Glossary

ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE: The total number of organisms in an area. Usually reported as absolute density: the number of organisms per unit area or volume.

BIODIVERSITY: Jargon for biological diversity: the variety of life forms, the ecological roles they perform, and the genetic diversity they contain (Wilcox 1984 cited in Murphy 1988).

BRITISH COLUMBIA NEST RECORDS SCHEME: A program operated through the Royal British Columbia Museum and run by volunteer naturalists for the collection of data on the location and characteristics of bird nests in British Columbia.

CLUMPED DISTRIBUTION: The spatial pattern of arrangement of members of a populations when individuals are irregularly dispersed in clusters within a habitat or landscape. Also called clustered or patchy distribution.

CLUTCH: The number of eggs laid at one time.

COLONIALITY: The tendency of a species to form a colony or aggregated group of separate animals for a specific purpose such as breeding.

FLOCKING: The active coming together of birds to form a flock.

FORAGING GUILD: A group of species that use the same foraging strategies.

FRIABLE: Fragile and easily crumbled.

GROUP FORAGING: The congregation of birds where food is abundant. Birds of different species often use one another as clues to the location of food.

HOMOGENEOUS ZONE: A geographical area of habitat that has relatively similar characteristics throughout.

LINE TRANSECT: A sampling unit in the form of a long continuous strip in which only those individuals which are observed on the transect line are assumed to be completely counted. The probability of detection (measured from the survey) decreases with increasing distance from the transect line.

MIGRATORY: A species which moves seasonally from one region to another.

NEST BOXES: Artificial structures designed for nesting.

POINT COUNT: A survey method where an observer remains stationary at a location and identifies and counts all species seen or heard for a specified period of time.

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 generally takes place within smaller study areas within this project area.

RANDOM SAMPLE: A sample that has been selected by a random process, generally by reference to a table of random numbers.

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.

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.

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 taxanomic 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.

TERRITORIALITY: The tendency for an animal to defend an area against members of the same species.