Ministry of Environment
Sensitive
Ecosystems Inventories
East Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands Ecosystems
What are Sensitive Ecosystems?
An ecosystem is defined as a portion of landscape with relatively uniform dominant vegetation: a sensitive ecosystem is one that is fragile and/or rare. Click on the thumbnails and explore each of these sensitive ecosystem types.
The east coast of Vancouver Island is one of four critical areas in Canada where only fragments of the natural ecosystems remain. Seven sensitive ecosystem types were mapped in this study area:
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Wetland | 
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Terrestrial Herbaceous |
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Riparian | 
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Coastal Bluff |
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Older Forest | 
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Sparsely Vegetated |
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Woodland |
Two other important ecosystem types, although obviously altered by human activity and not considered fragile or rare, were mapped for their general biodiversity and wildlife habitat values:
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Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Field | 
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Older Second Growth Forest |
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