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CLASSIFICATION OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES

Parks Canada, the Canadian Forest Service, and World Wildlife Fund (Canada) sponsored the workshop Vegetation classification standard for Canada in Hull, Quebec from 31 May--2 June 2000. The objective was to initiate a major new effort to establish a Canadian National Vegetation Classification Standard (C-NVC). Participants came from Canadian provincial, territorial, and federal agencies and conservation organizations. U.S. representatives also attended.

Canada needs a standard national ecological community classification to address biodiversity and natural resource conservation needs. The standard would be analogous to the taxonomic classifications that exist for species; i.e., a given ecological community found in two provinces would have the same name and definition in both. A standard national ecological community classification should ultimately include all systems--terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater and marine. In terrestrial ecological communities, vegetation is typically the most readily classifiable component.

The following key decisions were made at the workshop. First, a standard national ecological community classification is needed in Canada. Second, the starting point should be a terrestrial classification, which should be largely based on vegetation. Third, the International Classification of Ecological Communities initiated by The Nature Conservancy in the U.S. should be the basis from which to develop a C-NVC. Fourth, a Working Group should be established, and, finally, Serguei Ponomarenko should continue to coordinate the project.

The Working Group was established after the workshop, and it will prepare a Vision Statement and a Business Proposal. Ponomarenko presented the C-NVC initiative at the Ecological Society of America (ESA) Classification Panel Workshop in August 2000. He proposed developing a common classification standard protocol between the U.S. and Canada, and the ESA Classification Panel agreed. If Mexico joins this approach, there will be a common North American vegetation classification standard.

A more detailed account of the workshop, including abstracts of all the papers presented, has been submitted for publication in Canadian Field-Naturalist. Any inquiries regarding the C-NVC should be addressed to Ponomarenko.

Note: this text is an abridged version of a Meeting Summary submitted to Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.

Robert Alvo and Serguei Ponomarenko

Ecological Integrity Branch, Parks Canada

25 Eddy St., Hull, Quebec K1A 0M5, Canada

robert_alvo@pch.gc.ca

sergei_ponomarenko@pch.gc.ca

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