Gathering Information and Data

Information gathering is a critical phase of any project. Table 4 below shows the types of information that can be useful to your project, and the sections below discuss steps to gather the information that you will need. The more information gathered the better your chances for a successful project. It's important to consult as many sources, experts, and groups as possible.

These information-gathering steps are presented chronologically but may take place in a different order, or simultaneously:

1.   Identify Ecosystem Classification
The provincial Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system provides a basis for understanding the type of ecosystem you are working with. The BEC system integrates climate, geology, and vegetation to provide an understanding of the native plant communities appropriate for a site. Therefore, it is important to identify which BEC subzone and site series your target area falls into (see the Resources Section for BEC resources; you may also be able to obtain or view a large-scale BEC map of your area at your local Ministry of Forests office). You should also know which Natural Disturbance Type describes your site (see 'The Importance of Natural Disturbance Processes'), as the natural disturbance regime will also affect the types of ecosystems naturally present. The Biodiversity Guidebook provides a list of which BEC subzones belong to which Natural Disturbance Type.

2.   Accumulate and Review Current Maps, Reports, Plans, and Aerial Photographs
Restoration planning always involves collecting relevant, project-specific information. Resources like maps, reports, plans, and aerial photographs are generally available through key players, such as government agencies. Your local Ministry of Forests office will have access to some of these resources if your site is on Crown forest or range land, and if your site is an aquatic feature your regional Ministry of Environment office or Fisheries and Oceans Canada office may have relevant reports or data. The Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management is the repository of inventories and maps. A great deal of information can be found on the web (see below). If your site is on Crown forest land, the local forest industry contact may have the best and most up-to-date aerial photographs and maps, and will be able to provide information on logging, road plans, and other pertinent details.

Dave Polster
Soils maps can be used to determine soil conditions in the project area, though more investigation is needed to determine exact conditions of the restoration site.

The following is a list of common types of information to gather for your project, and where this information is found:

• Vegetation information. This is available in the Biogeoclimatic (BEC) handbooks and online BEC information (please see Resources section). Vegetation information is also available through Forest Cover Maps, BEC maps, and Terrestrial Ecosystem Maps (see next). Some areas of the province have more detailed vegetation studies and you should check with your local Ministry of Environment, or Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management office.
• Maps. The types of maps you may need (as available) are:
• Terrain Resources Information Maps (TRIM). These maps are available at a 1:20,000 scale in paper copies or digital for the whole province, and can form a good base map for your project. Paper copies are available from your local Government Agent , or from Land Data BC (see Resources section).
• Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) Regional Maps. These are available through your local or regional Ministry of Forests office, or Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management office. These maps are at a 1:250,000 scale, and show the BEC subzones for your region.
• Forest Cover Maps are available for all Crown forests at a 1:20,000 (stand level) scale, and describe and map the distribution of the dominant tree species and age classes. These maps are very useful for restoration planning; paper copies may be obtained from Clover Point Cartographics in Victoria, BC, phone number: (250) 384-3537. Digital copies are available from the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.
• Terrestrial Ecosystem Maps (TEM) are very useful if available, as they contain information on vegetation and soils at a 1:20,000 scale. Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) is also done for parts of the Province and similarly provides predictions of vegetation and soils types at 1:20,000 scale. The Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management is a contact for this mapping.
• NTS Topographic Maps. These are produced by the federal government at a 1:50,000 scale for all of Canada. The 1:50,000 scale is a useful scale for project planning in larger areas. Ordering information is available from Natural Resources Canada. These maps can also be purchased at various commercial outlets, and through Crown Publications.
• Soils and Geology Maps, where available, can provide good information about site characteristics and capabilities. Landform and geologic information can be useful in project planning. The Geological Survey of Canada is one source for this type of information.
• Grassland Maps are recently available from The Grassland Conservation Council of British Columbia (see Resources section) for the Southern Interior, and grassland maps and information will be available for the entire province.
• Links to other maps, and advice on finding maps and air photos, is available through Base Mapping and Geomatic Services Branch. Many map products and air photos from this branch are distributed through Landdata BC.
• Aerial Photographs. Aerial photographs are an important resource for project planning and can also be important for project mapping. Examining older air photos and comparing with more recent ones can show changes over time, and may show the site in less degraded condition. More recent photos give the best overview of a site. Black & white or color air photos are available for most of the province through Private Air Photo Agents, Government Agents, and Landdata BC, or can be borrowed in person at the Air Photo Library (810 Blanshard Street, Victoria). The oldest air photos are usually from the 1950’s and are black & white, with color photo coverage beginning in the 1970’s. Natural Resources Canada has its own Air Photo Library, for all of Canada (see their Air Photo 101). Not all air photos are catalogued this with the Provincial and Federal governments, and it is worth asking other agencies or corporations (e.g. BC Hydro, forestry companies) and local government staff if they have air photo coverage of your site. For large projects it is sometimes worthwhile to take aerial photos for planning purposes.
• Aquatic Information. Information and various map products related to fish are available through FishInfo BC (http://www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/fishinv/fishinfobc.html), from the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management:
• FishWizard can be used to create a map and find fisheries information about your site.
• The Fisheries Project Registry is a database of current and past fisheries inventories, assessments, restoration and enhancement projects, and research.
• The Fisheries Information Summary System (FISS) provides fish and fish habitat information and lists of reports for BC and the Yukon, displayed on 1:50,000 scale maps using the Watershed Atlas.
• Aquatic Biophysical Maps (1:50,000 scale) can be bought from Crown Publications, and show information on physical channel and valley characteristics, substrate (bed) materials, aquatic and bank vegetation, hydraulics and fish species presence and life history. Watershed boundaries are also delineated on the maps.
• Watershed-Based Fish Sustainability Planning is a coordinated agency and stakeholder effort that will make aquatic restoration needs available. Information from this planning process should be consulted as it becomes available.
• Rare and Endangered Species and Ecosystems. A web site from The Ministry of Environment gives information on species and ecosystems at risk in British Columbia, and provides a link to 37 brochures on species and ecosystems at risk. You should check with the Conservation Data Centre (CDC) (see Resources section) for an 'Element Occurrence Report' of rare and endangered species or plant associations potentially present in your area. Requests for these reports can be made over the web. It is important to know that many organisms have regional or local significance and are not listed by the CDC or others as rare or endangered; these species may become important within the framework of your project. These organisms can be identified and assessed with the help of local natural history groups and biologists. significance and are not listed by the CDC or others as rare or endangered; these species may become important within the framework of your project. These organisms can be identified and assessed with the help of local natural history groups and biologists.
• Existing Inventories, Assessments or Reports. There are usually data on a site that are essential to consider in making informed decisions. Key players can make this information known, and, for aquatic systems, some information is available on the web (see above). Examples of other sources are:
• Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sei/index.html) (SEI) for Eastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and the south Okanagan Valley. This inventory provides a general baseline of information for conservation or restoration planning through identification of rare and fragile ecosystems.
• The Natural Resources Information Network (NRIN - see Resources Section) is a virtual library that provides access to many reports and data sources. A search of the NRIN should be done for background information and data pertinent to your project.
• Historical Information. Local archives or museums may have useful information. Additionally, old air photos (see above) will provide excellent information on former site conditions. Resource agencies and other key players will sometimes have files with old information and reports.
• Existing Assessment Procedures and Best Management Practices. In some cases, guidance may be found in government-generated, standardized methods of collecting information. The major sources of these standards are the Resources Inventory Standards Committee (RISC), and the various Watershed Restoration Program (WRP) technical circulars available from the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management. A Riparian Best Management Practices manual is available from the Ministry of Forests, and the Stewardship Centre offers technical suggestions and case studies, particularly for aquatic ecosystems (see Resources Section for contact information for these standards and information sources).

3.   Do a Search for Archival Materials or Research on the Site
Gathering historical information, such as air photos and photos from local archives, and research will be important for understanding the history of the site.

4.   Review Historic and Current Land Use
An understanding of the past and current land uses will help make clear the sources of impact to the site, and assist in delimiting restoration possibilities and constraints. Resource agencies, resource users, First Nations, and local residents can provide information on land uses (see 'Key Players', and 'Determining Land Ownership and Tenures'). For historic land uses, sources of information are various (see 'Using Historical Reference Conditions as Templates').

5.   Become Familiar with Similar Restoration Projects
Though no two projects are alike, significant savings in time, money, and effort can still be realized by learning from those with experience in similar situations. Interviews with project proponents, reviewing their reports, and/or arranging site visits will help to capitalize on the efforts of others. Through this type of networking, practical concerns can be identified and addressed in the planning stages.

6.   Survey Your Site & Create a Map
By this stage you will already know a great deal about your site, but more detailed data is usually necessary in order to develop good restoration prescriptions. You should start by using collected maps, air photos, site reconnaissance, and other information to understand the site characteristics. An on-the-ground survey should be undertaken to refine this information, and provide enough information for quantifying restoration needs and mapping restoration zones. It may be necessary to bring in specialists for this phase (see Resources section). Suggestions for data collection or observation include:

Collecting Site Information

• Hydrology (current and previous). Aquatic and hydrological features should be noted and located on a map, and the previous hydrology noted if apparent. Hiring a professional hydrologist may be useful where sites are complicated; the distribution of water on a site will have great bearing on diversity and types of vegetation present and possible. The condition of aquatic features can be described using various assessment procedures (see above).
• Vegetation Polygons. Areas of similar vegetation types should be located and their extent mapped. Often the site survey will be done to confirm and refine vegetation information described in maps, air photos and previous reports. In general, descriptions based on the dominant species for each main type of vegetation (trees, shrubs, forbs, grasses, or bryophytes) are sufficient for restoration purposes. Rare species or communities, and concentrations of invasive species should be noted. The key is to define similar enough units that consistent restoration treatments can be prescribed for similar vegetation polygons. For these vegetation assessments it is often prudent to seek the advice of an experienced biologist or forester.
• Wildlife use. Important animal trails or nesting or denning sites might become obvious during your site assessment. These should be noted to ensure that restoration activities preserve important habitats.

Dave Polster	Dave Polster
Mapping the vegetation of the project site is critical for planning what restoration needs to take place where. This photo shows the delineation of vegetation polygons into two distinct types.	Wildlife use: this well-used elk trail should be preserved as part of restoration efforts in this fire-suppressed sub-alpine forest.

• Previous land use and condition. Observing clues of previous land uses and previous site conditions can be helpful in understanding the impacts on your site. Clues of previous land use might include old railway grades, old roads, and farmsteads, as well as overgrown dykes. Previous land condition may also be apparent from observations such as stump counts (i.e., former size, distribution and species of trees, or types of trees selectively logged) and remnant fragments of the former ecosystem.
• Soils. If site has been changed radically, as is common in agricultural or urban areas, an examination of the soils may give clues about the previous ecosystem. For example, digging a soil pit might reveal the peat of a former bog, or the rich black soils of a former Garry oak meadow.
• Access and other infrastructure. Good road or trail access can make a difference to a restoration project. Points of access and other infrastructure should be noted for inclusion in the site map.

A detailed map should be created based on the information collected. TRIM maps or air photos often provide a base for a site map (see above). Vegetation polygons, aquatic features, and infrastructure should be noted.

Dave Polster
A careful inspection of the soils of the site can reveal information about the nature and history of the site.