The Forest Bird Monitoring Program (FBMP) has been conducted annually in Ontario since 1987, by Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service (Ontario Region).Each year, between 50 and 150 sites are surveyed by volunteers, who make two 10-minute visits to five point count stations per site. Although the FBMP primarily targets 52 species, it yields data on occurrence and relative abundance for more than 100 species on those sites. The program was designed to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in mature forest-related birds, with monitoring sites selected in off-road locations in core areas of large, mature forests that are protected from active forest management. Thus the FBMP can supplement other avian monitoring programs by providing information on the state of birds associated with mature forest, where habitat conditions are relatively constant. Habitat change is accounted for through accompanying surveys of habitat structure and composition. The program's design facilitates investigations such as: species-habitat associations, species-landscape patterns (e.g., forest fragmentation, spatial scale in avian community assemblage, spatial autocorrelation in sampling design), comparing population trajectories with those from other avian monitoring programs, and others, especially where the species of interest are those associated with forest interior habitat.Data were summarized as follows: for each year, maximum count values of each species from the two visits were summed across the number of stations located within each 10km square. The number of stations varies among squares, and the count of these stations is provided to accompany the bird count values.

This study aimed to address the toxicological effects the type-2 diabetes drug, metformin has on wild fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Fathead minnow embryos and adults were exposed to metformin via in-lake mesocosm and their survival, development and growth was assessed. Exposures were conducted at Lake 114 located at the International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area (IILSD-ELA) in northern Ontario, Canada. Adults were exposed for 56 days to three concentrations of metformin (0, 4, and 40 micrograms per liter (ug/L)) each with four replicates. Fish behavior and mortality was observed daily during the exposure period. After 56 days, fish were captured, dissected and assessed for various health endpoints. Additionally, blood, brain and tissue samples were collected for metabolic endpoints. Additionally, wild fathead minnow eggs spawned in the lake were collected in glass mason jars and transported back to the on site laboratory. One fertilized egg was placed in each well for a total of 20 eggs per plate (thus 20 eggs per replicate for the 3 replicates for a total of 60 eggs per mesocosm and a total of 240 eggs per treatment). Hatching time, measurements, survival and deformities were observed.

This study will determine the toxic effect the pharmaceutical metformin has on an aquatic environment. Chronic exposures were conducted at Lake 114 located at the International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area (IILSD-ELA) in Ontario, Canada. Three concentrations of metformin were used to study the effects on the adult and embryo life stages of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) as well as the effect on the food chain within the mesocosms. Water samples for basic chemistry and nutrient samples were collected throughout the exposures. There is currently one publication and the authors plan to submit two more manuscripts from this research project. All data are a part subject of a publication containing method details, full QA/QC, interpretations and conclusions. Citation: Nielsen, K. M., DeCamp, L., Birgisson, M., Palace, V. P., Kidd, K. A., Parrott, J. L., McMaster, M. E., Alaee, M., Blandford, N., & Ussery, E. J. (2022). Comparative Effects of Embryonic Metformin Exposure on Wild and Laboratory-Spawned Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Populations. Environmental science & technology, 56(14), 10193–10203. doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c01079

Zooplankton and phytoplankton were collected during the 56-day metformin in-lake mesocosm exposure conducted Lake 114 at the International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area (IILSD-ELA) in northern Ontario, Canada. Samples were collected three times throughout the exposure (beginning, middle and end) and analysed under microscope to determine species diversity and total counts. Biomass of phytoplankton was also calculated. The experiment consisted of three metformin treatments (0, 4, and 40 μg/L) each with 4 replicates for a total of 12 mesocosms.

Weekly precipitation quantity has been measured at both at the primary meteorological site as well as at five other sites within the watershed. Daily precipitation quantity has been measured at the primary meteorological site until 2017. Weekly chemistry analysis of H+, major ions, nutrients and some metals was measured at the primary site (1981-2019) as well as a throughfall site (precipitation passing through a forest canopy) located at the headwater lake, Batchawana Lake (1993-2019).