ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE: The total number of organisms in an area. Usually reported as absolute density: unit area or volume.
ACCURACY: A measure of how close a measurement is to the true value.
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.).
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.
CBCB (Components of BC'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.
CWS: Canadian Wildlife Service
DABBLING DUCKS: May also be referred to as `Marsh Ducks'. In BC these include: Wood Duck (Aix sponsa); Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca); American Black Duck (Anas rubripes); Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos); Northern Pintail (Anas acuta); Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors); Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera); Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata); Gadwall (Anas strepera); Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope); American Wigeon (Anas americana).
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.
DIVING DUCKS: In BC these include: Canvasback (Aythya valisineria); Redhead (Aythya americana); Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris); Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula); Greater Scaup (Aythya marila); Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis); Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula); Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica); Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola); Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus); Common Merganser (Mergus merganser); Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator); Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis).
EWG (Elements Working Group): A group of individuals that are part of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force (one of seven 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.
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.
MARK-RECAPTURE METHODS: Methods used for estimating abundance that involve capturing, marking, releasing, and then recapturing again one or more times.
MONITOR: To follow a population (usually numbers of individuals) through time.
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.
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.
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/ ]
SEA DUCKS: In BC these include: King Eider (Somateria spectabilis); Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis); Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra); Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata); White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca).
SPI: Abbreviation for `Species Inventory'; generally used in reference to the Species Inventory Datasystem and its components.
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 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.
TRANSECT SURVEY: A method of sampling species abundance by recording all birds observed along a mappable linear route of known length and usually of fixed width. In non fixed-width surveys, the perpendicular distance must be measured/estimated between the line of travel and the birds recorded if the result is to be used to estimate absolute abundance. Where possible, routes are in a straight line, but in many circumstances may follow shorelines, trails, etc. A variety of modes of travel are possible while conducting a transect survey, such as foot, boat, or aircraft.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS TASK FORCE: One of the seven 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.
WATERFOWL & ALLIED SPECIES: Includes ducks, geese, swans, loons, coots, grebes, and cranes.
WETLAND: A general term used to describe land that is inundated by surface water or groundwater (includes small lakes, ponds, sloughs, marshes, bogs, wet meadows, flooded fields, slow-moving streams, ditches, and sewage lagoons).
YELLOW-LIST: Includes any native species which is not red- or blue-listed.