Parks Canada

Wetland water quality is an important determinant of wetland condition. Wetland water quality can be strongly influenced by many stressors, including land use change and forestry practices, acid deposition and long-range transport of air pollutants and climate change. Monitoring water quality...

Water quality is a globally accepted and widely used measure for assessing and monitoring the condition of freshwater ecosystems. It has a pivotal affect on the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The physical and chemical characteristics of water have a strong influence on aquatic biota and...

Water level fluctuation is an important determinant of wetland condition. This variable can be strongly influenced by many stressors, including land use change and forestry practices, acid deposition and long-range transport of air pollutants and climate change. Monitoring water quantity in...

The estuary lagoons at Kejimkujik Seaside are important transition zones between saltwater and freshwater habitats providing a rich diversity of niches for organisms, including important nursery areas for some marine species. These barrier beaches are moving landward. It is necessary that they...

Soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) are a dominant intertidal invertebrate in Kejimkujik lagoons where they perform several important ecological functions including stabilizing the mud flat for other benthic organisms, improving water quality, and providing an important food source to several native...

The European Green crab is a pan-global invasive exotic species. Its detrimental effects are well documented, including effects on eelgrass and soft-shelled clams and have defined the species of crab as an 'ecosystem engineer'. A population control program was initiated in 2009 whereby modified...

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is an Endangered Species at Risk in Nova Scotia. Its total population in Nova Scotia is < 500 individuals and is disjunct from its main population in Quebec and Ontario. It is important to monitor status and trends in Blanding's turtle populations to...

Eelgrass has been identified by the Quebec-Atlantic bioregion as a critical coastal habitat. Seagrasses are "coastal canaries"-- sensitive indicators of nearshore ecosystem health. Their distribution and condition are strong indicators of water quality and disturbance. Monitoring of bed extent...

Wetland surface area may be strongly influenced by changing climate regime, land use change, and/or alterations in local and regional hydrological regime. Monitoring surface area provides a coarse level assessment of ecosystem change in response to potential stressors in the region. Digitized...

Wetland vegetation is strongly related to water level and nutrient availability. These variables can be influenced by many stressors including, acid deposition, long-range transport of air pollutants and climate change. Monitoring vegtation in wetlands will help us better understand changes...

The long-term monitoring of trees on a permanently marked forest plot gives important information on the structure and composition of a forest, the condition, growth rates and longevity of the species of trees composing that forest, changes in species composition or population size that occur...

Benthic invertebrates are considered to be strong indicators of aquatic health. They can be found in all fresh water ecosystems and are sensitive to a variety of environmental disturbances. Hundreds of species inhabit our streams and rivers, some of which are known to be more sensitive than...

The Piping Plover in Nova Scotia is listed as ‘endangered’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Plovers are sensitive to stressors such as human disturbance and habitat loss. Piping plover breeding population censuses and productivity will be monitored at all...

The hydrological regime of a stream plays a critical role in determining the biodiversity and ecological processes of aquatic, wetland and riparian ecosystems. As a result, hydrological characteristics provide important information on the integrity of freshwater systems and how they may be...

The Common loon is a highly visible water bird inhabiting many of the lakes within Kejimkujik and the greater park ecosystem. It is a top predator in freshwater ecosystems in the area and is sensitive to a variety of stressors, including mercury bio-accumulation, acidification, water level...

Brook trout are top predators in aquatic ecosystems at Kejimkujik that integrate the effects of stressors throughout the aquatic trophic structure. They are sensitive to a variety of stressors, including acidification, changes in water quality, climate change, fishing pressure, exotic species...

Plethodontid salamanders lack lungs and breath through their glandular skin and the roof of their mouth which must remain moist for respiration; they are vulnerable to desiccation and soil contaminants. Plethodontids can reach high densities in many forest habitats and play an important role in...

Lichen abundance was selected as a measure of stress in forest ecosystems because lichens are well-established bioindicators and have been used for monitoring air pollution globally for many years. They are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. Lichen species vary in their...

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are an important indicator of the health of aquatic ecosystems and are a valued resource for harvest by First Nations and for sport fishing by visitors. Parks Canada monitors lake trout using the Summer Profundal Index Netting (SPIN) method. Area weighted...

Most songbirds in Kluane National Park and Reserve are medium-distance migrants and could be threatened by habitat degradation along migration routes. Songbirds could also indicate whether Kluane’s forests have recovered essential components of habitat after the extensive spruce bark beetle...