Parks Canada

Calling frogs and toads are surveyed annually at permanent stations, three times during the spring and early summer, at least 15 days apart. Each survey is 3 minutes long. These surveys are conducted by park staff and volunteers.

Changes in the cover of emergent vegetation (cattails and Phragmites predominantly) and open water are quantified through the classification of remote sensing data taken in spring. Cattails are the dominant feature of Pelee marsh, and their spread has altered the habitat mosaic of the wetland....

The endangered eastern prickly pear cactus is a focal species for Lake Erie Sand Spit Savannas (LESSS), one of the most imperiled terrestrial ecosystems in North America. Although monitoring of the of eastern prickly pear cactus has occurred within the park since 1971, accurate estimation of...

An estimated 65% reduction in Lake Erie Sand Spit Savannas (LESSS) has occurred over the last 72 years. A land cover mapping standard is used to classify the types of landscape cover in the park and assess change over time. Both remote sensing and ground data are utilised to complete this...

The rapid beach recession in Point Pelee National Park has resulted in sustained breaching of the barrier beach in the Northeastern corner of the park. Continuous exposure to Lake Erie via a breach could alter marsh plant and animal communities and eventually result in total loss of marsh and...

Monitoring consists of four trap lines consisting of five traps each baited for five sessions (of five days each) every two years.

This measure tracks changes of the lake water level in the coastal ecosystem of GBINP. This is significant in driving ecological processes as well as acting as a stressor in the the park’s costal wetland ecosystem - as it is hydrologically connected to the lake water body, both at the surface and...

GBI monitors water quality in coastal wetlands to report on nutrient loads resulting from human use of day-use areas. The park uses Water Quality Index to assess this measure - which is also a part of the Great Lakes Shoreline monitoring network.

Moose aerial surveys are conducted approximately every 5 years by helicopter, subject to snow and weather conditions or to coincide with a survey being done in the adjacent Wildlife Management Unit. The dataset includes surveys conducted during the winters of 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011...

Redback salamanders have a long lifespan, small home ranges and high site fidelity. They breathe entirely through their skin and the tissue lining in their mouths, which makes them sensitive to air- and waterborne pollutants, and thus a good indicator of environmental quality. Bruce Peninsula...

Bruce Peninsula National Park monitors trends and exceedance in water quality index by sampling for nutrients, major ions, and metals in two lakes and two rivers throughout the year.

Forest birds are diverse in Ontario, with many species being common or very common on the Bruce Peninsula (i.e., American Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker. etc.). The national park monitors breeding forest birds (mostly songbirds and woodpeckers) with pre-programmed...

Beavers were formerly extirpated from the Bruce Peninsula, but have re-colonized the area after a two century absence, making significant changes to the park landscape. Bruce Peninsula National Park monitors active lodges by counting food caches during helicopter surveys in the fall, just before...