Monitoring - Wildlife

Wildlife Cards

Rationale

Red Phalarope.

Systematically recording wildlife observations is an inexpensive method of collecting information about wildlife populations. Wildlife observations are used to monitor changes in wildlife populations in Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait national parks and the surrounding regions. Special attention is paid to observations of bears and wolves, as there are long records of observations for both species and because they are good indicators of environmental health.

Objectives

To collect basic information (presence, distribution, relative abundance) about wildlife populations in Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait national parks and surrounding regions.

Methods and Information Collected

• Muskox.

  Incidental observations of wildlife are recorded by Parks Canada staff and park visitors.
• Information collected includes: date and time of observation, name of observer, species observed, number of individuals seen, location of observation, elevation, aspect, age, sex of animal, evidence of reproduction, habitat, weather and remarks.
• Information from the wildlife cards is entered into a database.
• Summaries and maps of incidental observations for each park are produced.

Years of Data

• 1986-ongoing
• The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has an ongoing record of wolf observations on Banks Island that was initiated in the 1950's.

Results

• Information from this database is used to support resource management activities in the Western Arctic.
• Summaries of incidental observations of wildlife reported for Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut national parks and surrounding regions in 1999 were developed in 1999 and 2000. Maps of bear and wolf observations from 1986 to 1999 were also developed. Additional summaries and maps using the wildlife cards database can be produced as they are required.

Observations of Arctic Fox in Aulavik National Park, 1987-2002