Open Government Portal

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.

The park is developing a protocol to monitor Northern Map Turtles as they congregate to bask along rock outcrops and shorelines on Georgian Bay. The measure will be completed annually through field observations of suitable basking sites. Turtles are long-living slowly-reproducing reptiles and play an important role of scavengers and predators in freshwater ecosystems. By monitoring the park will be able to track changes over time, identify potential threats and thereby achieving conservation goals.

Presence of exotic species often represents a level of disturbance in an ecosystem.The park samples invasive wetland plants along coastal transects, which include submerged areas. The focus of this measure are Eurasian watermilfoil and European phragmites. Currently the park has sufficient data only on the watermilfoil.

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 fluctuation and human disturbance. The monitoring program tracks loon population status, by recording the number of adult pairs and number of chicks on focal lakes at Kejimkujik. Monitoring occurs twice annually in June and August using field observations from volunteers and park staff.

Measuring decay rate in GBINP allows tracking changes in soil condition and processes. Decay rate was measured by placing wooden sticks in different forest plots and comparing dry wieghts of the sticks before and after the placement, in approximately one year.

Stiff Yellow Flax (Linum medium var. medium) is considered as a representative shoreline species, its occurrence and presence are affected by water level fluctuations. The park surveys this species` area of occurrence and stem density at selected patches.

What? Water samples are collected in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in various freshwater lakes and streams. When? Water samples are taken in select park lakes biannually (ie.

The park measures forest regeneration and succession on 15 EMAN plots in deciduous and mixed forests on Beausoleil Island. The surveys report on the number, height class and survival of tree seedlings and saplings.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park uses point counts to monitor forest birds on Beausoleil Island; this measure focuses on the abundance of five common songbird species and overall diversity.

This measure consists of 2 field measurements: Tree Crown Conditions and Stem Defects. These parameters are used to assess overall forest health in the park, as a reduction in crown cover can provide early warning signs of change in forest stand health and succession.