STATE OF THE PARK REPORT JASPER NATIONAL PARK OF CANADA February 2005 Jasper National Park of Canada State of Park Report, February 2005 1 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 3 Ecological Integrity Condition and Trend......................................................................................... 3 Visitor Experience Condition and Trend ...........................................................................................................5 Public Education and Awareness Condition and Trend ....................................................................................5 Cultural Resource Management Condition and Trend......................................................................................5 An Assessment of the State of Ecological Integrity...................................................................... 10 Park-wide and Regional Ecosystem Indicators or Measures ..........................................................................10 Ecosystem-Specific Indicators..........................................................................................................................27 Montane Ecosystem Indicators ........................................................................................................................27 Subalpine ecosystem Indicators .......................................................................................................................34 Alpine Ecosystem Indicators............................................................................................................................36 Aquatic Ecosystem Indicators..........................................................................................................................38 Human Dimensions of Ecological Integrity (Stewardship) Indicators ............................................................44 Improved water quality ....................................................................................................................................45 Summary Assessment of the State of Ecological Integrity of Jasper National Park........................................48 An Assessment of the state of Visitor experience ........................................................................ 50 an Assessment of the state of cultural resources......................................................................... 62 Summary Assessment of the State of Cultural Integrity ...................................................................................65 Management Actions........................................................................................................................ 65 The Next Five Years.......................................................................................................................... 67 Appendix A: Jasper National Park of Canada Management Plan Implementation of Key Actions under Strategic Goals.........................................................................................................................68 Appendix B: Ecosystem models .................................................................................................... 88 Selected References......................................................................................................................... 92 Jasper National Park of Canada State of Park Report, February 2005 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the first State of the Park Report for Jasper National Park. The report is a public document that is prepared on a five-year cycle. It will contribute to setting the scope for the Jasper National Park management plan review process scheduled to commence in 2004. It will also contribute to the State of Protected Heritage Areas Report to Parliament and Canadians, which is presented every two years by the Parks Canada Agency. In this State of the Park Report (SOPR), we summarize current knowledge about the park’s ecological integrity, the quality of visitor experience that the park provides, public education, and management of cultural resources. Condition and trends in park ecosystems are evaluated using a suite of long-term indicators derived from the 2000 Jasper National Park management plan. Where regional data offer further insights into these conditions and trends, we discuss these data as well. This document reports on Parks Canada’s success at securing the ecological integrity of Jasper National Park for future generations through implementation of the management plan, and helps to ensure the results of park monitoring are taken into account in decision-making. Key objectives in the park management plan include: • Promote high-quality visitor experiences based on the park’s ecological and cultural heritage; • Preserve and strengthen the ecological integrity of the park in ways that integrate social, and economic values; • Establish clear limits to development associated with appropriate visitor activities; • Support Parks Canada’s initiative to renew heritage presentation; and, • Engage community, neighbors and interested stakeholders in protecting and presenting Jasper National Park. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY CONDITION AND TREND A qualitative review of monitoring data for trends and condition suggests that Jasper National Park, overall, has good ecological integrity and a stable to deteriorating trend, with the exception of the highly important montane ecoregion, which has fair ecological integrity and is deteriorating. At the regional scale, the condition of ecological integrity is good and the trend is deteriorating. Native vertebrate species and vascular plants, with the exception of the bison, are present over most of their historic range. Indications of concern are most evident in large vertebrate mammals such as the woodland caribou – which exists in several discrete population units most of which are declining and one of which, the Little Smoky herd, is under imminent risk of extirpation – and the grizzly bear which, although more abundant than during much of the twentieth century and still widely distributed, is experiencing higher rates of adult female mortality than can be sustained. Primary concerns at the regional scale are increasing habitat fragmentation due to resource development activities in the petroleum and forestry sectors, and the impacts of a steadily expanding road network. At the park scale, ecological integrity is good and generally stable. The park’s large size and extensive wilderness backcountry, primarily subalpine and alpine, sustains viable populations of most native species and enables natural ecological processes like fire, flooding and predation to continue. Indications of concern at the park scale are the continuing decline of the south Jasper woodland caribou population and indications of climate Jasper National Park of Canada State of Park Report, February 2005 3 change such as the retreat of A place has ecological integrity when it has a full range of its naturally occurring plant alpine glaciers and expanding and animal species, when the ecological processes that sustain its ecosystems are populations of mountain pine working normally, and when the amount of unnatural stress on nature is below the level beetles that were formerly that would damage it. confined to milder areas west of Jasper National Park. The For the purpose of this report, then, the following qualitative terms are used to describe 2003 Syncline and 2000 the current state of ecological integrity: Moab Lake fires contributed Good: most native plants and animals present throughout their historic range; ecological processes like fire, flooding and predation at play throughout the significantly to restoration of area; unnatural stresses like pollution are limited to a few locations or low a more natural fire regime. intensity. The montane portion of Fair: some species are missing or limited to only part of their historic range; Jasper National Park – about ecological processes are not the main drivers of change in the ecosystem or play 7% of the park area – is a more limited role than they would under natural conditions; the ecosystem is confined primarily to the beginning to change because of unnatural stressors. lower Athabasca, Miette and Poor: many species are missing or limited in range; ecological processes are Maligne valleys. Ecological impaired or no longer at play; unnatural stressors are the main drivers of integrity of this vitally ecosystem condition. important region is fair and Considering the current condition of ecological integrity is only part of the picture; no deteriorating. Indications of less important is to consider the trend in condition over time. In this report, ecological concern include the absence integrity is considered to be improving if there are signs that it is moving from poor to or rarity of wary carnivores fair, or from fair to good. It is considered to be declining if there are signs that it is from areas of high moving from good to fair, or from fair to poor. If there is little evidence that condition is recreational use, persistent changing, then trend is considered stable. and expanding populations of alien species such as General ratings of condition and trend are qualitative and subject to debate, given that Dalmatian toadflax and different indicators of ecosystem health may tell conflicting stories. For this reason, eastern brook trout, failure of readers are encouraged to read