Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program Patrick Graillon Conservation coordinator
Quebec s National parks mission Park means a national park whose primary purpose is to ensure the conservation and permanent protection of areas representative of the natural regions of Quebec and of natural sites with outstanding features, in particular because of their biological diversity, while providing the public with access to those areas or sites for educational or cross-country recreation purposes. - Quebec Parks Act
Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier
Parc national de la Gaspésie
Parc national du Bic
Parc national du Mont-Mégantic
Parc national de l Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé
Parcs Quebec A network of: - 24 national parks (11 080 km 2 ) - 1 marine park (1 246 km 2 ) - 10 parks in project (60 000 km 2 ) - 6 territories reserved for park creation (24 000 km 2 )
Delegated management Local native communities
What is the PSIE? A grouping of measures of ecological and human parameters (indicators) whose aim is to monitor the evolution of the ecological integrity level in Quebec s national parks south of the 50th parallel.
Objectives, principles and approaches Specific objectives of the PSIE - Evaluate conservation management efficiency. - Detect the beginning or existence of undesirable situations and, if possible, implement corrective actions. - Communicate information on parks health evolution to governmental authorities, partners, park users and the general public.
Objectives, principles and approaches A little history - Parks Canada brings to attention a EI problem in Canada s national parks (1997 State of the Parks report). - Preparation of the Parcs Quebec PSIE in 2001 and 2002. - Pilot projects in 2003 at Mont-Megantic and Mont-Saint-Bruno national parks.
Objectives, principles and approaches A little history - 2004 to 2009: Implementation of indicators to all parks managed by Sepaq. Evaluation and adjustment of the indicators. - 2009: Stage report and recommendation to improve the program.
Objectives, principles and approaches A little history - 2010: Program consolidation - Justification and improvement of indicators - Scientific committee feedback - Production of the official document - 2011: Public release of the official document. - 2013: First state of the parks report.
Objectives, principles and approaches Science - Credibility - Relevancy - Management - Cost efficiency - Feasibility -
Objectives, principles and approaches Choices
Objectives, principles and approaches Ecological integrity as a gradient ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY ATTRIBUTES Degraded Intact (natural)
Objectives, principles and approaches Ecological integrity as a gradient ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY ATTRIBUTES Degraded Intact (natural) High Human activities impact Low
Objectives, principles and approaches Ecological integrity as a gradient ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY ATTRIBUTES Degraded Intact (natural) High Human activities impact Low Low Ecological integrity level High
Objectives, principles and approaches PSIE judges changes in the level of ecological integrity. To do so, measures are compared to a EI reference level which simply is the state measured at the beginning of the monitoring.
Objectives, principles and approaches In comparison, Parks Canada and the U.S. NPS evaluate EI on a quality basis which is based on ecologically acceptable thresholds.
Objectives, principles and approaches Why we chose to judge EI level changes instead of using a EI quality basis : - Theoretical aspect are much simpler since there s no quality thresholds to establish, which can be a complex and arguable exercise (What is normal or acceptable? How do humans fit in? How far back do we temporally go? How do we know what should be there? Etc.). - Measures are easy to implement since what we mostly need to know is on which side it is changing.
Objectives, principles and approaches Why we chose to judge EI level changes instead of using a EI quality basis : - The approach works for every park, whatever their initial EI state. Parcs Quebec network as very heterogeneous ecological conditions, so this point is particularly important. - Minimal development and operational cost, which is a major advantage to ensure it s perpetuity. The PSIE in operated within normal parks budget. It isn't dependant on external or random financial resources.
Objectives, principles and approaches The PSIE is not perfect The PSIE will always have room for improvement But managers respond positively to it It is logistically and financially feasible It is based on sound science And it exists!!
Indicators What we look for is a small number of indicators which together can reflect the quality of all parameters that composes parks ecosystems. Easier said than done
Indicators Indicator structure - Groups indicators by parameter to ensure that all aspects of ecosystems are covered. - Similar to the U.S. NPS structure.
Indicators Indicator structure
Indicators Indicator structure
Indicators Indicator structure
Indicators Indicator structure
Indicators Indicator structure
Indicators «Network» indicators - Basic indicators that must be followed by every park, if applicable.
Indicators «Network» indicators Ecosystemic component Parameter Indicator Methodology Air quality Precipitation acidity Atmospheric pollutants Rain ph MDDEP stations Air quality index (IQA) MDDEP stations
Indicators «Network» indicators Ecosystemic component Parameter Indicator Methodology Water quality Benthic fauna quality Lake acidity level Lake trophic level Bacterial and physicochemical stream water quality Normalized global biological index (IBGN) ph of selected lakes Lake voluntary surveillance network (RSVL) Bacterial and physicochemical water quality index (IQBP)
Indicators «Network» indicators Ecosystemic component Parameter Indicator Methodology Biological quality Non indigenous plant propagation Invasive exotic species Incidence of anthropogenic events on natural processes Importance of human and wildlife interactions Quadra sampling Species list Disturbance / restoration index Depredation index
Indicators «Network» indicators Parameter Indicator Methodology Biological quality Situation of selected fauna species Rare and endangered species situation Exceptional or fragile habitat quality Halieutic resources quality Periphery fauna habitat quality Monitoring of diverse indicator species or group of indicator species Monitoring of rare and endangered species or group of rare and endangered species Monitoring of exceptional or fragile habitats Fishing quality index (IQP) Moose hunting success index
Indicators «Network» indicators Human component Parameter Indicator Methodology Landscape spatial organisation Infrastructure density Fragmentation Periphery land use Leases and vested interests Infrastructure density index Landscape dissection index (LDI) Land use index Mission prejudice index
Indicators «Network» indicators Human component Parameter Indicator Methodology Infrastructure quality Hiking trail quality Campsite quality Water bank infrastructure quality Hiking trail width Degradation index Degradation index
Indicators One park, one program - All network indicators are not in use in all parks. - Final indicator choices is adjusted to each park specific reality. - Local indicators can be added. - Each park manages its own PSIE.
Communicating results Different audiences - Raw data and indices: For field managers and scientific community. - Synthetic results: General public, high administrators, politicians.
Communicating results Communication pyramid Scientific Adapted from the National Park Service (NPS)
Communicating results Scoring system - Allows to synthesise information for a vast public; - Does not replace raw data and specific analysis of indicators for field managers; - Based on a model developed by NatureServe for the Environnemental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S..
Communicating results Scoring system Change Color code Score Significant improvement + 2 Improvement + 1 Stable 0 Deterioration - 1 Significant deterioration - 2
Communicating results Five-year report - Every 5 years, a report on EI level changes will be produced for every park. - Number one is scheduled for 2013
www.parcsquebec.com/integriteecologique Detailed program accessible on Parcs Quebec web site (french only)