Parks Canada Research Articles

Soundwaves in the North Atlantic: Detecting the offshore bats of Sable Island

As Sable Island National Park Reserve approaches a decade of protection under Parks Canada, new data on the island’s biodiversity is useful for informing management. An ultrasonic autonomous recording unit was deployed for 15 months over two years (October 5, 2015-January 8, 2017) to quantitatively characterize the presence of bats on Sable Island. A total of 1721 echolocation passes were identified across the 32 nights that bats were detected on the island (6.9% of total recording nights). Of the nights that bats were detected, Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat) was present on 65% of nights, Myotis species were present on 53% of nights, Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat) was present on 25% of nights, and Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary Bat) was present on 6.25% of nights. All recordings were captured between late-September and early-December. Evidence of bat species on Sable Island, whether deliberately stopping during migration or brought there by external factors such as weather, highlights that the island may be more important for bats than previously thought. Keywords: bats, bioacoustics, migration, monitoring, Sable Island

Heritage, Parks Canada, and the Narrowing of Western Canadian History

Heritage, Parks Canada, and the Narrowing of Western Canadian History

A Typology of National Park Co-management Agreements in the Era of Reconciliation in Canada

Parks Canada, in response to commitments undertaken towards reconciliation, has signaled its readiness to reassess the participation of Indigenous peoples in the co-management of national parks, national park reserves, and national marine conservation areas (NMCAs). However, the effectiveness of co-management, as the established framework underpinning these and other longstanding partnerships between the state and Indigenous groups, has been disputed, based on an uneven track record in meeting the needs, interests, and aspirations of Indigenous communities. This paper explores the potential of co-management to facilitate reconciliation within national parks, reserves and NMCAs by developing a typology of various types of co-management agreements. Addressing a critical knowledge gap in co-management governance, we provide a comprehensive review of 23 negotiated co-management agreements involving the state and Indigenous groups in a national park context. The resulting typology categorizes these agreements according to contextual factors and governance arrangements, offering insights into the feasibility of shared governance approaches with Parks Canada. Moreover, it identifies the strengths and weaknesses of co-management agreements in fulfilling reconciliation commitments. Our findings indicate that, although Parks Canada has implemented innovative approaches to co-management and shown a willingness to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts, true shared governance with Indigenous groups, as defined by international standards, is limited by the Canadian government's evident reluctance to amend the foundational legislation to effectively share authority in national parks.

Building collaborative monitoring programs to manage for ecological sustainability in multi-use marine protected areas: Parks Canada’s national marine conservation areas

Parks Canada collaborates with partners to manage a growing system of national marine conservation areas (NMCAs) and national marine conservation area reserves (NMCARs). These ecologically and culturally varied marine protected areas are established to represent the rich diversity of Canada’s oceans and Great Lakes. They support a broad range of uses within specific zones, including recreation, tourism, fishing, shipping, and Indigenous rights-based activities. Long-term monitoring is a critical tool for tracking changes in marine ecosystems, developing strategies to protect and conserve ecological and cultural values, responding to environmental threats, and ensuring ecologically sustainable use of marine resources that provide long-term societal benefits. Monitoring involves working closely with Indigenous partners, federal departments, provincial/territorial governments, coastal communities, and others (e.g., fishing and tourism sectors, non-governmental organizations, academia). As part of larger seascapes, NMCAs are managed using an ecosystem approach, which requires information on the state of marine biodiversity, threats, and pressures on marine ecosystems, including levels or impacts of marine uses. Each NMCA monitors a site-specific suite of indicators covering these key characteristics that are then integrated to inform decision-making. The monitoring framework is intended to enable a comprehensive, nationally consistent approach to monitoring and reporting while adapting to local needs and governance. Successes, challenges, and lessons learned through the implementation of the framework are highlighted through place-based examples.

Co-management as an Ethical Space of Engagement: Prospects for Reconciliation in Vuntut National Park

Parks Canada’s commitments to reconciliation marks a significant shift in the governing paradigm of national parks, moving away from a colonial framework towards models that respect and elevate Indigenous forms of governance and knowledge systems. However, the extent to which a land claims–based co-management model, as the dominant mechanism of governance and engagement employed by Parks Canada, can serve as a vehicle for reconciliation is an open question. This paper endeavours to better understand the relational dynamics of co-management for their potential to advance reconciliation in national park settings. Using the lens of ethical space, we identify factors that either facilitate or impede relationship building between Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Parks Canada in the co-management of Vuntut National Park. Insights from semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021 with 11 community members and park managers indicate that an evolving-management relationship is sustained through extensive community engagement and Parks Canada’s support for strengthening community connections to the land. By adopting an ethical space framework for analysis, we were able to highlight different conditions and elements necessary for a protected-area co-management arrangement to serve as a solid foundation for reconciliation. Our analysis also revealed various structural impediments to the establishment of an ethical space conducive to reconciliation, particularly in the context of co-management arrangements based on land-claims agreements. These challenges included: discrepancies in approaches to protected-area management between Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Parks Canada, further complicated by the governance system employed by Parks Canada; issues of scale related to Parks Canada’s nested management structure, which affected relationship building between co-managers; financial constraints; and capacity constraints.

AutoATES v2.0: Automated Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale mapping

Abstract. Avalanche risk assessment is complex and challenging, with terrain assessment as one of the most fundamental factors. To aid people's terrain assessment, Parks Canada developed the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES), a system that classifies the severity of avalanche terrain into five classes from non-avalanche terrain to extreme terrain. Manual classification is laborious and dependent on expert's assessments. To ease the process Larsen et al. (2020) developed an automated ATES model (AutoATES v1.0). Although the model allowed large-scale mapping, it had some significant limitations. This paper presents an improved AutoATES v2.0 model improving the potential release area (PRA) model, utilizing the new Flow-Py runout simulation package. Furthermore, it incorporates forest density data in the PRA, in Flow-Py, and in a newly developed post-forest-classification step. AutoATES v2.0 has also been rewritten in open-source software, making it more widely available. The paper includes a validation of the model measured against two consensus maps made by three experts at two different locations in western Canada. For Bow Summit, the F1 score (a measure of how well the model performs) improved from 64 % to 77 %. For Connaught Creek, the F1 score improved from 40 % to 71 %. The main challenge limiting large-scale ATES classification is the determination of optimal input parameters for different regions and climates. In areas where AutoATES v2.0 is applied, it can be a valuable tool for avalanche risk assessment and decision-making. Ultimately, our goal is for AutoATES v2.0 to enable efficient, regional-scale, and potentially global ATES mapping in a standardized manner rather than based solely on expert judgment.

Contrasting demographic responses to size‐selective harvesting among neighbouring wild fish populations

Abstract Sustainable harvesting of wild populations relies on evidence‐based knowledge to predict harvesting outcomes for species and the ecosystems they inhabit. Although harvesting may elicit compensatory density‐dependence, it is generally size‐selective, which induces additional pressures that are challenging to forecast. Furthermore, responses to harvest may be population‐specific and whether generalizable patterns exist remains unclear. Taking advantage of Parks Canada's mandate to remove introduced brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis to restore alpine lakes in Canadian parks, we experimentally applied standardized size‐selective harvesting rates (the largest ~64% annually) for three consecutive summers in five populations with different initial size structures. Four unharvested populations were used as controls. At reduced densities, harvested and control populations exhibited similar density‐dependent increases in specific growth, juvenile survival and earlier maturation. However, size‐selective harvesting simultaneously induced changes to size and age structure that contrasted among harvested populations. Average body length decreased in three of five harvested populations, whereas it tended to increase in control populations over the 3 years. We also detected contrasting, population‐specific changes in body length variability and ultimately in length‐ and age‐at‐harvest in harvested populations but not controls. Overall, populations with smaller, more homogeneous body sizes, and living at high densities were most resilient to size‐selective harvesting, exhibiting the smallest change in size‐at‐age. In contrast, large‐bodied populations exhibited more substantial size‐structure changes following selective harvesting: large‐bodied populations experienced either stabilizing or disruptive pressures, when initial length variability was high or low, respectively. Synthesis and application. Our results show that within species, size‐selective harvesting inherently leads to more risk and uncertainty when harvesting populations with larger and more varied body sizes than smaller‐bodied populations with less range in body size. Our study supports prioritizing regulations that protect harvested populations with larger and more varied body sizes. Such a management strategy would reduce the likelihood of eliciting unpredictable or undesirable demographic changes to fish populations with these attributes.

Bison and elk spatiotemporal interactions in Elk Island National Park

Elk Island National Park (EINP) is a fenced park in the Beaver Hills UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of central Alberta where aspen parkland is being conserved. This area maintains high densities of native ungulates including elk (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison bison bison, B. bison athabascae), moose (Alces alces), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and mule deer (O. hemionus). Our objective was to evaluate spatiotemporal overlap and interspecific interactions between bison and elk in EINP using camera traps. Bison and elk have overlapping habitat use and diet and are the primary focus of ungulate management in EINP. We examined distributions of both species in relation to season, landscape characteristics, anthropogenic features, and heterospecifics using generalized linear models (GLMs). We then examined seasonal daily activity patterns of bison and elk and calculated the degree of overlap. The spatial analysis revealed that bison counts were positively associated with higher proportions of open habitats across seasons and in areas farther from water in summer and fall but had no associations with distance to water during winter. Bison removal year (years during which bison removals were conducted by Parks Canada) was a significant predictor variable for bison counts in winter when the bison roundup takes place. Elk avoided areas with high linear feature density across seasons. During fall and winter, we observed higher elk counts associated with bison presence. Temporal activity patterns revealed that elk were crepuscular in all three seasons, but bison activity patterns varied with diurnal activity being more common in the summer, crepuscular activity in winter, and intermediate activity patterns during fall. Coefficients of overlap between elk and bison were high in all three seasons with the greatest difference in daily activity patterns in summer and the highest overlap in winter when both species showed strong crepuscular activity. Despite the fenced perimeter in EINP resulting in high ungulate densities, limited dispersal, and low predation, our data show patterns of habitat use and interactions between bison and elk that were similar to those in other systems. Spatiotemporal partitioning does not appear necessary for coexistence of bison and elk in the aspen parkland.

Social Sustainability and Community Development Practices: The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Abstract The following is a case study of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada. The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Banff Centre) is located within the unique setting of the land known as Banff National Park, the first national park established in Canada (Parks Canada, 2018). Banff National Park lies within the traditional territory of the Treaty 7 First Nations, part of Canada’s larger Indigenous population who have been subjected to centuries of racism and exploitation by European settlers and their descendants. Truth and reconciliation policies and processes have received increasing attention in Canadian society, although actual practices often fall short of these principles.An aspiring leader in arts and creativity, the Banff Centre goes beyond its educational programming to engage in community development activities which support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). The Banff Centre hosted a Truth and Reconciliation Summit in 2016, and followed up this summit with ongoing speaker series, strengthening relationships between locals and Treaty 7 First Nations who have lived in the area for thousands of years. VIU logo WLCE logo Information Vancouver Island University World Leisure Centre of Excellence © C.S. Collishaw, 2021

Genetic variation of the mitochondrial DNA control region across plains bison herds in USA and Canada

Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison (Bison bison) have faced a broad range of challenges over the past century, including genetic impacts from the population bottleneck in the 1800s, and significant loss and fragmentation of habitat resulting in little opportunity for population growth on remaining small, geographically isolated reserves. To identify best practices for bison stewardship against this backdrop, managers must understand the genetic composition of existing conservation herds. This study characterized 14 plains bison (Bison bison bison) herds managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and Parks Canada Agency based on complete mtDNA control region sequences. Among 209 bison, we detected 11 major mtDNA control region haplotypes based on nucleotide substitutions and 23 sub-haplotypes where indels are considered. We determined matrilineal relationships between the herds and compared our genetic findings to historic records. The recent common ancestry of modern bison deriving from small, scattered groups combined with gene flow through foundation and translocation events between herds during the last 100 years, is reflected in Fst value (0.21), haplotype (0.48 ± 0.04) and nucleotide (0.004 ± 0.002) diversities, and mean number of pairwise differences (3.38 ± 1.74). Genetic diversity was distributed unevenly among herds, with 21.41% of genetic variation observed between herds. Median joining network, together with trends in the Tajima's D and Fs tests, revealed two patterns in the recent evolution of mtDNA sequences in bison: mutational process has generated diversity with a Hap 1 haplotype epicenter, and missed mtDNA haplotypes exist in the network due to bottleneck, loss through management practices, or incomplete sampling of specimens across conservation herds. This work significantly expands characterization of the genetic diversity among bison conservation herds, providing additional decision support for managers considering restoring gene flow to achieve long-term species viability.

A practical approach to assessing existing evidence for specific conservation strategies

AbstractThere is currently a great deal of work being undertaken to collect, analyze, and synthesize available evidence about the effectiveness of conservation strategies. But substantial challenges still remain in enabling practitioners to assess and apply this evidence to their conservation work in an efficient manner. To solve these challenges, there is growing recognition of the need to use situation assessments and theory of change pathways to detail a set of analytical questions and specific assumptions that can be assessed against the evidence base to “make the case” for a proposed strategy and to identify gaps in knowledge. In this study, we first provide updated definitions of some key terms. We then present and provide examples of an approach to enable practitioners to evaluate the evidence base for the critical assumptions that underlie their specific conservation strategies and to wisely use evidence coming from different knowledge systems. This practical approach, which was developed through a series of pilot tests with Parks Canada projects, involves four iterative steps: (1) identify critical questions and assumptions requiring evidence; (2) assemble and assess the specific and generic evidence for each assumption; (3) determine confidence in evidence and its implications; and (4) validate the assessment and iteratively adapt as needed. Ideally, this approach can be integrated into existing decision‐making frameworks and can also facilitate better cooperation between researchers who synthesize evidence and practitioners who use evidence to make conservation both more effective and efficient.

Use of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds by GPS-collared Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff National Park, Alberta

Seeds of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) are a major food for Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Yellowstone ecosystem. In Canada, Grizzly Bears are known to eat Whitebark Pine seeds, but little additional information, such as the extent of such use and habitat characteristics of feeding sites, is available. Because Grizzly Bears almost always obtain Whitebark Pine seeds by excavating cones from persistent caching sites (middens) made by Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), it is possible to infer Whitebark Pine feeding when bears are located near excavated middens in Whitebark Pine stands. During 2013–2018, I conducted a retrospective study in Banff National Park using data from 23 Grizzly Bears equipped by Parks Canada staff with global positioning system (GPS) collars. My objectives were to use GPS fixes to determine the percentage of these bears that had been located in close proximity to excavated middens containing Whitebark Pine seeds and to describe the habitat at these excavated middens. I linked 15 bears (65%) to excavated middens and, by inference, consumption of Whitebark Pine seeds. Excavated middens occurred on high-elevation (mean 2103 ± 101 [SD] m), steep (mean 26° ± 8°) slopes facing mostly (96%) north through west (0–270°). Use of Whitebark Pine seeds by at least 65% of the 23 studied Grizzly Bears suggests that conservation of Whitebark Pine in Banff National Park would concomitantly benefit the at-risk population of Grizzly Bears.

There's always a better way: The application of eDNA to effectively assess biodiversity

Our ecosystem monitoring methodologies focus on data collection for reporting purposes that may not serve to identify the systematic causes of ecological change. Managers need precise and timely information at appropriate scales to build ecosystem resilience. Traditional species detection methodologies offer little information when species abundance are low, especially in large water ecosystems such as the Great Lakes. Species not found during monitoring doesn’t necessarily mean that species are absent. Moreover, even if a change in the ecosystem is detected, it is often not possible to determine its cause at a spatiotemporal scale or a trophic cascade level. As a result, we often find ourselves being reactive in our mitigation measures. Before irreversible change occurs, we must be guided by a better understanding of the actual ecological landscape which Environmental DNA (eDNA) may help provide. eDNA is a potential tool to effectively overcome traditional species survey limitations currently in use at many Parks Canada sites (Supplemental file 1). As various organisms interact with the environment, DNA is expelled and accumulates in their surroundings. Such samples can be analyzed by high-throughput DNA sequencing methods for rapid measurement and monitoring of biodiversity. Access to this genetic information makes a critical contribution to the understanding of population size, species distribution, and population dynamics for species not well documented. Despite the increasing use of eDNA in conservation practice, it requires further methodological improvement for greater influence on management decisions. The tool requires standardized protocols based on site-specific covariates and objectives. We’re working to tackle the challenge with 2 objectives: (1) to combine traditional biomonitoring knowledge and metagenomics to further develop eDNA as a reliable sampling tool for Parks Canada and (2) to support site-specific monitoring objectives for species-at-risk, invasive species, aquatic species inventories, and/or culturally significant species. The overall goal is to increase our capacity to make more informed, timely, regionally-coordinated conservation decisions through the rapid and sensitive species detection methods offered by eDNA.

Parkbus – A Combined Sustainable Transportation Solution for Residents and Visitors

Abstract This case recounts how Parkbus, a social innovation organization founded in 2010 in Ontario, Canada, simultaneously improved access for people with less mobility to experience nature, and reduced carbon emissions and congestion. Through partnerships with key Canadian organizations such as the Toronto Dominion Bank, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Parks Canada, this case highlights a sustainable transportation and tourism innovation, as well as positive externalities and opportunities that can be created by small but well-placed and well-timed initiatives. Information © Rachel Dodds 2021

青藏高原国家公园群生态系统完整性与原真性评估框架

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 青藏高原国家公园群生态系统完整性与原真性评估框架 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202005201292 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中国科学院战略性先导科技专项（A类）（XDA20020303）；国家自然科学基金项目（41901260）；北京市自然科学基金项目（5204033） Ecosystem integrity and authenticity assessment framework in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau National Park Cluster Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:青藏高原具有全球独特的自然生态和人文生态系统，生态系统完整性与原真性极高，建设国家公园群是青藏高原整体性保护重要生态系统完整性与原真性的重要手段。遵循"内涵界定-框架梳理-框架构建"的研究思路，科学界定国家公园生态系统完整性和原真性内涵并建立概念模型，通过梳理国家公园生态系统完整性评估的主要框架，在对区域自然生态和社会人文系统科学考察的基础上，分析区域生态系统完整性与原真性保护与监管需求，从生境质量、生物群落、生态系统服务、自然条件与灾害、人类活动、人文景观6个方面构建青藏高原国家公园群潜在建设区生态系统完整性与原真性评估框架，以期为未来国家公园群建设与管理提供基础支撑。针对目前国家公园管理存在的主要问题，提出未来评估应用需充分体现国家公园复合生态系统和"群"的特征，并建立生态系统完整性与原真性监测体系，从而更全面的服务于青藏高原国家公园群生态系统完整性与原真性保护。 Abstract:The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a unique natural and human ecosystem in the world and extremely high value of the ecosystem integrity and authenticity. The construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau national park cluster is an important approach to protect the integrity and authenticity of important ecosystems. This study followed the research concept of "connotation definition-framework combing-framework construction". Based on reviewing relevant research progress, the connotation of national park ecosystem integrity and authenticity was scientifically defined. The integrity and authenticity of the national park ecosystem was the integrity of ecosystem composition and the ecological process, and the authenticity of the natural and cultural heritage, which presented a state of nature and wilderness without human disturbance. The conceptual model of national park ecosystem integrity and authenticity was the integration of physical integrity, chemical integrity, biological integrity and humanistic authenticity. The current main assessment framework of national park ecosystem integrity was listed and compared, including the Index of Biotic Integrity, the Three Level Approach, the Ecosystem Integrity Assessment Framework, the Essential Ecosystem Characteristics Assessment Framework, and the Parks Canada's Framework for Assessing Ecological Integrity. The framework for assessing the ecosystem integrity and authenticity of the proposed area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau national park cluster was constructed on the basis of scientific investigation and analysis of the regional natural and social ecosystems and summarizing the existing ecosystem integrity assessment frameworks. Research approach for constructing assessment framework was drawed from the perspective of reflecting the diversity of ecosystem types and species resources, the particularity of natural geographical features, the fragility of the ecological environment, the importance of ecosystem services, the representativeness of human activities, and the richness of human landscapes. Habitat quality, biological communities, ecosystem services, natural conditions and disasters, human activities, humanity landscape were selected and included into the assessment framework, with the purpose of providing a basis for the future national park ecosystem integrity and authenticity protection. In view of the main problems existing in the management of national park, it is proposed that the future assessment framework should fully reflect the characteristics of the composite ecosystem and cluster feature of the national parks. Main research issues of future concern were to combine evaluation indicators and determine weights according to different types of national parks, to integrate quantitative and qualitative indicators, to meet the requirements of evaluation accuracy without excessively relying field surveys, to show the human landscape with quantitative spatial expression, and to obtain evaluation results according to different management needs. A monitoring system for the integrity and authenticity of the ecosystem should be established for comprehensively serving the ecosystem integrity and authenticity protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau National Park Cluster. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Investigation of an Unrecorded Indigenous Copper Kettle Burial at Cap St-Louis, New Brunswick

This article is the result of an investigation about an unrecorded archaeological find in Cap St-Louis (New Brunswick) in 1940. The find was a Copper Kettle Burial as it was practiced by the Mi’gmaq during the 16th and 17th century. No proper recording or conservation efforts had been deployed then since the Copper Kettle Burial was not well known at the time. Most of the funerary objects have been lost or given as mementos to family or friends of finder. The site has been eroded since 1940 but this investigation permitted Parks Canada to assign it a provenience number and ensure proper protection in the future for the site in case other burials appears at this location. Some objects are located at the Musée Acadien de l’Université de Moncton. In the spirit of reconciliation, the university will give back these funerary objects to the Mi’gmaq of New Brunswick.

HAS THE PORCUPINE POPULATION WANED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA? TRENDS IN QUESTIONNAIRES AND ROAD-MORTALITY DATA

The Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is considered ‘secure' in British Columbia, but as for many species with this status, there is a notable absence of quantitative data on population trends. In view of this issue, concerns about declining numbers of the species prompted us to conduct a preliminary survey using a questionnaire in 2005, targeting various sectors of government, industry, and the public across British Columbia. Ten years later, we distributed a nearly identical questionnaire to allow comparisons and identify changes over the intervening decade. Respondents in both surveys reported a perceived decline in Porcupine sightings, although there was no significant change in the overall combined level of concern of respondents for the population between the 2 surveys; however, the proportion of respondents reporting that they were “very” concerned about the population trend over time did increase from the 2005 to 2015 survey. We augmented this information with data from road-mortality datasets collected by the provincial government and Parks Canada. Both datasets provided further support for a decrease in Porcupine abundance in the province. We discuss possible causes for this apparent decline, including natural population dynamics and the impact of climatic variation on predator-prey dyads. Overall, a comprehensive field study on Porcupine populations is needed to accurately assess the status of this species in British Columbia to corroborate our survey results suggesting a decline.

Eurocentric Lens to Indigenous Methods of Sharing Knowledge in Jasper National Park, Canada

Prior to the current conservation and preservation mandates, national parks in Canada were established in part to develop tourism and resource extraction industries. Indigenous peoples were often forcibly relocated to reserves, their landuse practices made illegal, and their rights ignored. Jasper National Park (JNP), the largest park in the Canadian Rockies (11,228 km2), attracts millions of annual visitors. While numerous Indigenous nations have traditional territory within the current borders of the park, JNP was established without consultation with, or consideration for, those nations. This lack of consideration endures today with the deficiency of the representations of Indigenous peoples in interpretive signage and programming in JNP and the lack of integration in decision making processes. While visiting JNP, visitors are exposed to some of the cultural histories of Indigenous peoples. These Indigenous histories are overwhelmingly presented from Eurocentric perspectives. This perpetuates negative stereotypes of Indigenous peoples that are problematic in several respects. Our research was guided by Indigenous methodologies. Members of the Jasper Indigenous Forum (JIF) and the JNP management team participated in semistructured interviews that provide insight into how park management works with Indigenous peoples in an attempt to incorporate their cultural histories in respectful and impactful ways. The JIF, composed of 26 Indigenous communities, was not established until 2006. JNP management currently have no legal duty to act on the JIF’s recommendations or concerns, as the JIF remains an unofficial advisory committee. Many Indigenous peoples in the region have lost their connections to some of their cultural histories due to the forced removals from the park and subsequent waves of targeted cultural repression instituted by the Canadian government. While there is a desire to increase Indigenous representation in JNP, funding and institutional constraints within Parks Canada are major barriers. Few tangible suggestions or related projects have been undertaken to remedy inadequate representations. JNP management displays a lack of appreciation for, and understandings of, the negative impacts misrepresentations can have on Indigenous communities. This research suggests that increasing cultural awareness and acting on JIF recommendations will not only benefit JNP management, but also park visitors, and Indigenous communities alike.Subscribe to JPRA

Fire Behaviour Observation in Shrublands in Nova Scotia, Canada and Assessment of Aids to Operational Fire Behaviour Prediction

Parks Canada, in collaboration with Nova Scotia Lands and Forests and Natural Resources Canada, documented shrub fire behaviour in multiple plots burned over two periods: a spring period in June 2014 and a summer period in July 2017. The study area, located within Cape Breton Highlands National Park, comprised fifteen burn units (20 m by 20 m in size). Each unit was ignited by line ignition and burned under a wide range of conditions. Pre-burn fuel characteristics were measured across the site and used to estimate pre-fire fuel load and post-fire fuel consumption. This fuel complex was similar to many flammable shrub types around the world, results show that this shrub fuel type had high elevated fuel loads (3.17 ± 0.84 kg/m2) composed of exposed live and dead stunted black spruce as well as ericaceous shrubs, mainly Kalmia angustifolia (evergreen) and Rhodora canadensis (deciduous). Data show that the dead moisture content in this fuel complex is systematically lower than expected from the traditional relationship between FFMC and moisture content in the Canadian Fire Weather Index System but was statistically correlated with Equilibrium Moisture Content. A significant inverse relationship between bulk density and fire rate of spread was observed as well as a clear seasonal effect between the spring burns and the summer burns, which is likely attributable to the increase in bulk density in the summer. Unlike most shrub research, wind and dead moisture content did not have a statistically significant association with fire spread rates. However, we believe this to be due to noise in wind data and small dataset. Rate of spread as high as 14 m/min and flame lengths over 4 m were recorded under Initial Spread Index values of 6.4 and relative humidity of 54%. A comparison with a number of well-known shrubland spread rate prediction models was made. An aid to operational fire prediction behaviour is proposed, using a fuel type from the Canadian Fire Prediction System (O-1b) and a modified estimate of fuel moisture of the elevated fuel in the fuel complex.

Interplay and Cooperation in Environmental Conservation: Building Capacity and Responsive Institutions Within and Beyond the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada

Although protected areas (PAs) have become pivotal components in the pursuit of environmental sustainability, they have had mixed success in achieving environmental goals, in part due to internal factors such as governance design and insufficient ability to operate within, and connect to, wider social, economic, and institutional frameworks. A growing body of scholarship reveals that there are fundamental mismatches between rhetoric and practice in state-driven “participatory” conservation, and that state–community cooperation is extremely challenging. This study draws on data from qualitative research on institutions and interactions in conservation planning and management to examine factors influencing collaboration between Parks Canada and Nuu-chah-nulth communities adjacent to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. We consider the evolution of policies, institutional arrangements, state-community interactions, and socio-cultural and legal frameworks within which state-led conservation takes place to assess progress in multilevel cooperation. We found that despite differences in degrees of authority and decision-making power, and a land tenure framework that favors the state, there is a shift from domination toward negotiation in the interplay between the federal government and grassroots actors. That shift is linked to the recognition of First Nations’ ancestral tenure and custodianship, and the particularities of grassroots and state leadership. The findings suggest significant progress in sustaining the PA as a multilevel effort, and that cooperation in conservation helps all parties to build capacity for environmental stewardship beyond the PA and to fashion conservation institutions that are responsive to changing social–ecological conditions.