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| MOE > ESD > Ecosystems Branch > CDC > About the CDC | |||||||||
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About the CDC Accurate information about species and ecological communities at risk is essential in order to manage and protect these entities. In recognition of this fact, the Conservation Data Centre was established in 1991 as a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, the Nature Trust of B.C., the Nature Conservancy of Canada and The Nature Conservancy (US). Initial funding came from a variety of sponsors including BC Parks, the BC Telephone Company, BC Hydro, Canadian Wildlife Service, Cariboo Lumber Manufacturers Association, UBC, the Council of Forest Industries, the Hamber Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation. Our goal is to assist in preserving the biodiversity of the province by providing accurate information on species and ecological communities at risk. Staff specialists at the Conservation Data Centre, in cooperation with scientists and experts throughout the province, have identified BC's most vulnerable vertebrate animals, vascular plants and ecological communities. Invertebrate animals, mosses and lichens are currently being identified. Each of these species and ecological communities is assigned a global and provincial (subnational) conservation status rank according to an objective set of criteria established by The Nature Conservancy (US). They are also placed on provincial Red and Blue Lists, according to the provincial conservation status rank. For a complete discussion of the species ranking and listing process, read Species Ranking in British Columbia (PDF 201 KB). For information on ecological community ranking see Ecological Communities in British Columbia: Conservation Status Assessment Factors (PDF 258 KB). Once identified, species and ecological communities at risk are 'tracked' in the CDC's computerized database. Information on their biology, conservation status, and individual locations or 'occurrences' are systematically collected. The CDC also compiles records on areas such as Nature Trust and Nature Conservacy Properties. We can identify which endangered species or ecological community occurs within one of these areas. The CDC also focusses on identifying areas where there are concentrations of species and/or ecological communities at risk. Once identified, these ecologically sensitive 'sites' can be used to assist in establishing land protection priorities for the province. A Centralized Data Source Reliable, Objective Information in a Consistent
Format Continually Updated Information
Sensitive Data are Protected Easily Accessible Information Information from the CDC database is available to anyone who submits a written request. The CDC database generates customized reports, and it is our goal to make our data as widely accessible as possible. It is essential that accurate information on species and ecological communities at risk be available to all planners, decision makers and public interest groups if the biodiversity of the province is to be preserved. The CDC currently answers about 1000 data requests a year. Typical users include:
Click here for further information on how
to submit a data request. |
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