Ministry of Environment Conservation Data Centre

B.C. CDC Ecology Home

			Ecology Contents
		About CDC Ecology Ranking Methology Element Ranking (pdf 258 KB) Element Occurrence Ranking Element Occurrence Ranks Element Occurrence Ranking Factors Element Occurrence Specifications Spatial Patterns

New as of May 2008:
Enhanced version of BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer now available, along with changes to the data. See the CDC What's New and the Endangered Species and Ecosystems 2007/08 Changes web pages for details.

About CDC Ecology

This site describes the standard methodology the CDC uses (as it applies to ecological communities) and provides access to information on the conservation status of ecological communities in B.C.

Ecological communities have been documented in British Columbia through a variety of sources:

• The Ministry of Forests Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) is the primary source of forested, grassland and wetland ecological communities (plant associations of the BEC system).
• Ministry of Environment, Ecological Reserves Program files and documents.
• Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Inventory program, Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping Ecosystem Units.
• Ministry of Environment, Conservation Data Centre field inventory data (e.g., Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory).
• A variety of theses and both published and unpublished vegetation studies throughout the province.
• Canadian National Vegetation Classification (C-NVC)
  The C-NVC system facilitates comparisons among provincial ecosystem classifications that are needed for developing national status ranking of ecosystems in Canada, and among international ecosystem classifications.

The CDC compiles this information, using a standardized system of information storage and retrieval (NatureServe). As ecologists gain new knowledge of ecological communities in British Columbia, this work is reflected in the CDC ecological community list. The CDC invites all interested persons to submit documentation of ecological communities that have not been previously described.