Parks Canada

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The removal and restoration of outdated infrastructure has been an ongoing since 2009, with formal tracking and monitoring for forest and coastal ecosystems starting in 2014.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...

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...

Odonata monitoring is conducted in four shallow water ponds within the wetland ecosystems of PEI National Park. Park staff collect exuviae (the remains of aquatic larval stage exoskeleton) of metamorphosed larvae from the order odonata twice per year: in the early summer (June) and late summer...

This measure monitors the trophic state (primary productivity) of six selected lakes, and four selected streams, in order to collect baseline data on processes fundamental to ecological structure and to detect any changes due to ecological stressors.

The park monitors water quality on Clear Lake by sampling total phosphorus, Chlorophyll-a, oxygen consumption in the hypolimnion, and mean total phosphorus in the inflow streams. Nutrient and oxygen parameters will continue to change due to nutrient stress levels in the lake and thus, the...

The integrity of fire-dependent forest types will be maintained through prescribed burns. The park's fire management program uses remote sensing to monitor post-burn changes on the landscape annually. The Area Burned Condition Class measures will be used as per the PCA Fire Monitoring Plan.

Elk abundance and population composition are assessed annually during an aerial survey conducted between mid-January and mid-February. The elk population composition is measured annually in a classified aerial count held in late Fall.

The wolf population in Riding Mountain National Park is monitored through track counts that are conducted each winter according to methods established by Canadian Wildlife Service in the 1970’s. Wolves are the top predator in Riding Mountain National Park and monitoring their numbers assists in...