AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Wetland Pitcher Plants - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Changes in processes and stressors at bogs and poor fens in Cape Breton Highlands National Park are being monitored through Northern Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea) leaf morphology. When? Monitoring frequency for this program is on a five year cycle, with site visits occurring in July and August. How? Sampling occurs at one meter intervals along a 50 meter transect; a static station start position is used at each wetland. The individual pitcher plant located closest to the transect line is measured for both sides of the transect line; this results in in two plants being measured per one meter segment. A total of 100 plants are surveyed along the 50 meter transect. Measurements include horizontal distance of each plant from the transect line, pitcher length, keel width, and pitcher opening width. Why? Northern Pitcher Plants were selected for monitoring wetlands as they can indicate changes in  nutrient levels in wetlands; are easy to identify and ubiquitous through many bogs in the park; and are uniquely adapted to soil and hydrological conditions within the wetland environment.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Lake Water Quality - Cape Breton Highlands

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. spring and fall) and in select park streams annually (during fall season). How? Water samples are collected by hand in identified park waters and sent into Environment Canada for analysis of identified parameters. Why? Water quality is a globally accepted and widely used measure for assessing the condition of freshwater ecosystems and has a pivotal effect on the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The physical and chemical characteristics of water have a strong influence on aquatic biota and freshwater system processes.  Additionally, many of the primary stressors to freshwater processes (ie. acidification, eutrophication, deforestation) are reflected in changes to water quality. Changes in water quality may provide an early warning of environmental stress to aquatic ecosystems.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Hydrological Quality Index - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Stream flow discharge is being monitored at the Robert’s Brook Gauge Station on the Chéticamp River in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. When? Hourly discharge measurements are taken in real time at the gauge station 365 days per year. How? Hourly discharge measurements are used to report an average daily discharge measurement to assess multiple metrics of flow regime for the year, including the timing, amplitude and duration of high and low water periods. Why? Hydrological regimes of streams play a critical role in determining the biodiversity and ecological processes of aquatic, wetland and riparian ecosystems. Hydrological characteristics provide important information on the integrity of freshwater systems and how they may be changing over time. Hydrological characteristics of a watershed reflect geology and soil type, catchment size and shape, land characteristics, forest cover, vegetation type, human use, and regional climate. Hydrological process can be altered by stressors such as roads, dams, water diversions, deforestation, development, and climate change.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Forest Birds - Barred Owl - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Owl abundance is being monitored in the Acadian land regions of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to determine if occupancy rates are changing or have changed historically. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the spring of each year for the survey routes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Surveys must be completed by early June in the Highlands and are scheduled as close as possible to the full moon in that quarter. Nocturnal surveys are completed on a night when winds are calm and there is no precipitation. How? Field surveys are completed using an automated audio call back player with boreal and barred owl calls, and incorporated timed listening periods. Survey routes consist of 10 evenly spaced stops approximately 1.6 kilometers apart along the route. Owl species heard and seen during each interval at each stop on the route are recorded. Why? Bird populations are useful indicators of forest health, and owl populations (more specifically Barred Owl (Strix varia) populations) are being used in Cape Breton Highlands National Park as a primary indicator of tolerant hardwood forest health.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Swallows - Jasper

Bank swallows (Riparia riparia) and Barn swallows  (Hirundo rustica) have been listed as Threatened species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In Jasper National Park, black swifts nest at variety of sites associated with vertical soil banks, including riverbanks and road cuts. Barn swallows nest at variety of sites associated with vegetation and artificial structures, including meadows and culverts. Data are collected by trained observers during the breeding season to identify breeding sites to inform management action.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Forest Birds - Bicknell's Thrush - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Bicknell’s Thrush (a SARA listed Species at Risk) and other boreal avifauna species abundance is being monitored in the boreal land regions of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to determine if occupancy rates are changing or have changed historically. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the spring of the year preferably during the pre-dawn or pre-dusk period when Bicknell’s thrush and other songbirds are more vocal. Surveys are completed in non-inclement weather when there are light winds, and minimal precipitation. How? The monitoring protocol consists of conducting four consecutive five minute point counts at each survey station along a defined survey route at pre-dawn or pre-dusk, with a total sampling time of 20 minutes. Information is recorded on species seen or heard, and distance and direction of the individual. Data is also collected on habitat and weather conditions at each station along the route. Why? Bicknell’s thrush is a species at risk that was historically present within the boreal land region of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Presence and occupancy rates of Bicknell’s thrush and other boreal forest bird species found living in an early to late successional stage boreal forest are an indicator of a healthy boreal forest. Conversely, presence and occupancy rates of bird species associated with grasslands habitats are an indicator of poor forest conditions in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Adult Salmon  Health (Snorkel Surveys) - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations are being monitored in the Clyburn River in Cape Breton Highlands National Park during the fall salmon run. When? Monitoring frequency is annually during the adult Atlantic salmon fall run in the Clyburn River. How? Approximately eight kilometers of the Clyburn River is snorkel surveyed in two sections (approximately four kilometers each) to record species, numbers, age class and locations of salmonid species in the river during the survey. A survey of the entire river occurs within a 24 hour period by two to three field teams consecutively. Why? Fish populations are prominent components of aquatic ecosystems and a key node in the aquatic food web.  Fish are sensitive to many forms of physical, chemical and biological stressors which alter fish condition, community structure and/or biomass.  In addition to the indirect impacts human activities have on fish communities, there are direct impacts associated with harvesting sport fish such as Atlantic salmon from rivers. The Eastern Cape Breton Atlantic salmon population is listed by COSEWIC as Endangered and the status of the population is under review by SARA. Adult salmon populations in are important resources to monitor from the perspective of resource management.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Land Area Classification (Forest Area) - Cape Breton Highlands

What? Boreal Forest area is currently being monitored for deviations from historical land class types in Cape Breton Highlands National Park using remote sensing. The dataset for this measure is spatial and was created using Geographic Information System Technology. A parameter summary table has been included for reference. When? Monitoring cycle for this measure is on a 10 year cycle. How? Most recent time based analysis is based on Landsat satellite imagery (1984, 1997, 2007 and 2015-17) with LiDAR data (2015) as our training data set. In addition, SPOT5 satellite imagery (2013) and Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources forest inventory aerial imagery (2009) where used as ancillary data to identify the location and associated area of different land classes and vegetation sub types. Why? As part of a forest health measure, monitoring of the changes to boreal forests at a landscape level serves as a useful indicator of forest health.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Snowpack - Wapusk National Park

Wapusk National Park is a sub-Arctic protected area covered with snow for over half of the year. Snowpack characteristics can provide important clues to impacts of climate change and park ecological integrity. Snow cover duration and characteristics affect soil and plant and animal components of the ecosystem. Current predictions for Wapusk are that with warming temperatures, snow in the Hudson Bay region will increase in amount but will stay for a shorter duration. This could potentially accelerate the rate of permafrost degradation. By insulating against heat loss, snow can affect the soil nutrient cycling and plant production. Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) values are an important gauge of snow impacts on the ecosystem and on permafrost and are used to monitor park ecological integrity. SWE values for Wapusk are based on mid-winter snowpack conditions measured annually. Field measurements also include snowpack depth, density, and hardness using Adirondack snow core and RAM penetrometer equipment. Additionally, weather station sensors measure snow depth, rain, wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air relative humidity, near surface soil and permafrost temperature. 
Snowpack monitoring in Wapusk is an on-going long-term partnership between Wapusk National Park, Dr. Steve Mamet at University of Saskatchewan and the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC). In phase 1, SWE values are published here. In a later phase, other snowpack and microclimate variables will also be published. 


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Lake Hydrology - Wapusk National Park

Wapusk National Park protects a vast landscape of coastal salt marshes, countless lakes and ponds, and a diversity of boreal-tundra interface habitats, and serves as staging areas for migrating birds, and habitat for a diversity of wildlife. Shallow lakes and ponds are created in part by thermokarst processes resulting from the melting of ground ice in areas underlain by permafrost. In northern areas, climate change brings fluctuations in temperature, permafrost and snow fall and cover which affect lake dynamics, water composition and water levels, and the plants and animals dependent on them. Lake hydrology is assessed based on hydroelocological methods developed during the International Polar Year in Vuntut National Park, and initiated in Wapusk in 2010 by the Hydroecological Team, a multidisciplinary research group from Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo led by Dr. Brent Wolfe. Lake water from forest, wetlands and coastal ecosystem habitats is monitored using the composition of naturally occurring isotopic tracers to assess the evaporation to input ratio (E/I ratio). The E/I ratio, for which high values indicate lake drying, is used as a coarse assessment of climate change for ecological integrity monitoring for state-of-the-park reporting.
We are currently publishing part 1 of the data; a more complete dataset will be posted at a later date. This provides collaborators the opportunity to publish papers and finalise theses.


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Goose Aquatic Assessment - Wapusk National Park

Wapusk National Park (WNP), protects a vast landscape of coastal salt marshes, countless ponds, and a diversity of boreal-tundra interface habitats, and serves as staging areas for migrating birds, including the Lesser Snow Goose (LSGO). Over the last few decades LSGO populations have increased exponentially due to multiple factors the LSGO is now considered hyper-abundant. Grazing LSGO create large disturbed and barren areas altering vegetation, soil, and ponds, and affecting the ecological integrity of the parks terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 
To assess goose impacts and their spatial expansion, thirty (30) ponds were selected to form a coarse grid covering the area north of the Broad River and east of Nestor Two camp.  Water composition, including conductivity, is monitoring in July annually. As geese feed, they remove vegetation; and their droppings add nutrient and organic matter in and around ponds. Increased water nutrients and sediment results in increased conductivity, a sign of increased goose presence and impacts.  
The field crew also records evidence of geese at each pond and pond water is sampled for laboratory analyses of naturally occurring isotopic tracers to assess the water Evaporation to Input (shortened to E/I ratio), and measure nutrients and organic matter dynamic. Water samples are sent for laboratory analysis to our monitoring partners, the Hydroecology Team led by Dr. Brent Wolfe (Wilfrid Laurier University).
We are currently publishing part 1 of the data; a more complete dataset will be posted at a later date. 


Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Mammals - Jasper

Motion-detection cameras are a cost-effective and non-invasive tool used in Jasper National Park for sampling mammal populations and estimating species occurrence. Occupancy modelling, which uses detection/non-detection data from cameras, provides a useful and flexible framework for population trend analyses. Data are collected throughout the year across Jasper National Park to determine change in the distribution of key animal populations as well as supporting demographic predictions to better inform management. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Forest Birds - Jasper

Birds are the most diverse of land vertebrates and are an important indicator of ecosystem health. Large protected areas, such as Jasper National Park, provide important habitat for a wide range of bird species. Data collected can provide a number of ecological indices; for example, used to assess the effects of land use and climate change. Yearly data are collected at these sites using audio recorders to determine indices of bird diversity and occupancy trends to inform management.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Area burned - Jasper

Forest fires can provide positive effects on forest ecosystems, such as controlling the spread of detrimental insects, maintaining diverse habitats, and the recycling of nutrients across landscapes. Fire management in Jasper National Park aims to maintain these natural processes, and includes controlled burns to also reduce the risk of future wildfires that may threaten the Park and community assets. Data is collected using satellite imagery and provide some of the necessary information needed to prepare park-specific plans for conservation and recovery activities. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Common nighthawk -Jasper

Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) inventory supports Jasper National Park’s Multi-species Action Plan. Common nighthawks are a Threatened Species protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Common nighthawks migrate north between early May to mid-June to breed in or near open or semi-open sites across a variety of habitats. During the breeding season, data are collected at these sites by audio recorders to determine presence/nesting and inform management action.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Caribou population - Jasper

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is a threatened species protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Jasper National Park provides important habitat for the Southern Mountain Woodland Caribou ecotype of the subspecies. Data are collected by aerial surveys to determine local population size and range, survival and recruitment; and DNA samples (e.g. feces, carcasses) are collected for population genetic analyses.  Data collected provide some of the necessary information needed to prepare park-specific plans for conservation and recovery activities.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Black swift - Jasper

Black swift (Cypseloides niger) have been listed as an Endangered Species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In Jasper National Park, black swifts nest in canyon waterfalls and may be affected by decreases in water flow on account of decreased snow pack and glacial melt, and specific recreational activities that may disturb nesting birds. Data are collected by trained observers during the breeding season to identify breeding sites to inform management action.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Aquatic Connectivity - Jasper

The unimpeded movement of fish and other aquatic related organisms allows organisms to respond to changing habitat conditions, facilitates genetic dispersal, provides access to seasonal or reproductive habitats, and allows for the maintenance of populations over the long term. Jasper National Park monitors the catchment area size for all culverts associated with creeks Strahler order 4 or less going through them and with perennial water flow. The dataset shows whether the culvert is a fish passage or not (i.e. barrier free or with a status of remediated from the first culvert evaluation in 2005).

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Caribou scat - Jasper

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is a threatened species protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Jasper National Park provides important habitat for the Southern Mountain Woodland Caribou ecotype of the subspecies. Data are collected by aerial surveys to determine local population size and range, survival and recruitment; and DNA samples (e.g. feces, carcasses) are collected for population genetic analyses.  Data collected provide some of the necessary information needed to prepare park-specific plans for conservation and recovery activities.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Aquatic fish inventory - Jasper

Aquatic fish data are collected across watercourses in Jasper National Park using a variety of fish sampling methods in order to inventory fish diversity, distribution, and relative densities over time. Data collected provide resource management some of the necessary information needed to prepare stock-specific plans to conserve, manage, and where appropriate restore native fish and their habitats in Jasper National Park.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Bat NATBat Ultrasound - Jasper 

Bat monitoring in Jasper National Park supports Jasper National Park’s Multi-species Action Plan and it is part of the NABat continent-wide program to estimate population trends and distribution. Survey efforts are increasingly important on account of the recent detection of white-nosed syndrome in western North America and evidence that the disease is spreading more readily.  The  use of ultrasonic frequency recorders  help determine species composition and relative abundance to inform management activities. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Elk roadside surveys - Jasper

Elk (Cervus canadensis) are generally considered a keystone species across a variety of landscapes. Elk (C. canandenis nelsoni) in Jasper National Park is one of four extant subspecies of elk occurring in North America. They are an important wildlife component in the Park regarding the management of human-wildlife conflict and understanding caribou/wolf population dynamics. Data are collected every year by roadside surveys across the Park to help estimate recruitment.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Whitebark pine reforestation - Jasper

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) restoration supports Jasper National Park’s Multi-species Action Plan. Whitebark Pine is an Endangered Species protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and it has an important role as a keystone species across mountain landscapes. Seeds were collected from whitebark pines identified as being putatively resistant to blister rust and were germinated in nurseries for subsequent planting.  Permanent transect plots for resistant seedlings and circular plots for resistant seeds were established to monitor survival after planting. Bi-yearly data are collected from these plots to determine the survival of potentially resistant whitebark pines planted in Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Human-Wildlife Interactions -Jasper

Information regarding human-wildlife interactions in Jasper National Park is important to manage both human (eg. town residents, visitors) and wildlife needs (eg. area closures). Achieving this balance depends on data related, in part, on where animals have died or have been injured (eg highway, railway) and the many associated issues that impact wildlife behaviour (eg. grain spills, campground garbage) and that present a safety risk to humans (eg. Elk Spring calving and Fall rut). Data is collected year round providing information on seasonal trends and areas of conflict to facilitate management activities.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Lentic freshwater fish occurrence - Jasper

Both native and non-native fish inhabit many lakes and ponds across Jasper National Park. Prior to stocking practices in the past, many lakes in Jasper National Park did not have fish or had a low diversity fish assemblage. These past stocking practices have altered fish communities today. Introduced non-native fish may outcompete some native fish populations and the stocking of historical natural fishless lakes may affect their food webs. Data collected during fish surveys show existing native and non-native fish species in lakes of Jasper National Park.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Athabasca glacier mass balance - Jasper

Glaciers are an important water source in mountainous areas and significantly influence the hydrology of the watershed. Glaciers worldwide serve as indicators of climate change and have been decreasing in size at an accelerating rate since the mid-1980s. Data are collected from the Athabasca glacier in Jasper National Park using an array of drilled poles across the glacier surface to calculate the glacier net mass balance (the net gain or loss of snow/ice in a given year) and extent in order to provide a glacier profile over time.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
Permafrost active layer depth - Torngat Mountains

The Torngat National Park monitors the permafrost depth in the Ivitak wateshed. A temperature cable with 8 thermistors at depths from 0.5 to 7 m deep was installed in August 2010, and has been recording ground temperature at each depth at 8 hour intervals since that time. The site is a deep alluvial silt deposit near the mouth of the Ivitak / McCornick River, on the south shore of Nachvak Fiord. Temperatures for the first year or more are unusually warm, likely a result of warming caused by water jet drilling during installation. Temperatures down to 1.5 m deep show strong seasonal fluctuations, as expected in the active layer. Deeper temperatures are much more stable, and are apparently coldest at ~2 m depth, but it is not entirely clear that the site supports permafrost except possibly in a narrow lens from 2-3 m deep. 

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada