Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines

Last Review/Updated: May 28, 2008

Overview

Wildlife managers are faced with a growing need for improved and consistent data on many wildlife species:

human land-use activities are increasing across Alberta,
assessments of species' status require up-to-date information,
collecting more reliable data can help identify better and more effective ways to deal with the impacts of development on wildlife, and
specialists demand rigorous and standardized protocols for wildlife surveys.

The primary focus of the Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines is on the following:

species that are or may be at risk of extirpation,
species that may require protection to prevent them from becoming at risk, and
other species of management concern found in native grassland and parkland areas.

The guidelines include inventory protocols for a number of species at risk and several other species of management concern (e.g., salamanders, bats) from across the province.

These guidelines will be expanded over the long term:

to cover a broader array of species of management concern, and
to cover landscapes found throughout the province.

The protocols have been prepared and reviewed by species' experts in the province. These guidelines were developed for several audiences, including government staff, industry, consultants and other researchers.

The use of proven inventory methods will accomplish the following:

allow for province-wide consistency in data collection,
facilitate comparison between surveys,
minimize biases related to sampling techniques,
provide data that more accurately reflect ecological patterns, and
provide data that more accurately reflect landscape-level changes in wildlife distribution and population trends across the province.

Submissions

Following the completion of an inventory survey, we encourage all researchers and investigators to submit wildlife and fish data for entry into the provincial Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS-wildlife) or Fisheries Management Information System (FMIS-fisheries). Provincial biologists will use submitted data to enhance the management of sensitive species. For more information on FWMIS and FMIS, contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Division office or visit: Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System or Fisheries Management Information System.

Biologists with the Fish and Wildlife Division can provide additional information and guidance to investigators before surveys are conducted.