The High Elevation Monitoring Program (HEMP) - Yukon is a multi-species terrestrial bird monitoring program to support the Boreal Monitoring Strategy and conservation planning of terrestrial birds (landbirds, shorebirds) in southern boreal ecoregions in Yukon.

The absence of long-term monitoring data from structured (e.g. North American Breeding Bird Survey) and unstructured (e.g. Christmas Bird Count, eBird) monitoring programs in regions characterized by remote, rugged mountains, sparse trail and road access, and small human populations limits efforts to detect distribution shifts and population declines for northern mountain bird species. We used a modified version of the BOSS sampling design and the Boreal Bird Monitoring Program (BBMP) design implemented throughout Yukon ecoregions to create the High Elevation Monitoring Program (HEMP) design. We restricted the sampling frame to (1) mountains in southwest Yukon with a hiking or access trail, and (2) a sampling area of two km total width on each mountain (one km on each side of the hiking/access trail). To conduct sampling across elevational gradients at each of our 10 HEMP mountains and achieve habitat representation and spatial balance, we created an elevational transect by selecting five random sample sites within each habitat zone within the sampling frame (low boreal forest, high boreal forest, subalpine, alpine). The HEMP was designed to facilitate cost-effective, reliable, and safe access for observers hiking in rugged mountain terrain at our 10 HEMP mountains to conduct long-term monitoring of terrestrial birds. In 2019, human point counts were conducted by the migratory birds unit of CWS-NOR in Whitehorse, Yukon along elevational gradients on ten mountains across the Yukon Southern Lakes, St. Elias Mountains, Ruby Ranges, Pelly Mountains, and Yukon Stikine Highland ecoregions in Yukon, and the Northern Coastal Mountain ecoregion in British Columbia (pilot program). Human point counts consisted of observers identifying to species (where possible) every bird heard and seen in ten minutes at a specific location to determine the number of individuals per species and time to first detection. Incidental observations either before or after the point count were also recorded. Point counts were conducted during or just after the dawn chorus (4AM-11AM). This project provides important baseline data to better understand species distribution and abundance in remote northern areas where climate changes are ongoing and human alterations of these ecosystems are anticipated.

This dataset contains data collected with point counts conducted by humans. See the separate dataset record for HEMP Autonomous Recording Unit (ARU) point counts conducted in 2019-2024.

More details are available in the downloaded metadata file.

CWS-North DatasetID: 055_0