ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE: The total number of organisms in an area. Usually reported as absolute density: the number of organisms per unit area or volume.
ACCURACY: A measure of how close a measurement is to the true value.
AVIFAUNA: A community of birds that occur within an area.
BIODIVERSITY: Jargon for biological diversity: "the variety of life forms, the ecological roles they perform, and the genetic diversity they contain" (Wilcox, B.A. 1984 cited in Murphy, D.D. 1988. Challenges to biological diversity in urban areas. Pages 71 - 76 in Wilson, E.O. and F.M. Peter, Eds. 1988. Biodiversity. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 519 pp.).
BIOGEOCLIMATIC SUBZONE: A geographic area with a uniform regional climate which is characterized by the same distinct climax vegetation on midslope (zonal) sites and relatively uniform mean temperature and precipitation.
BIOGEOCLIMATIC VARIANT: A subdivision of a subzone that is slightly drier, wetter, snowier, warmer or colder within a subzone.
BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONE: A habitat mapping classification system which divides the province of B.C. into 14 broad, climatically distinct areas usually named after the dominant climax tree species. Zones are differentiated by distinct patterns of vegetation and soil and can be more finely divided into subzones, variants and phases.
BLUE LIST: Taxa listed as BLUE are sensitive or vulnerable; indigenous (native) species that are not immediately threatened but are particularly at risk for reasons including low or declining numbers, a restricted distribution, or occurrence at the fringe of their global range. Population viability is a concern as shown by significant current or predicted downward trends in abundance or habitat suitability.
BREEDING BIRDS: Birds that establish territories for the purpose of nesting.
BROAD ECOSYSTEM UNIT: A permanent area of the landscape that supports a distinct type of dominant vegetative cover, or distinct non-vegetated cover (such as lakes or rock outcrops). It is defined as including potential (climax) vegetation and any associated successional stages (for forests and grasslands). Broad Ecosystem Units are meant to be used for small scale mapping of large areas, mainly at the 1:250,000 scale.
CBCB (Components of B.C.'s Biodiversity) Manuals: Wildlife species inventory manuals that have been/are under development for approximately 36 different taxonomic groups in British Columbia; in addition, six supporting manuals.
CREPUSCULAR: Active at twilight.
CUMULATIVE MAP: A map of one plot with all registrations, over time, for one species.
DESIGN COMPONENTS: Georeferenced units which are used as the basis for sampling, and may include geometric units, such as transects, quadrats or points, as well as ecological units, such as caves or colonies.
DETECTED: Heard or seen by an observer.
DIURNAL: Active during the daytime.
DIVERSITY: The numbers of species and individuals within an area.
ECOPROVINCE: An area with consistent climate or oceanography, relief and plate tectonics, there are nine terrestrial and one maritime ecoprovinces in British Columbia.
ECOREGION: An area with major physiographic and minor macroclimatic oceanographic variation, there are 43 ecoregions in B.C., of which 39 are terrestrial.
ECOSECTION: An area with minor physiographic and macroclimatic or oceanographic variation, there are 110 ecosections in B.C., 100 of which are terrestrial.
EWG (Elements Working Group): A group of individuals that are part of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force (one of 7 under the auspices of RIC) which is specifically concerned with inventory of the province's wildlife species. The EWG is mandated to provide standard inventory methods to deliver reliable, comparable data on the living "elements" of BC's ecosystems. To meet this objective, the EWG is developing the CBCB series, a suite of manuals containing standard methods for wildlife inventory that will lead to the collection of comparable, defensible, and useful inventory and monitoring data for the species populations.
HOMOGENEOUS HABITAT: Habitat with similar physical or vegetative characteristics and species composition.
INVENTORY: The process of gathering field data on wildlife distribution, numbers and/or composition. This includes traditional wildlife range determination and habitat association inventories. It also encompasses population monitoring which is the process of detecting a demographic (e.g., growth rate, recruitment and mortality rates) or distribution changes in a population from repeated inventories and relating these changes to either natural processes (e.g., winter severity, predation) or human-related activities (e.g., animal harvesting, mining, forestry, hydro-development, urban development, etc.). Population monitoring may include the development and use of population models that integrate existing demographic information (including harvest) on a species. Within the species manuals, inventory also includes, species statusing which is the process of compiling general (overview) information on the historical and current abundance and distribution of a species, its habitat requirements, rate of population change, and limiting factors. Species statusing enables prioritization of animal inventories and population monitoring. All of these activities are included under the term inventory.
NOCTURNAL: Active at night.
OBSERVATION: The detection of a species or sign of a species during an inventory survey. Observations are collected on visits to a design component on a specific date at a specific time. Each observation must be georeferenced, either in itself or simply by association with a specific, georeferenced design component. Each observation will also include numerous types of information, such as species, sex, age class, activity, and morphometric information.
PLAYBACK: A technique of broadcasting a recorded song to entice a bird to respond by singing.
POINT COUNT: a sampling method whereby an observer records detections of birds within an area of fixed radius.
POPULATION: A group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular space at a particular time.
PRECISION: A measurement of how close repeated measures are to one another.
PRESENCE/NOT DETECTED (POSSIBLE): A survey intensity that verifies that a species is present in an area or states that it was not detected (thus not likely to be in the area, but still a possibility).
PROJECT AREA: An area, usually politically or economically determined, for which an inventory project is initiated. A project boundary may be shared by multiple types of resource and/or species inventory. Sampling for species generally takes place within smaller, representative study areas so that results can be extrapolated to the entire project area.
PROJECT: A species inventory project is the inventory of one or more species over one or more years. It has a georeferenced boundary location, to which other data, such as a project team, funding source, and start/end date are linked. Each project may also be composed of a number of surveys.
RANDOM SAMPLE: A sample that has been selected by a random process, generally by reference to a table of random numbers.
RED LIST: Taxa listed as RED are candidates for designation as Endangered or Threatened. Endangered species are any indigenous (native) species threatened with imminent extinction or extirpation throughout all or a significant portion of their range in British Columbia. Threatened species are any indigenous taxa that are likely to become endangered in British Columbia, if factors affecting their vulnerability are not reversed.
REGISTRATION: A record of the occurrence of a bird including species, number, location, and behaviour noted on a map or notebook.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE: The number of organisms at one location or time relative to the number of organisms at another location or time. Generally reported as an index of abundance.
RIC (Resources Inventory Committee): RIC was established in 1991, with the primary task of establishing data collection standards for effective land management. This process involves evaluating data collection methods at different levels of detail and making recommendations for standardized protocols based on cost-effectiveness, co-operative data collection, broad application of results and long term relevance. RIC is comprised of seven task forces: Terrestrial, Aquatic, Coastal/Marine, Land Use, Atmospheric, Earth Sciences, and Cultural. Each task force consists of representatives from various ministries and agencies of the Federal and BC governments and First Nations. The objective of RIC is to develop a common set of standards and procedures for the provincial resources inventories. [See http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/ ]
SITE SERIES: Land areas capable of supporting a specific climax plant association and reflecting a specified range of soil moisture and nutrient regimes within a subzone or variant.
SONGBIRD: Bird species that are members of the Order Passeriformes.
SPI: Abbreviation for `Species Inventory'; generally used in reference to the Species Inventory Datasystem and its components.
SPOT-MAPPING: A sampling technique whereby the locations of individual territorial birds are registered on maps. Territories are determined after grouping registrations upon completion of a set of surveys over a breeding season.
STRATIFICATION: The separation of a sample population into non-overlapping groups based on a habitat or population characteristic that can be divided into multiple levels. Groups are homogeneous within, but distinct from, other strata.
STRUCTURAL STAGE: One of seven predefined successional stages of an ecosystem.
STUDY AREA: A discrete area within a project boundary in which sampling actually takes place. Study areas should be delineated to logically group samples together, generally based on habitat or population stratification and/or logistical concerns.
SURVEY: The application of one RIC method to one taxonomic group for one season.
SYSTEMATIC SAMPLE: A sample obtained by randomly selecting a point to start, and then repeating sampling at a set distance or time thereafter.
TAXONOMIC GROUP: Related species that are grouped together within genera, related genera within families, and related families within orders, etc.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS TASK FORCE: One of the 7 tasks forces under the auspices of the Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). Their goal is to develop a set of standards for inventory for the entire range of terrestrial species and ecosystems in British Columbia.
TERRITORY: The area defended from conspecifics by an individual bird.
YELLOW-LIST: Includes any native species which is not red- or blue-listed.