Ecological integrity of national parks

Access PDF (942 KB)

According to the Canada National Parks Act, “ecological integrity” is

with respect to a park, a condition that is determined to be characteristic of its natural region and likely to persist, including abiotic components and the composition and abundance of native species and biological communities, rates of change and supporting processes.

In other words, ecosystems have integrity when their native components, such as native species, biological communities, natural landscapes and ecological functions, are intact and are likely to persist. The ecological integrity of national parks is assessed by monitoring representative components of major park ecosystems, such as forest, freshwater and wetlands. It is a key measure of the condition of our national parks.

Results

Key results

  • 117 ecosystems in 42 national parks were assessed in 2021. Of those:
    • 60% are in good condition, 22% are in fair condition, and 18% are in poor condition
    • 59% are stable, 20% are improving, and 21% are declining
  • Overall, the ecological integrity of 79% of park ecosystems was maintained or improved since 2016.

Ecological integrity conditions and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks, Canada, 2021

Ecological integrity status and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks, Canada, 2021 (see data table below for the long description)
Data table for the long description
Ecological integrity condition and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks, Canada, 2021
Ecological integrity condition Improving
(number of ecosystems)
Stable
(number of ecosystems)
Declining
(number of ecosystems)
Total
(number of ecosystems)
Good 16 52 2 70
Fair 7 7 12 26
Poor 0
11 10 21
Total 23 70 24 117

Download data file (Excel/XLSX; 10.6 KB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Monitored ecosystems include forests, freshwater, wetlands, grasslands, shrublands, tundra, coastal/marine and glaciers, depending on what is present in each park. Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve, Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve, Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve, Rouge National Urban Park, Ukkusiksalik National Park and Qausuittuq National Park did not report on ecological integrity in 2021.
Source: Parks Canada (2022) Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate.

The conditions and trends of ecosystems within national parks are evaluated regularly using a series of monitoring measures (for example, plant and animal populations and soil properties) which are designed to track changes in biodiversity and natural processes within those ecosystems, or stressors (for example, presence of invasive species). The condition of an ecosystem is determined by comparing these measures to threshold values, and each measure is assigned a score. The scores are then averaged together to rate the condition of the ecosystem (good, fair or poor). The trend of an ecosystem (improving, stable, declining) reflects a change in condition over a 5 year period (2016-2021).

Condition and trend must always be interpreted with caution. Because the condition represents an average of several monitoring measures, the condition may show no change over time, even if individual measures are improving or declining.

An ecosystem that is rated as good and stable is secure and likely to persist, and no major management actions like ecosystem restoration are required. Fair or declining ecological integrity indicates that the ecosystem is vulnerable and management actions may be required. Poor ecological integrity indicates that the ecosystem is impaired, and significant management actions may be required. Improving ecological integrity results may indicate that restoration actions are working.

Ecological integrity trends by ecosystem type, Canada, 2021
Ecosystem Improving
(number of ecosystems)
Stable
(number of ecosystems)
Declining
(number of ecosystems)
Total
(number of ecosystems)
Coastal/marine 3 9 2 14
Forests 8 15 8 31
Freshwater 4 24 6 34
Glaciers 0 0 2 2
Grasslands 2 2 1 5
Shrublands 0 1 0 1
Tundra 2 11 5
18
Wetlands 4 8 0 12

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 0.6 KB)

Source: Parks Canada (2022) Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate.

National parks are interlinked with their surrounding ecosystems and are affected by many of the same pressures on the environment. Some of the stressors affecting ecosystems in Canada’s national parks include:

  • habitat loss and degradation
  • reduction of landscape connectivity (for example, building of roads and trails)
  • climate change impacts (for example, increasing temperatures) and climate-mediated ecological changes and cumulative effects (for example, diseases and natural disturbances)
  • loss of keystone species (for example, wolves or bison)
  • pollution and contaminants
  • invasive species

Parks Canada implements management actions (for example, ecosystem restoration) when issues are identified. Each ecosystem responds differently to stressors and to management actions. It may take many years to make measurable improvements to ecological integrity and to demonstrate the ecological benefits of management actions. Six ecosystems that were declining in 2020 are now stable and 13 ecosystems that were stable are now improving. These improvements can be attributed, at least in part, to management actions implemented for species at risk and ecosystem restoration.

Data for individual parks

Ecological integrity condition and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks by province and territory, Canada, 2021

Ecological integrity status and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks by province and territory, Canada, 2020 (see data table below for the long description)
Data table for the long description
Ecological integrity condition and trends of ecosystems in 42 national parks by province and territory, Canada, 2021
Province or territory National park Ecosystem type Ecological integrity condition Ecological integrity trend
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Gros Morne Forests Fair Improving
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Gros Morne Freshwater Good Stable
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Gros Morne Tundra Fair Declining
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Terra Nova Coastal/marine Good Stable
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Terra Nova Forests Fair Declining
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Terra Nova Freshwater Good Stable
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Terra Nova Wetlands Good Stable
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Torngat Mountains Freshwater Good Stable
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Torngat Mountains Tundra Good Stable
Prince Edward Island (PE) Prince Edward Island Coastal/marine Poor Declining
Prince Edward Island (PE) Prince Edward Island Forests Poor Stable
Prince Edward Island (PE) Prince Edward Island Freshwater Fair Declining
Prince Edward Island (PE) Prince Edward Island Wetlands Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Cape Breton Highlands Forests Poor Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Cape Breton Highlands Freshwater Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Cape Breton Highlands Wetlands Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Kejimkujik Coastal/marine Fair Improving
Nova Scotia (NS) Kejimkujik Forests Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Kejimkujik Freshwater Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Kejimkujik Wetlands Good Improving
Nova Scotia (NS) Sable Island Reserve
Coastal/Marine Good Stable
Nova Scotia (NS) Sable Island Reserve
Freshwater Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Fundy Forests Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Fundy Freshwater Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Fundy Wetlands Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Kouchibouguac Coastal/marine Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Kouchibouguac Forests Good Stable
New Brunswick (NB) Kouchibouguac Freshwater Good Declining
Quebec (QC) Forillon Coastal/marine Good Improving
Quebec (QC) Forillon Forests Poor Stable
Quebec (QC) Forillon Freshwater Good Stable
Quebec (QC) La Mauricie Forests Fair Declining
Quebec (QC) La Mauricie Freshwater Fair Improving
Quebec (QC) La Mauricie Wetlands Poor Stable
Quebec (QC) Mingan Archipelago Reserve Coastal/marine Good Improving
Quebec (QC) Mingan Archipelago Reserve Forests Good Stable
Quebec (QC) Mingan Archipelago Reserve Tundra Fair Stable
Ontario (ON) Bruce Peninsula Forests Good Improving
Ontario (ON) Bruce Peninsula Freshwater Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Bruce Peninsula Shrublands Fair Stable
Ontario (ON) Georgian Bay Islands Coastal/marine Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Georgian Bay Islands Forests Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Georgian Bay Islands Wetlands Good Improving
Ontario (ON) Point Pelee Coastal/marine Fair Stable
Ontario (ON) Point Pelee Forests Poor Declining
Ontario (ON) Point Pelee Wetlands Good Improving
Ontario (ON) Pukaskwa Coastal/marine Fair Declining
Ontario (ON) Pukaskwa Forests Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Pukaskwa Freshwater Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Thousand Islands Forests Good Stable
Ontario (ON) Thousand Islands Freshwater Good Improving
Ontario (ON) Thousand Islands Wetlands Good Stable
Manitoba (MB) Riding Mountain Forests Poor Stable
Manitoba (MB) Riding Mountain Freshwater Good Stable
Manitoba (MB) Riding Mountain Grasslands Poor Stable
Manitoba (MB) Wapusk Coastal/marine Good Stable
Manitoba (MB) Wapusk Wetlands Good Stable
Saskatchewan (SK) Grasslands Grasslands Fair Stable
Saskatchewan (SK) Prince Albert Forests Good Stable
Saskatchewan (SK) Prince Albert Freshwater Poor Declining
Saskatchewan (SK) Prince Albert Grasslands Fair Improving
Alberta (AB) Banff Forests Good Improving
Alberta (AB) Banff Freshwater Poor Declining
Alberta (AB) Banff Tundra Good Improving
Alberta (AB) Elk Island Forests Fair Declining
Alberta (AB) Elk Island Freshwater Good Stable
Alberta (AB) Elk Island Grasslands Poor Declining
Alberta (AB) Jasper Forests Fair Stable
Alberta (AB) Jasper Freshwater Good Stable
Alberta (AB) Jasper Tundra Poor Declining
Alberta (AB) Waterton Lakes Forests Fair Improving
Alberta (AB) Waterton Lakes Freshwater Poor Stable
Alberta (AB) Waterton Lakes Grasslands Good Improving
British Columbia (BC) Glacier Forests Fair Stable
British Columbia (BC) Glacier Freshwater Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Glacier Tundra Poor Declining
British Columbia (BC) Gulf Islands Reserve Coastal/marine Poor Stable
British Columbia (BC) Gulf Islands Reserve Forests Fair Improving
British Columbia (BC) Gulf Islands Reserve Freshwater Fair Improving
British Columbia (BC) Gwaii Haanas Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site Coastal/marine Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Gwaii Haanas Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site Forests Good Improving
British Columbia (BC) Gwaii Haanas Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site Freshwater Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Kootenay Forests Good Improving
British Columbia (BC) Kootenay Freshwater Poor Stable
British Columbia (BC) Kootenay Tundra Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Mount Revelstoke Forests Fair Declining
British Columbia (BC) Mount Revelstoke Freshwater Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Mount Revelstoke Tundra Fair Stable
British Columbia (BC) Pacific Rim Reserve Coastal/marine Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Pacific Rim Reserve Forests Good Stable
British Columbia (BC) Pacific Rim Reserve Freshwater Poor Declining
British Columbia (BC) Yoho Forests Good Improving
British Columbia (BC) Yoho Freshwater Poor     Stable
British Columbia (BC) Yoho Tundra Good Stable
Yukon (YT) Ivvavik Freshwater Good Stable
Yukon (YT) Ivvavik Tundra Poor Declining
Yukon (YT) Kluane Forests Fair Declining
Yukon (YT) Kluane Freshwater Good Improving
Yukon (YT) Kluane Tundra Good Stable
Yukon (YT) Vuntut Tundra Good Stable
Yukon (YT) Vuntut Wetlands Good Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Aulavik Freshwater Good Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Aulavik Tundra Poor Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Nahanni Reserve Forests Fair Declining
Northwest Territories (NT) Nahanni Reserve Freshwater Good Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Nahanni Reserve Tundra Good Improving
Northwest Territories (NT) Tuktut Nogait Freshwater Good Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Tuktut Nogait Tundra Good Stable
Northwest Territories (NT) Wood Buffalo Forests Fair Declining
Northwest Territories (NT) Wood Buffalo Freshwater Poor Declining
Northwest Territories (NT) Wood Buffalo Wetlands Good Improving
Nunavut (NU) Auyuittuq Glaciers Fair Declining
Nunavut (NU) Auyuittuq Tundra Good Stable
Nunavut (NU) Quttinirpaaq Freshwater Good Stable
Nunavut (NU) Quttinirpaaq Tundra Good Stable
Nunavut (NU) Sirmilik Glaciers Good Declining
Nunavut (NU) Sirmilik Tundra Fair Declining

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 7.2 KB)

Note: Results presented above for Wood Buffalo National Park may differ from other ecosystem reporting as the Park is undertaking a review and update of its monitoring program. 

Source: Parks Canada (2022) Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate.

About the indicator

About the indicator

What the indicator measures

The Ecological integrity of national parks indicator summarizes the condition (good, fair, poor) and trend (improving, stable, declining) of ecosystems within 42 national parks.

Why this indicator is important

The Ecological integrity of national parks indicator provides an indication of the condition of Canada's national parks. National parks help to protect biodiversity, preserve ecosystem services, connect landscapes, and provide a natural solution for climate change by capturing and storing carbon. National parks also help to build knowledge and understanding of ecosystems, and connect Canadians with nature.

Parks Canada regularly monitors and assesses the condition of the main ecosystems in national parks (for example, forests, tundra, wetlands or freshwater). Ecosystems are managed to improve or maintain ecological integrity. Management plans systematically address opportunities for improving the ecological integrity of park ecosystems.

Related initiatives

This indicator supports the measurement of progress towards the following 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy Goal 15: Life on land – Protect and recover species, conserve Canadian biodiversity.

The indicator also contributes towards the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative. It is linked to Priority 3: Maximize conservation outcomes. Canada Target 1 is one of the 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada.

In addition, the indicator contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is linked to Goal 15: Life on land.

It also contributes to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. It is linked to Target 11: "By 2020, at least 17 percent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes."

Related indicators

Canada's conserved areas indicators report the amount and proportion of Canada's terrestrial and marine area that is conserved.

The Global trends in conserved areas indicator compares Canada's protected area to a peer group of countries.

Data sources and methods

Data sources and methods

Data sources

The indicator summarizes the condition and trend of ecosystems in National Parks. Parks Canada regularly monitors the condition of ecosystems using a set of representative measures. Selected measures in each major park ecosystem are combined and the ecosystem is scored as good, fair or poor. Parks Canada monitoring for ecological integrity formally began in 2008 and is ongoing.

More information

Ecological integrity is reported for major ecosystems in 42 of Canada's national parks. Data are not available for Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve, Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve, Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve, Qausuittuq National Park, Ukkusiksalik National Park, and Rouge National Urban Park.

Between 1 and 4 ecosystems are assessed in each park. Examples of ecosystems include forests, wetlands, and glaciers. The selected ecosystems form most of the area of a park and are important to its biological functioning. For each ecosystem, a scientifically sound set of environmental measures is developed, based on appropriateness, representativeness, monitoring needs and cost-effectiveness. Some examples of ecological integrity measures include wildlife population size, estimates of plant productivity, water quality, and extent of invasive species. Data for these measures are gathered from a variety of sources, including on-the-ground field sampling, satellite imagery, academic and government partners, and traditional knowledge. Measured values are compared to thresholds, such as whether a wildlife population is near desirable size or whether water meets a water quality standard threshold. When such thresholds are not available, interim thresholds based on available information of historical variability are used. The frequency of monitoring varies from annually to once a decade, depending on the specific measures.

For this report, data were collected in 2021-2022, then collated and stored in Parks Canada's Information Centre for Ecosystems database to support management and reporting by the end of March 2022.

Data sets for individual measures are published in the Government of Canada Open Data Portal.

Methods

Ecological integrity monitoring is adapted to the ecology of each park. Information is gathered for each selected ecosystem, and a determination is made as to whether the ecosystem is in good, fair or poor condition and whether that condition is improving, declining, or stable. Complete methods information is available in Parks Canada's 2011 Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada's National Parks, available from the Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada.

More information

Ecosystem condition is determined from the monitoring results as follows: each measure is assigned a score based on its condition compared to its threshold (good = 2, fair = 1, poor = 0). If one-third or more of the measures are scored poor, the ecosystem-level indicator is also scored poor. If less than one-third of the measures are scored poor, the average score of the measures (weighted equally) determines the ecosystem score.

The assessment of the overall trend for each ecosystem is based on a change in its overall condition over 5 years, or in the trend of monitoring measures. If the condition of the ecosystem has not changed, it is considered stable unless a strong majority of the monitoring measures shows the same trend.

The national indicator (% of ecosystems maintained or improved) is an overall assessment of the trend of ecological integrity across national parks. It is generated by dividing the number of ecosystem that are stable or improving by the total number of ecosystems monitored.

High quality ecological monitoring provides information that helps prioritize funding for ecological restoration projects to the ecosystems where it was needed most. In 2021-2022, more than 70 restoration projects were underway in areas administered by Parks Canada. These projects are designed to contribute to maintaining and improving ecological integrity. In 16 of these projects, monitoring results already demonstrate measurable progress: 5 projects may have contributed to halting decline or maintaining stable condition, and 11 projects may have contributed to improved ecological integrity. For example, increasing ecological integrity in the freshwater ecosystem in La Mauricie National Park is likely due to the removal of old dams leading to improved aquatic connectivity.

Recent changes

The monitoring program was enhanced in 2021-2022 by adding and improving ecological integrity measures, and through improved use of different ways of knowing (i.e., western science and Indigenous knowledge). In some cases, improved monitoring provided information that changed our understanding of the condition and trend of an ecosystem. For example, in Thousand Islands National Park, additional measures were assessed in the freshwater ecosystem that changed the condition of the ecosystem from fair to good in 2021. At other times, new information reveals new stressors. For instance, the assessment of glaciers in Auyuittuq National Park was improved through collaboration with Inuit partners to include Inuit knowledge as well as western science. This work revealed that the trend was declining.

Caveats and limitations

The monitoring measures used to determine the condition and trend of ecosystems are chosen to represent the most important elements of the ecosystem and thus provide an indication, rather than a complete assessment, of ecological integrity. Monitoring takes place against a background of natural variability, and because many locations are remote and some measurements are time-consuming or expensive to conduct, the frequency of monitoring may be low. This leads to unavoidable uncertainty in assigning conditions and trends to ecosystems.

Ecosystems are not of equal area or of equal importance in parks; comparisons between systems or between parks must be made with caution.

Some parks have not yet reported results, while others are basing their reporting on incomplete suites of measures that reflect current data availability. Monitoring methods are selected using objective techniques to provide credible overall assessments. Where information is incomplete, expert opinion, literature review, preliminary data and statistical principles are used to support the definition of thresholds.

The equal weighting of measures may not always reflect their relative ecological importance.

The data do not include provincial or other parks or other types of protected areas.

Resources

Resources

References

Government of Canada (2000) Canada National Parks Act. Retrieved August 23, 2022.

Parks Canada (2011) Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks. Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Branch, Parks Canada.

Parks Canada (2021) State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places 2021. Retrieved on August 23, 2022.

Related information

Parks Canada

Report a problem or mistake on this page
Please select all that apply:

Thank you for your help!

You will not receive a reply. For enquiries, contact us.

Date modified: