AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Forest Structure - Kluane

Parks Canada monitors structural change in the spruce forests of Kluane National Park and Reserve following a spruce bark beetle outbreak that began in 1994.  Understanding stand development after this landscape-level disturbance will be critical for assessing the resilience of this forest to a disturbance of unprecedented severity. It is also important for monitoring the impact of the outbreak on wildlife habitat and the effects of beetle salvage logging outside of the park on forest development.   Sampling is done every 5 years in 50 randomly located permanent sample plots in white spruce dominated mature forests.  Three sub-measures are assessed: 1) Basal area of live and dead spruce, 2) Regeneration density of spruce, and 3) Volume of downed dead wood

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Growing Season Change - Kluane

This dataset includes annual average Julian dates of spring green-up, fall brown-down, and plant productivity from 2000-2012. The data are from remote sensing. The MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite provides an image of the park every 10 days, which is used to calculate NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values. This generates an "NDVI curve" from which plant productivity and growing season length are estimated. The growing season begins when the NDVI curve increases consistently in the spring (green-up) and ends when it decreases in the fall (brown-down). Plant productivity is estimated as the area under this curve (the NDVI integral). These data are important because increases in plant productivity and growing season length are predicted responses to climate change, leading to changes in the diversity and structure of alpine ecosystems.  

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Lake Trout Catch Per Unit Effort - Kluane

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 average catch per unit effort of lake trout is monitored for 3 key lakes (Kathleen, Mush and Bates) in Kluane National Park and Reserve using gillnets of varying mesh size.  Nets are set for 2 hours at various depths and locations in the lakes.  Sampling occurs during August every 5 years.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Colonial Waterbirds - Pukaskwa

Herring gull (Larus arentatus, HERG), great blue heron (Ardea Herodias GBHE), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus, DCCO) and ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis, RBGU) have been monitored in Pukaskwa National Park since 1977 as part of the colonial waterbird monitoring program. A complete count of active nests on islands found along the ~120km of coast of Pukaskwa is conducted based on the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) protocol.  The nest count is carried out during the peak of breeding over a period of 2-3 weeks.  From 1977 – 1981, surveys were conducted annually and used an island numbering system (Old Colony Number in datasheet).  From 1989 – 2013 surveys occurred at irregular intervals and the numbering system changed (Colony Number in datasheet), partly to follow the CWS naming convention. Since 2013, surveys have been conducted every two years (2013, 2015 and 2017). Data from these surveys are used to monitor the colonial waterbird populations within Pukaskwa.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Lichens - Kejimkujik

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 sensitivity to pollutants, and as a result by monitoring the assemblage and abundance of different species, we can obtain a measure of the prevailing air quality. This monitoring work is performed in Kejimkujik once every 5 years using field observations from trained Lichenologists.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Salamanders - Kejimkujik

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 ecosystem food webs and detrital dynamics. Annual monitoring occurs during September-October with 12 plots visited a minimum of four times at intervals of at least 1 week apart. Target ecosystems are mature hemlock forests and deciduous-dominated mixed forests. Field measurements include a count of salamanders under each cover object.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Blanding's turtle - Kejimkujik

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 inform recovery needs and provide information on the effectiveness of recovery initiatives. This involves regular observations of female nesting-age individuals following standardized capture and data collection protocols. Monitoring is based on field observations from trained volunteers and park staff throughout the nesting and hatchling season (June - October).

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Brook trout - Kejimkujik

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 introductions, trophic structure alterations, land use change, and watershed fragmentation. The monitoring program tracks  Brook trout population status, as assessed by relative abundance and trout condition at two watersheds in Kejimkujik. Volunteer anglers record morphometric and catch per unit effort data during the months of April, May and June for 3 years in a row every 5 years.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Permafrost - Ivvavik

This dataset measures the temperature of the soil at 4 depths: 1 meter, 5 meters, 10 meters and 14 meters. This permafrost data is collected using Hobodata loggers that collect data at 12 hour intervals throughout the year. Field maintenance and station updates occur annually in late March and early April. 
The average temperature in the Arctic has increased at almost twice the rate of the rest of the planet in the past few decades, and the Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe change on Earth. Permafrost, the layer of soil that is frozen for more than two consecutive years, is sensitive to changes in climate. Changes to the permafrost layer due to climate change can impact the growth and composition of vegetation and can cause an increase in the rate of physical processes such as slumping, solifluction and sinkholes. These physical processes greatly impact the biota in and around the areas of occurrence.  

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Plant Species Richness - Kluane

Shrubs are projected to move upslope and expand into the alpine tundra with a warming climate in the Kluane region of Yukon.  Shrub expansion will create habitat for some species, such as moose, but cause habitat loss for species such as hoary marmot, collared pika and ptarmigan.  Parks Canada monitors plant species richness using a similarity index, comparing repeat measurements with the landscape average measured in 2011. Field sampling is done on 21 permanent plots in seven different alpine tundra sites in late July/early August every 5 years


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Common loons - Kejimkujik

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.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Stream flow - Kejimkujik

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 changing over time.  The monitoring program assess and detect changes in a Streamflow Index of key hydrological measures in major transboundary watersheds at Kejimkujik. Stream water level is recorded hourly using in-situ water level data loggers.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Piping plover - Kejimkujik

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 coastal beaches in Kejimkujik every year. This work occurs during the plover breeding season (May- August) with 3-5 visits per week at both St.Catherines and Little Port Joli Beaches. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Moose - Pukaskwa 

Moose aerial surveys are conducted approximately every 5 years by helicopter, subject to snow and weather conditions or to coincide with a survey being done in the adjacent Wildlife Management Unit.  The dataset includes surveys conducted during the winters of 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2017. Plots to be surveyed are randomly selected from the ninety-seven 25 km² plots within the park and flown with rotary wing aircraft. Prior to the 2017 survey, paper maps and data sheets were used to record information.  In 2017, Avenza software and geoPDF maps on an android tablet were used and data were transferred to paper after landing. The objectives of the survey are to monitor moose density, productivity and sex ratio. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Benthic invertebrates - Kejimkujik

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 others. Monitoring the abundance and tolerant versus sensitive benthic invertebrates serves as an indicator of the health of streams and rivers. Kejimkujik uses a nationally recognised benthic invertebrate monitoring protocol developed by the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN). Twenty-one streams and rivers are measured in Kejimkuik every 5 years. Benthic invertebrates are collected and identified along with water quality and site characteristics.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Forest trees - Kejimkujik

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 over time and the impacts of environmental change on mature trees and forest ecosystems. Such long-term monitoring is also essential for reliable future assessment and management decisions affecting forest vegetation. Field measurements are recorded once every 5 years during the summer at 10 plots (20 X 20 m2).

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Wetland vegetation - Kejimkujik

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 observed in wetland water quantity and water quality. Monitoring occurs once every 5 years along 2 transects at each of the 10 wetland sites.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Wetland extents - Kejimkujik

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 aerial photographs provides a way to track the area of non-vegetated peatlands over time. The area of non-vegetated wetland surface is tracked every 10 years using aerial photographs.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Eelgrass extent - Kejimkujik

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 and eelgrass condition is required to determine whether eelgrass beds are continuing to decline or are recovering, and to determine possible causes of decline so that management action can be considered. To determine the extent of the eelgrass beds, divers swim along the perimeter of the eelgrass beds annually during the month of August and map the total eel grass area using hand-held GPS.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Wetland water quantity - Kejimkujik

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 peatlands provides an early warning of potential threats to wetland ecosystems. Wetland water level is recorded twice daily using in-situ water level data recorders. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Soft-shell clam - Kejimkujik

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 species, including migrating shorebirds.  Monitoring of population structure is necessary to determine whether the clam population is maintaining itself or declining. A pilot study was conducted in 2007 in Little Port Joli Basin to assess the status of the population and determine the cost efficiency of monitoring. This work is performed every 3 years from July to October at the same locations within the productive clam flat area. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
European green crab - Kejimkujik

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 shrimp traps are used to remove as many green crabs from Kejimkujik's estuaries as possible. These management efforts are evaluated through standardized monitoring whereby 14 traps are deployed for the same period of time in the same place annually. By evaluating the standardized Catch per Unit Effort for European green crab, park managers can estimate the general risk to the ecological integrity of other coastal measures. Monitoring occurs for one week in the months of August, September and October in the Little Port Joli Estuary.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Barrier beach stability - Kejimkujik

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 continue this movement since artificial stabilization could mean the linear or offshore movement of the sand, effectively exposing these lagoons and changing them into bays. By tracking this change dynamic, park managers will obtain advanced warning of accelerated sand shifts and the ability of the dunes to react to storm surge events and sea level change. This monitoring occurs every 5 years by measuring the elevation along established transects using total station survey equipment.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Wetland water quality - Kejimkujik

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 in peatlands provides an early warning of potential threats to wetland ecosystems. Water samples are collected in May from 10 wetland wells once per year.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Water Quality - Ivvavik

This dataset is a collection of measurements which make up two water quality indexes: Nutrients, Physical and Major Ions (NPMI) Index and Metals Index. The measurements are taken at two different locations along the Firth River (at the mouth of the river and at Sheeps Creek) annually in mid-July.
The chemical composition of water influences the biological productivity and species composition of rivers.  Changes in the water quality in the rivers and creeks in the Western Arctic can act as early indicators of ecosystem change. The presence of contaminants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radionuclides are a concern because they can have negative effects on Arctic ecosystems and human health.  Furthermore, a changing climate in the Arctic can influence the nutrient levels in the streams and rivers as more nutrients will be released from thawing permafrost. As the expected effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems are still unknown, continuous monitoring is paramount.  


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Benthic Invertabrates - Ivvavik

This dataset contains monitoring data for benthic invertebrate communities along the Firth River Corridor. The raw data in this dataset is used to calculate benthic invertebrate richness and the percentage of Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies) (EPT) species (some of the most important species that indicate a healthy system). The data is collected annually in mid-July at pre-determined sites along the Firth River. Full benthic invertebrate sampling and habitat assessments are completed in accordance with CABIN protocols.
Water quality is a widely used measure for assessing and monitoring the condition of freshwater ecosystems. Chemical and physical water quality monitoring can be enhanced by using the presence or health of organisms (biota) living at a site as an indication of ecosystem condition. The priority is to gather baseline data, to monitor any changes in benthic invertebrate communities over time, and to correlate any changes in the community to water quality and water flow river discharge. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Grizzly Bear Occupancy - Ivvavik

This dataset contains species counts that have been collected using an array of 30 remote wildlife cameras. The purpose of the study is to monitor grizzly populations. The wildlife cameras are therefore placed strategically in Grizzly habitat within and adjacent to the Firth River Corridor in Ivvavik National Park.  The wildlife cameras capture a photo when an animal enters its’ zone of detection and saves the photo along with time and day. The cameras are updated biannually at the beginning of June and the end of August. 
Grizzly bears are Ivvavik National Park’s (INP), dominant, large terrestrial predator and are an important part of ecological integrity. They are considered a keystone species, not only for their predation, but also for the ecosystem disturbance resulting from their nearly endless search for roots, forbs, grasses and berries. 


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Breeding Bird Communities- Ivvavik

This dataset is a record of bird species that have been observed at Sheep Creek and Margaret Lake in Ivvavik National Park. The survey is designed to detect changes in the abundance of a selected suite of individual species within each of the vegetation communities at selected elevations sampled in the forested taiga and tundra. From 2009-2014 data was collected bi-annually in early June and late June/early July using a traditional visual point-count method. From 2015-2017 data has been collected annually during the first week of June using a bioacoustics point-count survey method.  The bioacoustics method was adopted in 2015 because the short birding season in the Arctic made it logistically challenging to obtain experienced birders to perform the surveys. 
Changes in bird abundance or species composition may be in response to human activity or to natural processes such as succession, insect cycles or fires. When combined with habitat data, point count surveys can help identify the cause of observed changes and also permit inferences to be made beyond the sampling locations.


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Water Quality Simplified - Ivvavik

This dataset is a simplified version of water quality measurements taken in Ivvavik National Park. It is a collection of measurements which make up two water quality indexes: Nutrients and Major Ions (NMI) Index and Metals Index. The measurements are taken along the Firth River annually in mid-July.
The chemical composition of water influences the biological productivity and species composition of rivers.  Changes in the water quality in the rivers and creeks in the Western Arctic can act as early indicators of ecosystem change. The presence of contaminants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radionuclides are a concern because they can have negative effects on Arctic ecosystems and human health.  Furthermore, a changing climate in the Arctic can influence the nutrient levels in the streams and rivers as more nutrients will be released from thawing permafrost. As the expected effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems are still unknown, continuous monitoring is paramount.  


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Landscape-Scale Vegetation Change - Ivvavik

This dataset includes annual average Julian dates of spring green-up, fall brown-down, and plant productivity from 2000-2012. The data were obtained from remote sensing. The MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite provides a composite image of the park every 10 days, which is used to derive NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values. This generates an "NDVI curve" from which plant productivity and growing season length are derived. The growing season begins when the NDVI curve increases consistently in the spring (green-up) and ends when it decreases in the fall (brown-down). Plant productivity is estimated as the area under this curve (the NDVI integral). These data are important because changes in plant productivity and growing season length are predicted to respond to climate change, and changes in these measures may significantly affect habitat and wildlife.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada