Ministry of Environment Endangered Species and Ecosystems

FAQs: Ecological Communities

What is an ecological community?

The BC CDC and NatureServe network use the term "Ecological Community" to capture the full range of ecosystems in BC at a variety of levels. The term "ecological" is a direct reference to the integration of non-biological features such as soil, landform, climate and disturbance factors. The term "community" reflects the interactions of living organisms (plants animals, fungi, bacteria, etc.), and the relationships that exist between the living and non-living components of the "community".

Currently, the most common ecological communities that are known in BC are based on the Vegetation Classification component of the Ministry of Forests and Range Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification, which focuses on the terrestrial plant associations of BC's native plants. Additional ecological communities are documented from inventory projects, theses, and other reports. Future work will incorporate levels of aquatic and marine ecological communities as well as various other levels of ecosystems.

Why conserve ecosystems?

Ecosystems provide the foundation that supports all life forms as they exist today. Ecological services are provided by ecological processes and functions, which in turn provide benefits that we enjoy. Examples are safe, clean drinking water, clean air, flood control, and economic resources (timber, fisheries, ecotourism, etc.). Our health, safety and quality of life depend on the health and integrity of ecosystems so they can continue to provide these services and benefits.

Why doesn't BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer list an ecological community I found?

If it is not on the list at all you may have found an ecological community that either has not been documented before, since some parts of the province are not well sampled, or is a local variation of a recognized type.

If it is on the list but not for your area or the BGC in which you found it:

• The BGC unit(s) on which this ecological community occurs may not have been mapped in your Forest District (FD) because it may occur in areas that have not been sampled, or may be a very small area on the border of your FD.
• We may not have data that show that this ecological community occurs in the BGC in which you have found it.

If you have mapped and documented an ecological community we encourage you to submit your data (including plot forms, air photos and mapping) using the Ecological Community Conservation Evaluation form available on the CDC Data Contributions web page. We will review your data to verify the ecological community occurrence, and, where appropriate, update the CDC database.

We may also have data for this ecological community, but have not had a chance to assess and incorporate these data into our database.

Does the CDC want my ecological inventory data and, if so, how do I submit it?

The CDC appreciates all contributions of data. For information on how to submit your data please refer to the CDC Data Contributions web page. Field data forms and the Ecological Community Conservation Evaluation form can be downloaded from this page and used to record data. We will review your data to verify the ecological community occurrence, and, where appropriate, update the CDC database.

Links to other FAQ topics

Endangered Species and Ecosystems
BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer
Red, Blue and Yellow Lists
Known Locations of Species and Ecosystems