Monitoring and research

Ecological integrity monitoring

We monitor the ecological integrity of the park’s ecosystems the same way your doctor monitors your health. During your annual check-up, the doctor weighs you and takes your blood pressure, and compares this year’s measurements to last year’s. This gives them an idea of your overall health. We count or measure the animals and plants that depend on the Park’s ecosystem to get an idea of the overall ecosystem’s health. Our priority is to make sure that the ecosystems have their native components intact. This includes things such as rocks and water (abiotic components), plants and animals (biotic components), but also processes such as flooding and regeneration, which play important roles in healthy ecosystems.

In Gros Morne National Park, we monitor three ecosystems found within the park, Arctic Alpine, Freshwater, and Forests. In each of these ecosystems we have five projects which tell us about the health of the park. For example:

In the Arctic Alpine Ecosystem: One of Canada’s most southerly populations of Rock Ptarmigan is found on Gros Morne Mountain. Each spring park staff count them before they lay their eggs. This long-term monitoring program allows staff to track how their population is doing.

In the Freshwater Ecosystem: Every year park staff count returning adult Atlantic salmon in one of three major river systems. Results are compared to population targets for each river and used to inform decisions about angling management in the park. 

In the Forest Ecosystem: Balsam fir is an important tree in the boreal forest and healthy regeneration is key to natural forest succession. However, young trees face many pressures, from a changing environment to hungry moose. Park staff count and measure young balsam fir to document forest regeneration.

Research

Through our Ecological Integrity Monitoring new research questions often come up. We are also contacted by external researchers from universities and other organizations who are looking to answer other questions about the park. Specialized research projects can allow us to answer these questions which can range from "How many eiders are breeding in the park?", to, "Are the rocks on the Tablelands similar to rocks found on Mars?"! These research projects tell us more about the park's natural, geological, and cultural history while also informing us on how people currently use and view the park. Results from these studies can then feed into the way we manage the park.