Protected area management has a requirement for maintaining ecological integrity maintaining the original reasons for protection. Three sites are being researched: the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Kusawa Territorial Park and Age Mene Territorial Park. Initial survey of ecological processes and key species is used to devise standardized protocols for monitoring those indicators. An important requirement is to devise procedures that capture meaningful data, yet field processes that can be readily carried out by a variety of personnel. Keystone, indicator, and flagship species are of focus.
Top predators are powerful indicator species and are the usual first surveyed. Water birds are used as key indicators in wetland systems. Forest birds, aquatic and other mammals are involved. Invertebrate abundance and plant chronology are also involved. Protocols for tracking these indicators annually follow established national or regional criteria whenever possible. Productivity and simple abundance are the usual data collected. Long term databases are the most important product.
All our sites have now produced protocols and are in their second or subsequent years of application as tests of their effectiveness.
Mossop, D.H., 2014. Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Research - A Summary Report of Activities. Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College. 13 p.
Mossop, D.H., 2015. Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Research - A Summary Report of Activities. Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College. 12 p.
2007, 08.09. K. Robichaud and C. King. Developing and Assessing Biodiversity Monitoring Protocols for the Yukon Wildlife Preserve
2011. J. Vigliotti and D. Mossop. Ecological Monitoring Protocols for the Management of Agay Mene Territorial Park. Inventory of Bald Eagle and Osprey Nest Sites, Agay Mene Park, Southern Yukon.
2010. Raptor Populations of the Kusawa Park, Yukon-Stikine Ecoregion, Yukon. Northern Research Institute ms., Yukon College, 10 pp.