Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Monitoring Effectiveness of Sustainable Forest Management Planning

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A conceptual model of sustainable forest management is described based on three connected and necessary components: Policy/Strategic Planning, Operational Planning, and EffectivenessMonitoring/Science.

Alberta’s proposed Forest Management Planning Standard is described as an example of operational planning. The standard utilizes coarse and fine filter approaches to conserving biodiversity and sets requirements for implementation monitoring.

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program (ABMP) is described as an example of effectiveness monitoring supporting Operational Planning. The ABMP is a rigorous science-based initiative that is being developed to monitor and report on biodiversity status and trends throughout the province of Alberta, Canada. The basic survey design consists of 1656 sites, 20 km apart, evenly spaced on a grid pattern across Alberta. Sites will be sampled over a five-year period at a rate of 350 sites/year. Standardized sampling protocols will be used to cover a broad range of species and habitat elements within terrestrial and aquatic environments, as well as broader landscape-level features.

Trends and associations detected by ABMP products will be validated through cause-effect research. ABMP focuses research on critical issues and informs both operational planning and the development of policy and strategic-level plans. The Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard and the ABMP are described as key components to implementing resource planning based on ecosystem management principles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alberta Research Council.: 2005, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program, Website: http://www.abmp.arc.ab.ca (Last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.: 2005, Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard, version 3, June 2005, Forest Management Branch, Public Lands and Forest Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Website: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/forests/managing/ (last accessed: September 28, 2005).

  • Boreal Caribou Research Program.: 2005, Boreal Caribou Committee, Website: http://www.deer.rr.ualberta.ca/caribou/bcrp.htm (Last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Canadian Council of Forest Ministers.: 2003, Defining sustainable forest management in Canada: Criteria and Indicators 2003, CCFM Criteria and Indicators Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Website: http://www.ccfm.org/2000pdf/CI_Booklet_e.pdf (Last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Canadian Standards Association.: 2002, Z809-02 Sustainable forest management: requirements and guidance, Canadian Standards Association, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Website: http://www.csa-international.org/product_areas/forest_products_marking (Last accessed September 30, 2004).

  • Cochran, W. G.: 1977, Sampling Techniques: third edition, John Wiley &Sons, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D.: 1998, ‘Issues and themes for natural resources trend and change detection’, Ecol. App. 8, 323–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foothills Model Forest.: 2005, ‘Grizzly Bear Program. Foothills Model Forest’, Hinton, Alberta, Canada, Website: http://www.fmf.ca/pa_GB.html (Last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Franklin, J. F., Harmon, M. E., and Swanson, F. J.: 1999, ‘Complementary roles of research and monitoring: Lessons from the U.S. LTER Program and Tierra del Fuego’, Paper presented to the symposium: ‘Toward a Unified Framework for Inventorying and Monitoring Forest Ecosystem Resources’, November 1998, Guadalajara, Mexico.

  • Grumbine, R. E.: 1994, ‘What is ecosystem management?’ Cons. Biol. 8(1), 27–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holling, C. S.: 1978, Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter Jr., M. L.: 1991, ‘Coping with ignorance: the coarse-filter strategy for maintaining biodiversity’, in Balancing on the Brink of Extinction, Kathryn A. Kohm, ed. Washington. Island Press, p. 267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter Jr., M. L.: 1993, ‘Natural fire regimes as spatial models for managing boreal forests’, Biol. Cons. 65(2), 115–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lackey, R. T.: 1998, ‘Seven pillars of ecosystem management’, Lands. & Urban Planning 40(1/3), 21–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig, D.: 1993, ‘Environmental sustainability: magic, science, and religion in natural resource management’, Ecol. Appl. 3, 555–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindenmayer, D. B. and Franklin, J. F.: 2002, Conserving Forest Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Multiscaled Approach, Island Press, Washington DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maes, D. and Van Dyck, H.: 2004, ‘Habitat quality and biodiversity indicator performances of a threatened butterfly versus a multispecies group for wet heathlands in Belgium’, Biol. Cons. 123, 177–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niemelä, J.: 1999, ‘Management in relation to disturbance in the boreal forest’, Forest Ecol. & Man. 115(2–3), 127–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niemi, G. J. and McDonald, M. E.: 2004, ‘Application of Ecological Indicators’, Ann. Rev. Ecol. & Evol. Systematics 35, 89–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noon, B. R., Spies, T. A., and Raphael, M. G.: 1999, ‘Conceptual basis for designing and effectiveness monitoring program’, General Technical Report, PNW-GTR-437, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

  • Noss, R. F.: 1999, ‘Assessing and monitoring forest biodiversity: a suggested framework and indicators’, Forest Ecol. & Man. 115(2/3), 135–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.: 2005, Protecting what sustains us: Ontario's biodiversity Strategy, Government of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Website: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/biodiversity/ (last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Shank, C., Schieck, J. and Farr, D.: 2002, The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program: Updated Technical Summary, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program, Website: http://www.abmp.arc.ab.ca/Documents/ABMPSummary.pdf (Last accessed: September 30, 2005)

  • Schneider, R. R.: 2002, Alternative Futures: Alberta's Boreal Forest at the Crossroads, Alberta Centre for Boreal Research, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, R. R.; Stelfox, J. B.; Boutin, S. and Wasel, S. M.: 2003, ‘Managing the cumulative impacts of land uses in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin: a modelling approach’, Cons. Ecol. 7(1), 8, Online journal website: http://www.consecol.org/vol7/iss1/art8/index.html (Last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Song, S., (ed.): 2002, Ecological Basis for Stand Management: A Synthesis of Ecological Responses to Wildfire and Harvesting, Alberta Research Council, Vegreville, Alberta, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, K. W., Saul, G. E. and Hyatt, D. E.: 1994, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program Assessment Framework. EMAP Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.: 1992, Convention on Biological Diversity. United Nations Environment Programme, Secretariat on the Convention of Biological Diversity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Website: http://www.biodiv.org/convention/ (last accessed: September 30, 2005).

  • Walters, C.: 1986, Adaptive Management of Renewable Resources, Macmillan, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, I. and Novelly, P.: 2004, ‘Making the biodiversity monitoring system sustainable: Design issues for large-scale monitoring systems’, Austral. Ecology 29, 16–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaffee, S. L.: 1999, ‘Three faces of ecosystem management’, Cons. Biol. 3(4), 713–725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Management Branch, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, 9920-108 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 2M4, Canada

    J. John Stadt

  2. Integrated Resource Management, Alberta Research Council, P.O. Bag 4000, Vegreville, AB T9C 1T4, Canada

    Jim Schieck

  3. Policy and Planning, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, 9915-108 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 2G8, Canada

    Harry A. Stelfox

Authors
  1. J. John Stadt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jim Schieck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Harry A. Stelfox
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. John Stadt.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stadt, J.J., Schieck, J. & Stelfox, H.A. Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Monitoring Effectiveness of Sustainable Forest Management Planning. Environ Monit Assess 121, 33–46 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9075-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9075-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation