Have Questions or Feedback?
The ABMI’s 10-year Science and Program Review was built around listening to our partners and stakeholders. We welcome questions, comments, or suggestions about the review process or output.
What they found:
The Science Expert Committee expressed a high level of confidence in the ABMI’s program design and concluded that there are no fatal flaws in its approach to biodiversity monitoring. The Committee observed that ten years is a relatively short time period in the context of monitoring biodiversity and encouraged the ABMI to continue its efforts.
The Committee discussed the sustainability of the current design of the ABMI’s monitoring programs and advised, if challenged to find savings, that the ABMI should consider a Value of Information (VOI) approach to rationalize, for example, the list of monitored species. VOI would force the ABMI, and others, to come to grips with how
much information is “enough” to make policy decisions. Specifically, it may be possible to reduce the geographic extent of plot sampling in remote, homogeneous areas, in exchange for targeted sampling in areas of concern due to chronic stressors.
The Committee discussed the lack of sampling in parts of Alberta (mountains and northwest) related to the fact that funders demand sampling in their specific areas. The Committee felt that this was a significant issue because skewing sampling creates a risk to integrity of information, and may prove short-sighted. They thought this could be addressed by finding efficiencies elsewhere in the monitoring program to allow the appropriate monitoring design to be implemented throughout Alberta.
The ABMI is a Leader in Biodiversity Monitoring
We track changes in Alberta's wildlife and habitats from border to border, and provide ongoing, relevant, scientifically credible information on Alberta's living resources. For our province's land use decision-makers. For Alberta's future land stewards. For Albertans.