The Molson Reserve is considered by many naturalists to be an exceptionally diverse, rich natural community of animals and plants. It is for these reasons that we chose to look at the ecological aspects of the reserve. In particular, we focused our attention on data gathering and to the proposal of an ecological monitoring scheme. Data gathering is important for the collection and organization of past research and information. Knowing what has been done in the past can help determine what should be done in the future, without unnecessary repetition and cost.
Past research can help in the development of study design.
In addition, it permits comparison of current research with historical data allowing researchers to detect ecological change. Ecological monitoring is essential to determine if ecological integrity is maintained or threatened. The objective of monitoring biodiversity is to gain an understanding of what is changing in the ecosystem and why. Furthermore, a monitoring scheme can validate the management plan and can serve for educational research. The biggest problem faced by managers is that not everything can be monitored-there simply are not enough time and resources.