an introduction to naturserve canada

An Introduction to NatureServe Canada

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity January 20th.. 2013

Providing the scientific basis

for effective conservation

action

Doug HydeHans Herrmann

Monday, 25 March, 13

NatureServe Canada supports international

vegetation classification standards.

Who We AreNatureServe Canada is a network of conservation data centres and natural heritage programs across the country

‣Experts committed to a consistent set of science-based methods and standards

‣These support the collection, processing and sharing of biodiversity information

‣This information supports conservation action


NatureServe Canada

Nine conservation data centres (CDCs)

• Atlantic Canada CDC (PEI, NS, NB and Newfoundland and Labrador)

• Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec

• Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre

• Manitoba CDC

• Saskatchewan CDC

• Alberta CIMS

• British Columbia CDC

• Yukon CDC

• NWT CDC

Invest $6 million annually

Standards and consistent methods

Data aggregated on a national basis

Membership expanding


GOAL 2Build Conservation

CapacityGOAL 1

Advance Scientific Understanding

GOAL 3Inform Natural Resource

Decisions

Mission and Goals

Providing the scientific basis for effective conservation

action


Conservation Data Centre Activities‣ Coordinate and conduct field surveys and

inventories for rare and threatened species and ecological communities

‣ Collect, manage, analyze and distribute detailed locality and status data

‣ Some programs directly manage natural areas information, invasive alien species information

‣ Act as primary data custodians

‣ Provide data access at provincial/territorial level

‣ Support environmental reviews, assessments (COSEWIC and General Status) and planning


How does NatureServe Canada add value?


Develop and consistently apply methods and standards

‣ Science-based methods and standards allow data to aggregated, compared and shared

‣ Standardized “elements” - based on common taxonomy (species, ecological)

‣ Standardized “occurrences” - based on processing of primary observational data

‣ Standardized “ranks” - based on assessments using consistent criteria

‣ The only comprehensive national database on species at risk in Canada

‣ Access to primary data is fundamental to NatureServe and the CDCs


Natural Heritage Methodology


NatureServe’s Business Processes and Tools



Refine Core Heritage Methods;Conduct Natural Heritage Training

Connectzoologists, botanists, ecologists,

data managers, developers

PromoteObservational

Data Standards;

Develop data sharing

agreements

Conduct data processing steps, data

enhancementsand

apply mapping standards

Identify user needs, build

web and other

information sharing services

Apply data to modelling, and other multi-

variate analysis



Kestrel Explorer Vista

Web Services

Hand Held

Biotics

Taxi Land-Scope


Resources & Tools


Supports data exchange efforts, and will be enhanced through the development of Taxi, a system to manage taxonomic information

Supports basic digital mapping, spatial analyses, and data visualization

Supports tabular data management, including efforts to rank elements, occurrences

Exchanger

Mapper

Tracker


Kestrel - Observational Data Management System


Our Focus‣Add value to “primary” source data

(observations)

‣Access directly and through partnerships

‣Review quality and process data into “element occurrences” (EOs)

‣Update ranks, and inform a range of decisions that affect conservation

‣The processing into EO’s, promotes data access and sharing


How much data do we have?

‣ Canadian dataset includes more than 48,000 elements (species) and 1,500 elements (communities), including all COSEWIC-assessed species

‣ Of these, 10,500 are actively tracked

‣ Approximately 100,000 EOs nationally

‣ Adding new data each year


What is the value of NatureServe data?


Types of dataTaxonomyElement occurrencesRanks


Taxonomy

NatureServe Canada not focused on creating taxonomy

Consumer of taxonomic information (list of elements)

Aims to compare and reconcile taxonomic differences

Act as a facilitator of common taxonomy within the network

Taxonomic data and expertise used to inform

Species assessments (General Status WG, COSEWIC)

Data exchange

Other networks (VasCan, ITIS)


Value in context of SARA implementation



‣ SARA requires

‣ an identification of the species’ critical habitat, to the extent possible, based on the best available information, including the information provided by COSEWIC

‣ a schedule of studies to identify critical habitat, where available information is inadequate

‣ The value of an EO

‣ A basic unit of information to identify critical habitat, to be complemented by knowledge of the biology of a species, e.g. an assessment report or recovery planner

‣ Where this basic unit of information is not in place or is incomplete, survey and inventory work needed



‣ SARA requires

‣ an identification of the species’ critical habitat, to the extent possible, based on the best available information, including the information provided by COSEWIC

‣ a schedule of studies to identify critical habitat, where available information is inadequate

‣ The value of an EO

‣ A basic unit of information to identify critical habitat, to be complemented by knowledge of the biology of a species, e.g. an assessment report or recovery planner

‣ Where this basic unit of information is not in place or is incomplete, survey and inventory work needed

The NatureServe Canada network (all provinces and one territory) collects and manages EO’s on a consistent basis,

covering 85% of the species listed in SARA


ExampleIdentifying regulatory habitat


A process for protecting habitat based on EOs

Species Habitat

Guidelines

Regulatory Habitat Mapping

Guidelines

EO(unrefined,

refined)Species Habitat Buffered Species

Habitat

Clipped Species Habitat


‣Habitat Guidelines?

‣Needed for every listed species

‣Must include at least one EO (refined)

‣Should not be based on historic observational records (>25 years old)

‣Reflect a specific understanding of the biology of the species, in particular dissemination patterns/behaviour

‣Do not include habitat areas with poor habitat quality and context (i.e. dense development)

‣Habitat of certain listed species may not be best addressed through regulation (eg. Peregrine falcon)

‣In Canada, connected to vegetation classification efforts


Integrated Conservation Planning

‣ Having spatially defined habitats in a single system allows for integrated planning - taking action for multiple species

‣ Protect habitats for multiple species simultaneously

‣ Focus also on controlling key activities likely to affect these habitats, these species

‣ Refined EO basis for identifying individual species habitats

Assisting to find lands of high conservation priority


NatureServe Ranks

‣ Use a suite of factors to assess the extinction or extirpation risk

‣ Rarity (6 factors)

‣ Trends (2 factors)

‣ Threats (2 factors)

‣ NatureServe Canada develops S-ranks (provincial ranks), N-ranks (national ranks) and some G-ranks (for endemics and some cross-boundary species)


Who is using network data and how?


NatureServe Canada data requests

‣BC CDC tracks client requests ~ 900 per year

‣Response time from 6.5 to 2.7 days since 2004

‣Time to process requests from 0.5 hours in 2004 to 0.25 hours in 2008

Total Data Requests

Consultants Government Academic ENGO Public Industry Press USA CAN Int Unknown

Requests: Consultant Breakdown

Consultant - Industry Consultant - Gov't Consultant - ENGO Consultant - unknown Consultant - Gov't Federal Consultant - First Nations Consultant - Gov't Local Consultant - Gov't Provincial

Requests: Government Breakdown

Gov't Local

Gov't Provincial

Gov't Federal

First Nations


‣ Assessment and conservation

‣ General Status program

‣ COSEWIC

‣ National Ranking Scheme

‣ Recovery Teams/RENEW (Sage Grouse)

‣ Agency planning and implementation

‣ PCA, CWS

‣ NRCan

‣ CFIA

‣ These partners and many more contribute data

‣ Program planning

‣ HSP

‣ Provincial Naturalists

‣ Land use planning and environmental assessment

‣ Suncor

‣ BC Hydro, Manitoba Hydro

‣ Many other

‣ Property management

‣ NRC

‣ NCC

‣ No one else in Canada offers this data

How is our data being used?


What is the status of biodiversity data in Canada?


Canada’s Biodiversity Data Deficit Well Documented

Fragmented, Inaccessible, Incomplete

Gaps in key areas of Canada, for many species/ecosystemsMore records are accessible from institutions outside Canada about Canada than from CanadaCost of data access has been higher than acquisition of new dataData can be of suspect quality; taxonomic capacity eroded, reference collections need investment


NatureServe Data: Taxonomic Gaps

Identification difficult, field work inaccurate, traditional taxonomic capacity eroding in time


Implication?

Data are not effective in supporting decision makingExample: Environmental Assessment 3500 federal screenings per year. The costs of obtaining data generally outweigh the benefits to decision making.

Adaptations? Sufficing:

• Aggregate trusted data in the time available - hit known focal points

Do it yourself data

• Reinforces fragmentation

• Solves short term problem, introduces new issues

• Accuracy of identification

• Parataxonomy


How can we improve access to biodiversity data?


True cooperation:Ensures access, catalyzes programs and funds efforts at a national scale

Lean & efficient:Enhances flow of data from critical sectors and data providers

Cost effective: Shared systems and services to support individual efforts, allow broad scale queries of data

Measurable and verifiable:Evaluated and recognized as meeting national need, avoid “whose data”

HAS TO BE UNIQUELY CANADIAN

A Vision: National institute for biodiversity data


Focus?

- Join fragmented efforts (FBIP, NatureServe, Canadensys, BSC, CMoN, CWS, DFO, BIO...)

- Promote a Canadian biodiversity data standards (based on DwC), creates spatial data products (range maps, predictive maps...)

- Build on and invest in Canadian innovations (DNA Barcoding, +) to rapidly address data gaps

- Set priorities every 3 years for a national biological survey, based on (1) an understanding of demand, (2) a synthesis of existing data (identification of gaps); updates the dynamic layer

- Ensure data is accessible to conservation data centres (regulators), researchers, land use planners, private companies...

- Produce reports based on expert input to address issues of the day


an introduction to naturserve canada

Documents

data access

naturaldevelop data

data tozoologists

status data

process data

new data

value of natureserve

methods data steps