Parks Canada

Annual aerial surveys are conducted along transects in late February to monitor the size of the Sturgeon River Plains Bison population, one of the few wild populations remaining in North America. This species is a key grazer of grasslands and a unique part of regional biodiversity in and around...

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...

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...

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 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,...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an alien invasive species that is considered a threat to wetland plant community biodiversity. In PEI National Park, annual monitoring focuses on distribution within the park and individual wetlands, as well as density once detected. Assessing management...

Freshwater ponds are monitored annually for fish species diversity and American eel abundance (catch per unit effort, or CUE), and American eel total length. Hoop traps and gee-type minnow traps are used to sample fish communities in four ponds within PEI National Park. Each pond is sampled over...

PEI National Park samples Chlorophyll-a to measure aquatic productivity in four freshwater ponds. The sampling is carried out on an hourly basis between May-October each year using YSI sonde data loggers. In PEINP, all freshwater ponds are shallow (maximum depth is 4.5 m) and non-stratifying....

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...

The abundance of bank swallow (Riparia riparia) nest holes within cliff and bank habitats along PEI National Park coastline is monitored. Previously, large historical colonies were surveyed annually, and every five years a complete census of the entire park shoreline was completed. As of 2010, a...

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...

Prince Edward Island with its sandstone bedrock and dynamic sandy beaches is very sensitive to the effects of sea-level rise. The north shore of PEI National Park is exposed to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and large waves and storm surge. By monitoring the nearshore ice, the level of PEI National...