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Within Tuktut Nogait National Park, Parks Canada monitors important aspects of the ecosystem to ensure we understand changes that are occurring.

Ecosystems are very dynamic and can adapt to environmental and man-made changes like climate change and development. However, warming temperatures in the arctic are altering the local food supply (caribou, whales, birds), causing more erratic weather patterns, and impacting the timing of ecological processes throughout the Arctic. Parks Canada’s Western Arctic Field Unit (WAFU) monitors tundra and freshwater ecosystems as an overall representation of the park's health.

WORDS by: PADEN LENNIE (RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICER II); KATE LEONARD (CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR); With additions from COLLEEN ARNISON (RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANAGER)

Monitoring the herd’s population is important for two main reasons: (1) to protect Bluenose-West herd, including the calving and postcalving grounds; and (2) to work alongside the Inuvialuit and various government agencies in managing the herd, while allowing opportunities for subsistence harvesting.

BLUENOSE-WEST CARIBOU POPULATION

Bluenose-West caribou are barren-ground caribou that are culturally significant and a preferred source of food for Inuvialuit in Paulatuuq. The herd’s important calving and post-calving grounds are located in Tuktut Nogait National Park, which is one of the main purposes of protecting the area as a National Park. Prior to 1992, the population of Bluenose-West herd was as high as 112,000; however, in the 1990s, the population declined. It is likely a combination of various factors that caused the decline and is slowing the recovery of the herd, ongoing conservation actions are needed to help the herd recover (Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management, 2014).

To estimate the size of the herd, the Government of Northwest Territories (with support from Parks Canada) conducts a photo census survey every 3-5 years; complementing the survey, the Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management (ACCWM1) works with Traditional Knowledge holders regarding the current state of the herd. The last population size was estimated in 2018 to be 21,011 +/- 4,602, which shows a stable trend since 2005. Local Traditional Knowledge data has matched and supported what the recent population trends has shown.

2000s2. Although there is no consensus on the extent or cause of the decline, all agree that caribou are an essential resource and central to the social, economic, cultural, and spiritual well-being of the local people. Considering what is at stake, it is important to have a plan to sustain these herds so we may have caribou for future generations (see Taking Care of Caribou Management Plan, 2014).

Monitoring the herd’s population is important for two main reasons: (1) to protect Bluenose-West herd, including the calving and post-calving grounds; and (2) to work alongside the Inuvialuit and various government agencies in managing the herd, while allowing opportunities for subsistence harvesting. A healthy caribou population is considered a sign that the tundra ecosystem is also healthy.

Raptor Occupancy

The monitoring of Tuktut Nogait’s native cliff-nesting raptors, such as Peregrine Falcons, Rough-Legged hawks, Golden Eagles, and Gyrfalcons helps us understand the health of the park. Although raptor surveys in the park go back to the early 1990s, a regular monitoring schedule is new to the park and still in development. To count raptors, Parks Canada staff look for active nests, identify species and how many eggs or young in nest, and count raptors flying overhead when they canoe or hike in the park. 1 Visit https://accwm.com

The results of scientific studies and observations by local caribou harvesters and Elders indicate that barren-ground caribou herds in the western arctic declined in the early

Metals (in water)

Nutrients and Ions (in water)

Benthic Invertebrates (bugs that live at the bottom of streams)

Freshwater

Streamflow (discharge and water level)

Bluenose-West caribou

Permafrost

Vegetation Change

Tundra

Lemmings

Raptors (birds of prey)

River Monitoring

The Hornaday River is the lifeline for Tuktut Nogait National Park, carving its way through the center of the park and passing a variety of habitat types. The majority of the species in the park rely on this river system—making Parks Canada’s river monitoring trip an essential part in assessing the river health within Tuktut Nogait.

During the river trip, Parks Canada monitors the freshwater ecosystem through measures such as water quality and benthic invertebrates (bugs that live at the bottom of streams), and the tundra ecosystem through measures such as lemming nest counts and a raptor survey. This provides us with a better understanding of Tuktut Nogait’s overall ecosystem health. Benthic invertebrates are an important and common freshwater ecosystem health indictor as their diversity indicates what kind of fish species (char, grayling, and trout) can be supported in an ecosystem.

Parks Canada uses national standards for monitoring water but also strives to improve our understanding of the freshwater ecosystem. In 2021, Parks Canada included a new DNA extraction method for monitoring benthic invertebrate presence within river systems; this new technique may help us identify new benthic invertebrates. While water quality monitoring along the Hornaday River follows the Canadian Guideline for the Protection of Aquatic Life Thresholds (i.e. fish, benthic invertebrates, and waterfowl)—the Hornaday River water quality consistently supports a healthy diverse river system.

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Over nine days we travelled 160 km north on the Hornaday River to Uyarsivik Lake. Along the way, we monitored the health of the river, checked raptor nesting sites, and examined vegetation in different ecosystems. Cultural resource monitoring was done to assess the condition of known archaeological sites.

River trips give Parks Canada staff the opportunity to travel through the park by canoe and approach sites on foot, allowing us to collect data with the lowest possible impact to flora and fauna. This lets us see and move in a similar way to how Inuvialuit would have in the past so we can better understand the archaeological sites and their position in the landscape.

A Paulatuuq community member is usually employed by Parks Canada as a research assistant for monitoring trips in Tuktut Nogait National Park. This provides the community member with a paid opportunity to be amongst the landscape, canoe the Hornaday River, and experience the work associated with data collection in the field. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no monitoring was done in 2020 and only Parks Canada employees were able to participate this year. The employment of a community member will recommence when the next river trip takes place.

Tuktut Nogait National Park is bound by two land claim agreements: the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (1984) and the Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (1993). Parks Canada is mandated under the Canada National Parks Act and guided by the Tuktut Nogait Agreement to preserve and present the cultural resources of Tuktut Nogait National Park. Assessing archaeological sites is one way to fulfill that mandate. It also fulfils one of the purposes of the national park in the Tuktut Nogait Agreement: to encourage a greater understanding and respect for Inuvialuit cultural heritage.