Facilitating the protection and restoration of species and ecosystems at risk on BC’s South Coast
There have been a number of efforts to map out the ecological values of the South Coast's landscapes from the historic vegetation surveys of the Lower Fraser from the 1890's to the soil maps of southern BC. Captured here is a sampling of the resources out there representing a snapshot in time of the Lower Mainland's past ecological capital, providing a reminder of how much has changed and been lost over just a couple of generations.
Where available we have also included the pdf's of the associated notes and reports ("attribute data") that accompanied the maps or from which the maps were derived. Special thanks to Environment Canada-Canadian Wildlife Service for making many of these available!
Looking for mapping related to species at risk occurrences or recovery planning? You can download static images and "shapefiles" of critical habitat maps found in finalized recovery stratrgies for most threatened and endangered species through the Government of Canada's Critical Habitat for Species at Risk, British Columbia portal. Provincially, the BC Conservation Data Centre has a useful mapping interface ("iMap") for many species, including those at risk (either listed under SARA or red or blue listed under the BC Conservation Framework). At the regional level, Metro Vancouver has a Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory Mapping App available that displays ecologically significant and relatively unmodified Sensitive Ecosystems including wetlands, older forests and woodlands. It also includes human Modified Ecosystems that retain ecological value such as seasonally flooded agriculture fields or young forests. And don't forget to check out the various online map resources available through your local municipality.
The Community Mapping Network of BC, a long-time partner of the SCCP, is a one-stop shop for regional atlases, with databses ranging from eelgrass mapping to wildlife tree data!
The Islands Trust Conservancy has been mapping the ecosystems and plant communities throughout the islands of the Salish Sea, to determine which ecosystems are most rare and which are most threatened by development. The Islands Trust Conservancy uses ecosystem mapping to focus our time and money on those ecosystems in greatest need of protection.
Looking for information about 'what lies beneath' our feet on the South Coast? In our resources section below you can download the soil maps and accompanying report for the Fraser Valley, or check out the cool geological maps through Geomap Vancouver.
Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory for Metro Vancouver 2010-2012: A Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (SEI) was conducted for Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver) and Abbotsford from January 2010 – May 2012. The project was initiated in response to the need for up-to-date, standardized ecological information for the entire region to support future decision making. Access the map application and download the technical report.