Parks Canada

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...

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...

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...

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...

Climate change, especially changes in spring temperatures and the timing of snow melt, can affect the phenology of Arctic plants. Shifts in plant phenology may alter plant-pollinator interactions and nutrient availability for herbivores, if these animals do not respond similarly to climatic...

Permafrost and the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually, known as the active layer, are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of...

Changes to tundra vegetation communities may affect local ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and quality and quantity of animal forage. In Quttinirpaaq National Park, the composition and relative abundance of plant functional groups are monitored using a point frame and the pin-drop...

Permafrost and the active layer (the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually) are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of permafrost...

Permafrost and the active layer (the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually) are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of permafrost...

Permafrost and the active layer (the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually) are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of permafrost...

Established in 2020, the coastal plants measure is composed of three sub-measures. 1) Rocky Coastal Plants Since 2020, data has been collected on twenty (20) study sites for coastal plants along the shore of Lake Superior in Pukaskwa National Park. Data are obtained from high and low impact...

In 2022, scientists from Parks Canada, Audubon, the Canadian Wildlife Service and Birds Canada published an analysis of projected changes in bird assemblages due to climate change within the Canadian National Park System (Gahbauer et al. 2022, Projected changes in birds assemblages due to climate...