Botany | Zoology | Community Ecology | Data Management

The CDC has Botany, Zoology, Community Ecology, and Data Management Programs

Zoology

The CDCs Zoology Program, led by Kate Bredin, examines terrestrial and marine animal species, focusing on the rare, in Atlantic Canada.

Species lists and rarity ranks are compiled for mammals, birds, reptiles and selected insects.

The CDC compiles location information for, or tracks, animal species with rarity ranks of S1 (extremely rare) to S3 (uncommon). This shorter list, sometimes called a species tracking list, is also organized by animal group. The CDC receives rare species location information in different formats from various sources, including: existing databases, scientific literature, and researchers. This information is compiled into a standardized database of element occurrence records (EORs) that enable GIS mapping of the data.

Field surveys are conducted, as funding permits, to address important knowledge gaps regarding the location and status of rare animal species in Atlantic Canada.

For additional information contact Kate Bredin (506-364-2660).

Community Ecology

The CDC "Community Ecology Program" is led by Sean Basquill. The program develops and incorporates information about the composition, structure, habitat, occurrence, distribution, rarity, and conservation status of terrestrial community types, found in Atlantic Canada, into CDC databases; and shares that information with CDC clients.

The Atlantic CDC has adopted the plant association, as defined by the International Classification of Ecological Communities (ICEC), for identifying, describing, and classifying natural ecological communities. Vascular plants are used as the ICEC's principal criterion for terrestrial class names. When complete the Community Ecology Program will have identified both: the diversity of communities endemic to Atlantic Canada, and locations of community exemplars.

The CDC concentrates on the following three distinct physiognomic community groups:

Treed communities ranging from dry uplands to wet lowlands (communities where tree species are >5m tall and represent >10% of the upper-most stratum of vegetation);

Non-treed wet lowlands (marshes, fens, swamps, etc.) and;

Non-treed dry uplands (meadows, barrens, headlands, etc.).

To date, the program has focused on the treed (forest) community group.

The Program also identifies locations where each community element is known or predicted to occur.

Community data is being used to support initiatives being led by CDC partner organizations, e.g., ecosite predictions; Northern Appalachian-Acadian Ecoregion Conservation Plan; Forest Ecosystems of Canada; Canadian National Vegetation Classification.

For further information about the Community Ecology Program, contact Sean Basquill (506-364-2664).

Data Management
Stefen Gerriets, Senior Data Manager, has managed the CDC’s data since 1997. Those interested in data, data manipulation, and management, or data focused reports from the CDC should contact Stefen at 506-364-2657.

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