land regions of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to determine if occupancy rates are changing or have changed historically. When? Monitoring frequency occurs...

What? Owl abundance is being monitored in the Acadian land regions of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to determine if occupancy rates are changing or have changed historically. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the spring of each year for the survey routes in Cape Breton Highlands...

What? Lake fish health is being monitored in five lakes throughout Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Freshwater Lake, Warren Lake, Broad Cove Mountain Lake, Branch Pond, and Benjie’s Lake). Data collected is used to determine species presence, CPUE (catch per unit effort), and body condition....

What? Stream flow discharge is being monitored at the Robert’s Brook Gauge Station on the Chéticamp River in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. When? Hourly discharge measurements are taken in real time at the gauge station 365 days per year. How? Hourly discharge measurements are used to...

What? Water samples are collected in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in various freshwater lakes and streams. When? Water samples are taken in select park lakes biannually (ie. spring and fall) and in select park streams annually (during fall season). How? Water samples are collected by hand...

What? Juvenile salmonid densities are being monitored in various rivers within Cape Breton Highlands National Park using electrofishing surveys. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the late summer/early fall once water temperatures have dropped below thermal stress thresholds for...

What? Water samples are being collected in various wetlands in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. When? The monitoring frequency for wetland water quality is annually with samples being collected in the spring of the year. How? Water samples are collected from wetland monitoring wells that have...

What? Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) abundance is being monitored at various old growth forest sites within Cape Breton Highlands National Park. When? Monitoring frequency occurred annually for three consecutive years after initial set-up, and biennially henceforth. In each...

What? Benthic macroinvertebrates are monitored in freshwater streams in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the fall of the year before water levels get too seasonally high. How? Monitoring is carried out following the nationally recognized Canadian...

What? Stream temperatures on third order streams in Cape Breton Highlands National Park are being monitored to determine if mean water temperatures are changing over time. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually from June 15th to September 15th on various park streams. How? Water temperature...

Elk Island National Park uses land cover classification to determine spatial changes of grassland vegetation throughout the park. This measure relies on a supervised classification of remotely-sensed multispectral satellite imagery (Landsat). Analysis is performed roughly every five years, using...

Elk Island National Park uses land cover classification to determine spatial changes of forest vegetation throughout the park. This measure relies on a supervised classification of remotely-sensed multispectral satellite imagery (Landsat). Analysis is performed roughly every five years, using...

Elk Island National Park monitors spatial changes to open water features throughout the park. This measure relies on an unsupervised classification of remotely-sensed multispectral satellite imagery (Landsat). Analysis is performed roughly every five years, using images from mid-July.

Elk Island National Park uses the Area Burned Condition Class (ABCC) method to evaluate the ecological impact of fire on the landscape and the success of utilizing fire to maintain a mosaic of vegetative composition and structure for healthier populations of native species. Area burned is derived...

Elk Island National Park monitors primary productivity to determine the health of forest vegetation throughout the park. This measure relies on remotely-sensed multispectral satellite imagery, specifically, the Landsat Shortwave Infrared (SWIR2) and Near Infrared (NIR) bands. Analysis is...