Hello Folks,
I've summarized the responses I received to my query: Ecological Land
Classification Systems/Frameworks in Canada. I hope you don't mind but
it some cases I left your original wording intact, it would be nice to
have a little dialogue on the subject matter. This exercise is purely
for my own interest. i.e. not academic or part of a report.....at least
not yet.
I found a report by Serguei Ponomareenko and Rob Alvo "Perspectives on
developing a Canadian Classification of Ecological Communities" very
valuable and an interesting read.
The following people responded to my query. Thank you so much!
· Sean C. Mitchell, PhD., Executive Director,, St. Mary's River
Association
· Penny Longman BSc MEDes (Environmental Science) Candidate, Faculty
of, Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary AB
· Martha K. Nungesser, Ph.D., Senior Environmental Scientist,
Everglades Division, South Florida Water Management District
· Jodi Shippee, Vermont Natural Heritage, Vermont Fish Wildlife
Department,
· Michael Drescher, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto
· Jessica Wong
· Stephanie Melles, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Aquatic
Research and Development Branch
*Original Query:*
I am researching ELC systems/frameworks in use in Canada [a quick summary and
comparison of various systems]. I am familiar with what is used in British
Columbia (Predictive Ecosystem Mapping [PEM], Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem
Classification [BEC], Terrestrial Ecosytem Mapping [TEM] and Ecoregional
Classifications) as well as nationally (Canadian Ecological Land
Classification [CELC]).
I am curious about what systems/frameworks other Canadian jurisdictions are
currently using. I am especially interested in any freshwater/aquatic
ecosystem classifications (such as developed by Nature Conservancy in the US
and Canada)
If you could provide links to a website or article that would be great (or even
a quick description). I will summarize these and post to EcoLog for your
interest.
*Responses:*
Nova Scotia:
For Nova Scotia check the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources
website. They have done a great deal on Ecologiacl Landscape
Classification. http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/
Alberta:
Alberta has a patchwork of classification systems (eg Beckingham et al -
Field guide to ecosites of west-central Alberta), consistency between
them was an issue, at times based on very small samples.
<http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/reports/AEC_Great_Lakes_Watershed.pdf>
Ontario
Ontario also uses one, it's split into Northern and Southern:
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LUEPS/Publication/264779.html
The training manual on this site might be helpful.
http://www.kawarthaconservation.com/elc/index.html
Ontario has a ELC framework called the Ontario Ecological Land
Classification, originally developed by the Ministry of Natural
Resources. It's similar to the BC one except without the climatic part.
Five years ago it was being used quite a lot in provincial impact
studies and by municipal organisations.
Ontario also has a Wetland Classification System. Used it a lot when
doing provincial impact studies.
Aquatic Systems
Wetlands Regions defined by the National Wetlands Working Group in Canada in 1986. Activity of the Canada Committee on Ecological Land Classification.
NatureServe Canada:http://www.natureserve-canada.ca/en/index.html.
For a classification system for the Ontario Great Lakes watershed
see:http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/reports/AEC_Great_Lakes_Watershed.pdf -
This is a hierarchical classification system for the Great Lakes area of
concern. Classification variables for streams generally give scant attention to
the temporal variability of variables like flow. This classification is more
fish community focused.
Stephanie Melles and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources are working
on Aquatic Ecosystem Classifications (AEC). She has been tasked to
review AECs -- what has been done so far, what are the various
approaches, and why have the succeeded or failed? Once the literature
review is complete, we hope to propose a framework for Ontario building
on what others have done (e.g. in the US & Canada) and based on an
attempt (if possible) to tie AEC together with the ELC system.
As far as what AEC systems have been proposed or worked on in Ontario:
· AELC for ON -- Blue Print project (Wichert et al. 2004)
· See also ALIS -- Aquatic Landscapes Inventory Software
http://lioapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/edwin/EDWINCGI.exe?IHID=4997&AgencyID=1&Theme=All_Themes
<http://lioapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/edwin/EDWINCGI.exe?IHID=4997&AgencyID=1&Theme=All_Themes>
· Ricker (1934) first classification system for Ontario streams (based
on sport fishes -- biotic)
http://afsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8640(1935)210%5B17:AECOCO%5D2.0.CO%3B2
Hudson, PL., Griffiths, RW. and TJ. Wheaton. 1992. Review of habitat
classification schemes appropriate to streams, rivers, and connecting
channels in the Great Lakes drainage basin. /In/ The development of an
aquatic habitat classification system for lakes. Edited by W.D.N. Busch
and P.G. Sly. CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Mich. pp. 73--107.
Portt, C, SW King., and HBN Hynes. 1989. A review and evaluation of
stream habitat classification systems and recommendations for the
development of a system for use in Southern Ontario. Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources. 80 pp.
Portt et al. (1989) provide a very good review and evaluation of stream
habitat classification systems up to 1989; they finish by recommending
an approach for southern Ontario. They suggest that 3 types of stream
habitat classification systems have been proposed in the literature up
to 1989: biotic, abiotic, and geoclimatic. The term habitat is used in a
general sense disconnected from a particular species. Portt et al.
recommend a geoclimatic classification system be implemented in southern
Ontario. Geoclimatic classification systems use physiography and
surficial geology as the fundamental units of classification and are
based on the premise that 'streams draining areas with similar climate
and geology will have similar physical and chemical characteristics and
similar biota'. Though their review is dated, their analysis is very
thorough and well thought through. They present an argument against the
traditional approach of determining the physical and chemical
characteristics of the 'habitats' in which biotic communities of
interest occur. The traditional approach is problematic b/c of temporal
variability -- unpredictable -- more practical to use fish to predict
habitat than the other way round.
Mandrak, NE. 1999. An Aquatic Ecoregion Classification for Ontario
(report prepared for the OMNR) - This report provides a framework for an
AEC in Ontario, identifying the upper hierarchical levels of the
classification (ecozone, ecoprovince, ecoregion). Variables included
were selected based on the hydrological processes thought to structure
aquatic ecosystems at regional levels in ON (bedrock geol, climate,
glacial history, and surficial geol). Spatially constrained cluster
analysis (spatially linked k-means clustering) was used to classify
these variables. The approach was to derive broad-scale classes and
examine how they corresponded with fish distributions. At regional
scales, aquatic biodiversity in Ontario is primarily structured by
postglacial dispersal and climate (e.g., Jackson and Harvey 1989).
Though Mandrak proposes a framework to classify the mid and lower levels
of an hierarchical aquatic classification system, he only identifies the
uppermost broad-scale levels. But he suggests that waterbody morphology
and water chemistry 'as influenced by bedrock and surficial geology'
should influence AE's at regional and local levels. Lower levels,
according to Mandrak, should be based on variables likely related to
local aquatic community patterns (e.g., stream flow, substrate, depth,
cover) and groupings of hydrologically defined entities (e.g.,
watersheds, lakes, valley segments, stream reaches).
It seems that many people have tried to create AEC's b/c there is a
definite need for such a system for research, management, and monitoring
purposes, but no one system has been readily adapted
-end-
--
Nadele Flynn
Whitehorse, Yukon
867.334.1263
[email protected]
