Algonquin Park Research Articles

Leaf litter colonization by invertebrates in the littoral zone of a small oligotrophic lake

The colonization of deciduous leaf litter by aquatic invertebrates was studied at Scott Lake in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. Deciduous leaf packs were colonized after only 2 days submergence. The invertebrate community was dominated by chironomids (25–94% depending on sampling period), and to a lesser extent by oligochaetes, turbellarians, and mayflies. Collectors, such as the chironomids Dicrotendipes, Pseudochironomus, Paratanytarsus and Parakiefferiella were the dominant functional-feeding group suggesting that leaf litter is being used as habitat rather than a direct food source. Deciduous leaf litter lost a substantial amount of weight, due to leaching, after only 48 h submergence. Fall-shed beech (Fagus grandifolia) leaves decomposed more rapidly than fall-shed sugar maple (Acer saccharum) leaves with daily processing coefficients (k), determined using an exponential decay model, of 0.0058 and 0.0039, respectively. Conversely, conditioned maple leaves, defined as leaves remaining on the ground over winter, were processed faster than conditioned beech leaves, with coefficients of 0.0042 and 0.0014, respectively. It is speculated that inhibitory compounds have been leached from the maple leaves, allowing for faster leaf processing.

Actinosporean Stages of Myxozoan Parasites of Oligochaetes from Lake Sasajewun, Algonquin Park, Ontario: New Forms of Triactinomyxon and Raabeia

Eight forms of triactinomyxon and 6 forms of raabeia of oligochaetes from Lake Sasajewun, Algonquin Park are described. Of the 8 forms of triactinomyxon, 2 designated as triactinomyxon 'B' and 'E' were found in both Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Tubifex tubifex. Three additional forms, designated as triactinomyxon 'A,' 'C,' and 'D,' occurred in L. hoffmeisteri. One form infecting L. hoffmeisteri was identified as Triactinomyxon ignotum Stolc, 1899, and another infecting T. tubifex was tentatively identified as Triactinomyxon dubium Granata, 1924. One form infecting L. hoffmeisteri and Rhyacodrilus coccineus was designated as triactinomyxon 'F.' Of the 6 forms of raabeia, 4 designated as raabeia 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'F' were found in L. hoffmeisteri, and 2 designated as raabeia 'D' and 'E' were recorded in T. tubifex. The sporoplasmic mass of each form of triactinomyxon usually moved posteriorly within the cavity of the spore axis and was released through its posterior end, whereas the sporoplasmic mass of each form of raabeia was released through the anterior end of the epispore. An increase in the number of germ cells was observed in the floating spore stage of triactinomyxon 'B,' 'D,' 'E,' and raabeia 'B.'

Actinosporean Stages of Myxozoan Parasites of Oligochaetes from Lake Sasajewun, Algonquin Park, Ontario: New Forms of Echinactinomyxon, Neoactinomyxum, Aurantiactinomyxon, Guyenotia, Synactinomyxon and Antonactinomyxon

Six forms (5 of which are new) of echinactinomyxon and 5 new forms of the collective groups neoactinomyxum, aurantiactinomyxon, guyenotia, synactinomyxon, and antonactinomyxon of oligochaetes in Lake Sasajewun, Algonquin Park are described. Five forms of echinactinomyxon designated as echinactinomyxon 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' 'D,' and 'E,' a form of neoactinomyxum, and a form of aurantiactinomyxon were found in Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. Echinactinomyxon radiatum, a form of synactinomyxon, and a form of antonactinomyxon were recorded from Tubifex tubifex. A form of guyenotia was found in Lumbriculus variegatus. The sporoplasmic mass of these actinosporeans was released through the anterior end of the epispore. An increase in the number of germ cells was observed in the floating spore stage of all forms except echinactinomyxon 'C' and the form of antonactinomyxon.

BOREAL: A tactical planning system for forest ecosystem management

BOREAL is a tactical planning system designed to aid forest managers in developing site-specific management schedules consistent with planning objectives and environmental standards. The system projects outcomes of management alternatives in terms of future forest conditions and forest products and displays results in tabular, graphic, and map formats. The application of the system in a tactical management planning situation is demonstrated with an example of the interactions between timber production and moose (Alces alces L.) habitat for a 5,000 ha area in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. The system is flexible and can be adapted to a variety of forest planning scenarios such as integrated timber production and habitat management, conservation of old growth forests, and protection of significant forest ecosystems. Key words: Algonquin Park, geographic information system, linear programming, management planning, moose, timber supply, wildlife habitat

R. Murray Schafer’s And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon: The Nexus of Ideal and Real Wilderness

R. Murray Schafer’s environmental music drama, And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon (1988- ), stands at the nexus between the lived experience of performance in the Canadian wilderness and Schafer’s romantic idea of the North. A collaborative project involving 75 volunteer participants, the work takes place over an entire week each August in the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve near Ontario’s Algonquin Park. It forms the epilogue to the composer’s massive Patria series (1966- ). Simultaneously performers, creators and audience, the participants camp together as they enact Schafer’s participatory and ritualistic theatre — a theatre specifically designed for performance in the Canadian wilderness. As such, And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon functions as an atelier for Schafer’s cultural vision, grounding his idealism in a problematic but rich practice. This paper traces the development of Schafer’s wilderness ideal both as expressed in his 30 years of writing on Canadian culture and in the performance practice of his environmental music theatre. In particular, it examines the problems and potential of the moment of contact between ideal and real wilderness as expressed in And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon.

Species of Myxobolus (Myxozoa) from the Bulbus Arteriosus of Centrarchid Fishes in North America, with a Description of Two New Species

Three species of Myxobolus (Myxozoa, Myxosporea) occur in heart tissue of centrarchids. Myxobolus paralintoni Li and Desser, 1985 from Lepomis gibbosus in Algonquin Park and in Lake Erie, Ontario, has subcircular spores (in plane of spore length) in frontal view (11-13 microm long, 9-10 microm wide, and 5 microm thick) with a width-to-length ratio of 1:1.2. Myxobolus jollimorei n. sp. from Lepomis macrochirus in Lake Erie and in the Pascagoula River System, Mississippi, has subcircular spores (in plane of spore width) in frontal view (10.0-11.5 microm long, 12.0-14.5 microm wide, and 6.5-8.0 microm thick) with a width-to-length ratio of 1:0.8. Myxobolus manueli n. sp. from Pomoxis nigromaculatus in Lake Erie has spores (10-11 microm long, 8-10 microm wide, and 6.5-7.0 microm thick) that are nearly circular in frontal view but that have 2 distinct sublateral knobs along the sutural ridge and a width-to-length ratio of 1:1.2. All 3 species occur in the bulbus arteriosus of their hosts where they form small, saucer-shaped pseudocysts. Free spores were found free in the lumen of the heart and bulbus arteriosus, in bile, and in kidney tissue presses.

Confirmation of gynogenesis in Phoxinus eos-neogaeus (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

We have previously reported that the all-female species Phoxinus eos-neogaeus is perpetuated at Norton Pool, New Hampshire, by clonal reproduction. Genetically identical diploid eos-neogaeus ova develop into diploid offspring if congeneric sperm stimulates development, and into triploid or diploid-triploid mosaic offspring if syngamy occurs. Some individuals produce both genetically identical and unique diploid ova, resulting in clonal and nonclonal offspring. In a third, very different type of gametogenesis, other females produce haploid eos ova that yield diploid ‘‘P. eos’’ offspring if fertilized by P. eos sperm. In this study we confirmed all three types of gametogenesis by mating two females of P. eos-neogaeus to a male of a related species, P. oreas, whose distinctive contribution to the offspring was revealed through morphology, genome size, and tissue graft analysis. In a second set of experiments we show that the same clone has existed at Norton Pool for 11 years. Lastly, we show that gynogenetic reproduction is not restricted to Norton Pool, but that hybrids from Algonquin Park, Ontario, also reproduce clonally.

Population-size estimators and unequal catchability in painted turtles

Most methods of estimating population size from mark-recapture data assume equal catchability. Failure to meet this assumption may have profound effects on population-size estimates. We used 3 sampling methods to compare population-size estimates derived from Petersen, Schumacher and Eschmeyer, and Jolly-Seber models with the true size of a closed population of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) in Algonquin Park, Ontario. We found significant variation in capture probabilities, and almost all population-size estimates were far below the true population size. To try to improve the accuracy of the estimates, we applied 4 techniques commonly recommended for reducing bias when catchability is unequal: (i) changing sampling methods, (ii) using several sampling methods simultaneously, (iii) dividing the population by sex, and (iv) calculating population sizes using the computer program CAPTURE. None of the 4 methods reduced the error that resulted from unequal catchability in any of the estimates sufficiently for these methods to be suitable for management of populations or for ecological research.

J.R. Dymond and Frank A. MacDougall: Science and Government Policy in Algonquin Provincial Park, 1931-1954

Between 1931 and 1954 Frank MacDougall, forester, superintendent of Algonquin Park (1931-1941) and later Deputy Minister of Lands and Forests, and John R. Dymond, University of Toronto zoologist, together fashioned a framework for formal scientific research in the park. MacDougall's resolve to initiate a multiple use management policy informed by research-based knowledge, and Dymond's passion to protect natural diversity for ecological study, were both shaped by developments in Britain and the United States. Their collaborative efforts resulted in a more protectionist policy for Algonquin including the establishment of fisheries, wildlife and forestry research facilities, the first nature reserves, and an innovative interpretive program—all of which profoundly shaped subsequent policies in other Ontario provincial parks.

An experimental test of habitat selection by rodents of Algonquin Park

Using an enclosure experiment, we tested whether substrate selection by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), redback voles (Clethrionomys gapperi), and woodland jumping mice (Napaeozapus insignis) matched habitat-use patterns determined from trapping data. Mice were introduced into a 5 m diameter enclosure containing substrates from three habitats: maple, mixed, and coniferous forest. Trapping data were taken from a long-term monitoring study of small-mammal populations in Algonquin Park, Ontario. We used data from 1991 – 1995 from the three habitats used in the enclosure experiment. If competition or predation affects habitat distribution patterns, then, given a choice, mice should select different substrates in the enclosures from those they use in the field. Alternatively, if habitat use is not constrained by interactions with competitors or predators (i.e., if small mammals select habitats), then habitats used in the enclosure should match habitat distributions observed in the field. Habitats used in the field did not match habitats selected in the enclosure experiment for either deer mice or woodland jumping mice. Redback voles selected habitats similar to those used in the field. We conclude that interspecific competition and (or) predation may limit availability of habitats for deer mice and woodland jumping mice.

Interspecific Variation in Climbing by Gastropods: Implications for Transmission of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis

-Most studies of the gastropod intermediate hosts of the nematode parasite Parelaphostrongylus tenuis used cardboard placed on the ground to collect host specimens. We examined interspecific variation in climbing behavior of seven gastropod species from Algonquin Park, Ontario, to evaluate the potential for sampling bias and its implications (1) for inferences regarding which gastropods may be important in parasite transmission and (2) for estimating parasite prevalence in gastropods. Gastropods were highly variable in the degree to which they climbed and when they did so. Zonitoides arboreus, Anguispira alternata and Deroceras laeve climbed relatively infrequently; Stenotremafraternum and Mesodon sp. were most arboreal. Discus cronkhitei and Succinea ovalis were intermediate; they spent about as much time on the ground as they did climbing. Thus, the latter species are potentially most important as intermediate hosts because they frequent the ground where they can become infected with the parasite, but also climb to where they may be more vulnerable to ingestion by foraging deer and moose. A comparison of gastropod collections was made between studies that used cardboard to sample gastropods and studies where hand-searching was used. It revealed that species from the families Zonitidae and Limacidae comprised the largest fractions of collections using cardboard, consistent with the idea that cardboard samples are biased to terrestrial species. If collections are biased, prevalence levels detected for gastropod hosts of P tenuis may underestimate true levels. Therefore, the degree of arboreality among gastropod intermediate hosts could be important to consider when evaluating the potential for different species to serve as important vectors of transmission of P tenuis.

Sphaerospora ovophila N. Sp. and Myxobolus algonquinensis N. Sp. (Myxozoa, Myxosporea), Ovarian Parasites of Fish from Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT. Sphaerospora ovophila n. sp. and Myxobolus algonquinensis n. sp., found in the ovary of the pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) and the golden shiner (Noremigonus crysoleucas) respectively from Algonquin Park, Ontario, are described using light and electron microscopy. Ovoid cysts of S. ovophila measured up to 500 pm in length. Monosporic pseudoplasmodia were ovoid or ellipsoid in shape and measured up to 12.5 pm in length. Spores were 7.2–8.4 pm long × 6.0–7.0 pm wide (in sutural plane) × 7.4–8.2 pm thick (perpendicular to sutural plane), with two subspherical polar capsules of equal size measuring 2.7–3.2 × 2.6–3.1 pm and each of which contained a polar filament with 6–7 coils. The spore had a straight sutural ridge which protruded slightly at the anterior end and contained two uninucleate sporoplasms. The spore valve had ornate folds on the posterior end. Cysts of M. algonquinensis ranged from ovoid to elongated ellipsoid in shape and measured up to 800 pm in length. Mature spores measured 13.G15.7 pm long × 10.1–12.1 pm wide × 5.0–6.9 pm thick. with two pyriform polar capsules of equal size measuring 5.1–5.5 pm × 2.5–2.9 pm, each of which contained a polar filament with 4–6 coils. The spores of M. algonquinensis had smooth valves, a straight sutural ridge and a distinct small intercapsular appendix.

Response by wolves to prey variation in central Ontario

The influence of variation in prey availability in a wolf–moose–deer–beaver predator–prey community was studied from 1987 to 1992 in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. Density, food habits, and movements of 57 radio-collared gray wolves (Canis lupus) were compared among three regions of varying moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) spatial and temporal abundance. Relative moose and deer availability was determined annually from 16 track surveys (5 km each), 150 pellet surveys (300 × 2 m), stratified aerial surveys (2 or 3 each winter), and prey carcass data. One region contained high moose abundance and virtually no deer year-round. The second region had high moose levels with moderate levels of deer, and a third region varied in deer winter abundance annually. Wolf use of deer was high, based on the proportion of deer in winter scats (9.3–32.1% frequency of occurrence; 4.3–22.5% total biomass) and the number of deer predation cases (50 carcasses) that occurred in all three regions, even in areas where deer were considered to be very rare. Wolf use of deer was positively correlated with increases in winter deer abundance (r2 = 0.66). Wolf density correlated with deer numbers (r2 = 0.74). In winter, deer in the third region migrated to a deer yard 15 km from Algonquin Park. A remaining overwintering deer density of less than 0.02/km2appears to have prompted a movement of wolves to the deer yard. Of the 41 moose consumed by wolves in winter, most (71%) were scavenged animals that had died with infestations of winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus). Beaver (Castor canadensis) apparently acted as important buffer prey species when deer numbers were low. The Algonquin wolf's reliance on smaller prey items appears to be a function of the fluctuating prey base, which promotes alternative hunting strategies, and the small size of the Algonquin wolf, which makes it an inefficient predator of moose. Even though moose were relatively constant in availability, and a major food item, the wolf population was responding primarily to the availability of deer.

Cross‐Boundary Management of Algonquin Park Wolves

Cross‐boundary management issues concerning the spatial requirements of large predators and the inadequate size of protected areas are exemplified by the movements of gray wolf (Canis lupus) in and out of Algonquin Park, Canada. From 1987 to 1993, 65 juvenile and adult wolves from 22 packs inside Algonquin were radio‐tagged and regularly monitored by aerial and ground telemetry. Of the 41 wolves that died during the 6‐year study, mortality caused by humans was the highest single source, at 56%. Most mortality (68%) occurred outside the park, of which almost half (48%) was related to the seasonal movements by wolves out of the park in response to migrating white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). In 1993 the provincial government banned the killing of wolves in a 200‐km2 deer wintering area adjacent to the park. The ban was considered necessary because (1) a high proportion (82%) of packs from the eastern half of the park was traveling to the deer area; (2) outside the park killing of wolves by hunting or trapping was uncontrolled; and (3) much of the mortality comprised adult, non‐dispersing wolves. Public response to the ban was hostile initially, but apart from some flagrant violations the protective measures appear to have been successful. Only 2 radio‐collared wolves were killed in 1993 and 1994 combined, compared with 10 in 1992 alone. Controversy over management decisions led us to conclude that cross‐boundary problems associated with this controversial species necessitate complete, partial, or emergency protection. Complete protection requires protection beyond the existing park boundary, either through buffer zones or increased regulation. Partial and emergency protection strategies rely on effective monitoring, an important factor if public cooperation is limited. At Algonquin the magnitude of wolf killing, the importance of the wolf in interpretive programs, and the difficulties in regulating partial protection because of unreported kills and damage to radio collars makes complete protection the prudent choice.

Bet-hedging theory and eigenelasticity: a comparison of the life histories of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina)

The life table for snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) generated from a 16-year study in Algonquin Park, Ontario, suggests that the population is declining. We use a stage-based matrix model based on this life table to simulate population management options. In addition we analyze the demographic sensitivities of the Algonquin Park population life table and a life table recently published for a population of snapping turtles at the E.S. George Reserve in Michigan. The results are compared with a similar study of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). We use these inter- and intra-specific comparisons to test bet-hedging life-history theory. Bet-hedging theory predicts that the long lives and low annual reproductive effort of turtles reduces the effect of low, stochastic juvenile survival on an individual's reproductive success. We test this prediction using proportional sensitivity of the intrinsic rate of increase to variation in life-table parameters (eigenelasticity) to compare the two populations of snapping turtles with each other and with loggerhead sea turtles. Annual adult survival is shown to be the variable most predictive of sensitivity to variation in first-year survival.

An empirical habitat model for moose, Alces alces, in Algonquin Park, Ontario

An empirical habitat model has been estimated for moose, Alces alces, in Algonquin Provincial Park in the southern Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Ontario using annual moose population data and habitat characteristics which have been extracted from the forest resource inventory for the park. Linear and logarithmic specifications of the model were estimated within the family of functional forms allowed by the Box—Cox specification. The linear specification provided a satisfactory relationship between habitat characteristics and moose density. Habitat characteristics explained 73% of the variance in moose density in the park. Moose are attracted to stands which are 1–20 years old and to stands with less than 30% stocking, and also to conifer stands older than 20 years with less than 50% canopy closure while avoiding the more open areas which would offer little thermal protection or relief from deep snow. The moose population surveys were conducted during the months of January and February, and the model may be detecting mid-winter habitat selection by moose in home ranges which are sufficiently large as to satisfy year-round cover and forage requirements. The estimated model was tested by comparing predicted and observed moose density using habitat and moose population data from another time period. The model provided reasonable 10-year forecasts of moose population-habitat relationships for Algonquin Park.

Analysis of isolates within species of anuran trypanosomes using random amplified polymorphic DNA.

A total of 20 decamer primers were used to generate random applied polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers from 5 isolates of Trypanosoma fallisi, 3 isolates of T. ranarum, 2 isolates of T. rotatorium, and 2 isolates of T. rotatorium-like trypanosomes in addition to 2 species from the American Type Culture Collection, T. chattoni (ATCC 50294) and Trypanosoma sp. (ATCC 50295). A slight polymorphism was observed among the four isolates of T. fallisi obtained form American toads, Bufo americanus, collected in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada, and an isolate obtained from the same species of host collected in Marquette, Michigan, United States, and produced similarity coefficients ranging from 80.7% to 96.9%. Pronounced polymorphism was recorded among the three isolates of T. ranarum from bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, collected in Ontario, Canada, and in Maryland, United States, and from a Northern leopard frog, R. pipiens, collected in Minnesota (USA). The similarity coefficients ranged from 54.7% to 59.5%, suggesting that alleles of these isolates were conserved over a wide geographic range. The high degree of polymorphism observed in two isolates of T. rotatorium from a bullfrog collected in Ontario and two isolates of a T. rotatorium-like parasite from the green frog R. clamitans, collected in Louisiana (USA) suggests that they are different species. These results reflect the high similarity among isolates from the same geographic location and the pronounced polymorphism apparent among isolates from distant geographic locations.

Opalinidae (Sarcomastigophora) in North American Amphibia. Genus Opalina Purkinje & Valentin, 1835

During 1992, the cloaca of 83 specimens of North American Amphibia from Algonquin Park and Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and from El Paso County, Texas, USA, comprising 14 species in seven families, were checked for opalinids. Opalina martinonae n. sp. was found in five of nine Rana sylvatica (Ranidae); O. obtrigonoidea Metcalf, 1923 in six of 11 Bufo americanus (Bufonidae) and two of nine Pseudacris crucifer (Hylidae); O. pickeringi Metcalf, 1923 in two of nine Pseudacris crucifer and in one of six Rana pipiens; and O. virguloidea Metcalf, 1923 in two of six Hyla versicolor (Hylidae). Opalina flava Stokes, 1884 is proposed for Cepedea flava (Stokes, 1884) Metcalf, 1923. The occurrence, evolution and biogeography of North American Opalina are discussed.

A phylogeographic survey of brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) in Algonquin Park, Ontario based upon mitochondrial DNA variation

Forty-nine populations of brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) from Algonquin Park lakes and rivers were analysed for mitochondrial DNA variation. Haplotypic distributions of wild fish in the Algonquin Park region of Ontario, Canada, predominantly reflect postglacial dispersal patterns into the region in spite of substantial hatchery plantings. Two major refugial groupings colonized this regions. Northern and eastern watersheds (Amable du Fond, Bonnechere, and northern Petawawa), were colonized primarily by haplotype 1 fish (B1 phylogenetic assemblage), while Oxtongue River, southern Petawawa, and York River populations were colonized predominately by fish from the B2 and A mtDNA phylogenetic assemblages. Fish with haplotypes in the A and B2 phylogenetic assemblages are common in the Lake Huron drainage. All watersheds in the Park drain into the Ottawa River, except the Oxtongue drainage (part of the Lake Huron watershed). This suggests that early glacial outflows south of the Algonquin Park region (Kirkfield-Trent) may have been colonized by fish that initially invaded 'Ontario island' (south-western Ontario), while fish which invaded northern Algonquin Park were derived from a different refugial grouping(s) which may have involved colonization both up the Ottawa River drainage, and/or from a more westerly (Mississippian) refugial grouping. A majority of the populations in Algonquin Park have been planted with hatchery reared brook charr since the 1940s. The Hills Lake or 'Domestic' strain was used almost exclusively for these plantings. Comparisons of mtDNA haplotypic distributions in hatchery and wild fish suggests that hatchery females had minimal spawning success and/or their progeny had poor survivorship in the wild.

A NEW NEARCTIC SPECIES OF PROTOPIOPHILA DUDA (DIPTERA: PIOPHILIDAE), WITH NOTES ON ITS BEHAVIOUR AND COMPARISON WITH P. LATIPES (MEIGEN)

AbstractProtopiophila litigata sp.nov. is described from Ontario and Nova Scotia. McAlpine’s (1977) key to the species of Protopiophila is modified to facilitate identification of the new species. Behaviours of P. litigata and P. latipes were studied in Algonquin Park, Ontario. Whereas P. latipes reproduces on corpses in advanced stages of decay, P. litigata mates and oviposits on discarded cervid antlers, ignoring other carrion. Unlike P. latipes, males of P. litigata engage in ’mate guarding’. These traits probably represent autapomorphies of P. litigata.