Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford

Last updated: July 24, 2023

Project Description and Location: A sensitive ecosystem inventory (SEI) was conducted for Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver) and Abbotsford. The study area totaled 367,000 hectares - 330,000 hectares of terrestrial lands and several thousand hectares of rivers, freshwater bodies, intertidal and estuarine zones.

Several main approaches were used to build the inventory:

• TEM was used to generate an SEI theme in the Coquitlam, Capilano and Seymour watersheds, the Regional Parks network, and Mount Seymour and Indian Arm Provincial Parks; 
• Riparian fringe and gully SEI classes were newly generated; 
• SEI mapping from earlier projects was used for Bowen Island and Sumas Mountain.
• SEI mapping was developed through image interpretation followed by selective field checks, for areas with no existing TEM.

Project objectives: 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.

Standards and scale used: The SEI mapping followed the Standard for Mapping Ecosystems at Risk in British Columbia, 2006 (PDF). Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping followed the Standard for Mapping Terrestrial Ecosystems in B.C. 1998. Twenty percent of new polygons were checked in the field. The mapping was completed from January 2010 to May 2012. Polygons were delineated at 1:5,000 (new mapping) and 1:10,000 - 1:20,000 (originating from TEM). 

Data and reports

Report authors: D. Meidinger, J. Clark and D. Adamoski

Documents and Metro Vancouver web mapping application: Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory – Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford