Tools and Resources

Planning and design for ecological monitoring

• Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN): Monitoring Biodiversity in Canadian Forests: This publication provides a forum for forest monitoring participants to share information and data, their successes and challenges and to acknowledge their contributions in building an effective Canadian biodiversity monitoring programme.
• Improving Local Decision Making through Community Based Monitoring: Toward a Canadian Community Monitoring Network: This report summarizes the results of a two year research study to test and refine a framework for community-based monitoring which informs policy making.
• Experimental Design Considerations for Plot-based Monitoring: This discussion paper was developed for Environment Canada to address the topics of study question definition and sampling design as they relate to the Environment Canada Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) plot based Terrestrial Vegetation Biodiversity Monitoring Protocol. Recommendations are made concerning the importance of standardization and collaboration to address planning, data collection, analysis, quality assurance and training needs.
• Framework for Monitoring Biodiversity Change (Species and Species Groups) Within the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network in Canada: This document is directed primarily to managers of research and monitoring stations and researchers who wish to include monitoring of biodiversity change among their Ecological Science Cooperative (ESC) priorities. It is also directed to those who are interested in increasing knowledge with respect to this aspect of biodiversity monitoring through cooperative activities.
• Information Needs for Large-Scale Conservation Planning: This paper discusses: approaches used to select and design networks of protected areas (reserves); the components of an effective reserve design; the information needed and indicators required to inform conservation planning; common information barriers to effective conservation planning, and the short-cuts typically used in the absence of adequate data; how to make better use of existing data; and the features and databases of a fully functional conservation planning information system.
• Nearshore Marine Ecological Monitoring Workshop: Proceedings of the First Workshop on Nearshore Marine Monitoring: This report describes the discussion and recommendations from the Nearshore Marine Monitoring workshop held February 7-9, 2006 at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Communicating ecological monitoring results

• Delivery of Ecological Monitoring Information to Decision-Makers: The report highlights a methodology to better connect results of monitoring with decision-making, with an emphasis on building dialogue with municipal officials, identifying their information needs and raising their understanding of monitoring issues.
• Linking Community Based Ecosystem Monitoring to Local Decision Making and Policy Development on Sustainability: Final report of the Government of Canada's Voluntary Sector Initiatives. Project goals were to develop, test and enhance a conceptual framework for Community Based Monitoring in support of sustainability and establish a national network of Community Based Monitoring across Canada.
• Linking Ecological Monitoring to Decision-Making at Community and Landscape Scales: This document profiles six Canadian initiatives that are improving local decision-making through collaborative, multi-stakeholder community based monitoring. Contributors provide insights and best practices from academic, industry, government, and non-government perspectives.

Monitoring lichens as indicators of air quality

• Read the following backgrounder on Monitoring Lichens as Indicators of Air Quality and access various field guides, protocols and further reading to map lichen diversity and conduct metal analysis for lichens in the boreal, mixedwood and western forests.