5 WILDLIFE HABITAT ASSESSMENT

Contents

Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form
Field Procedure
Completing the Form
1.	Project ID
2.	Date
3.	Plot Number
4.	Surveyor(s)
5.	Non-habitat features
6.	Page ___ of ___
7.	Species
8.	Habitat Use
9.	Plot-type Assessment
10.	Plot-in-context Assessment
11.	Suitability
12.	Comments
Evidence of Use
13.	Species
14.	Sex
15.	Life Stage
16.	Activity
17.	Descriptor
18.	Number
19.	Comments
Abbreviated Tree Attributes for Wildlife
20.	Basal Area Factor
21.	Area
22.	Minimum DBH
23.	Number of Trees
24.	Number of Dead Trees
25.	Number of Live Trees
26.	Average DBH
27.	Average Length
28.	Average Lichen Loading Class
29.	Comments
Simple Coarse Woody Debris Assessment
30.	Sampled _ of 30 m Transect
31.	Decay Class
32.	Diameter Class
33.	Comments
Management
34.	Species
35.	Use
36.	Season
37.	Food/Cover Life Requisite
38.	Capability
39.	Management Techniques
40.	Management Feasibility and Intensity
41.	Comments/Notes
Appendix
5.1	Wildlife subspecies, species, and species group codes not included in Cannings and Harcombe (1990)
Tables
5.1	Codes for types of non-habitat features
5.2	Codes for distances to nearest non-habitat features
5.3	Specified life requisite codes
5.4	Codes for season of use
5.5	Relative quality classes for assessing the plot type quality relative to the best in B.C.
5.6	Habitat features codes for plot-in-context assessment
5.7	Confidence level codes for assessment of habitat features
5.8	Food/cover life requisite codes
5.9	Impact of habitat feature on suitability rating
5.10	Codes for life stages for wildlife evidence of use
5.11	Codes for activities and signs of activity
5.12	Codes for descriptors of wildlife evidence of use
5.13	Decay classes for coarse woody debris
5.14	Diameter classes for coarse woody debris
5.15	Codes for management techniques to achieve capability
5.16	Management feasibility/intensity codes for identified management techniques
Figure
5.1	Top view of biologist standing at center of plot and estimating the area covering a quarter of the plot and the number of trees in a quarter plot

Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form

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Field Procedure

Getting Started

1.	Determine plot boundaries in consultation with other surveyors.
2.	Become familiar with the character of the terrain, soil, and vegetation by traversing the plot and consulting with plant ecologist and soil scientist.

Record and Classify

1.	Enter the date, plot number and name(s) of wildlife surveyor(s).
2.	Record evidence of use in plot and in ecosystem unit represented by the plot.
3.	List project species and additional species noted during visit.
4.	Record habitat use and season for each species.
5.	Confer with plant ecologist and soil scientist about site classification, values, and site management concerns.
6.	Ensure that relevant wildlife habitat data is filled out on the site description and vegetation forms.
7.	Complete coarse woody debris and tree attributes for wildlife forms, if required.
8.	Assess the value of the plot-type for each species (not necessary for incidentally recorded species). Be sure that the plot-type assessment is completed before the plot-in-context assessment.
9.	Assess the value of the plot-in-context for each species based on the spatial context of the plot.
10.	Record comments at the bottom of the form, cross-referencing to species.
11.	Photograph the plot to illustrate important wildlife habitat features or evidence of animal use.
12.	Check that all the required information has been collected and noted on the form. Strike through any fields that were not assessed.

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5 WILDLIFE HABITAT ASSESSMENT

Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form

Field Procedure

Getting Started

Record and Classify

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