For long-term monitoring of biodiversity change, information must be comparable over time and by location. The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) recommends that the groups who are involved in monitoring activities should coordinate their efforts through the use of standard protocols in study design, sampling procedures, sample and data analysis and reporting methods. This ensures that information gathered in Canada is as useful as possible at the national and international scale.
EMAN is taking a flexible approach to the gathering of useful information to encourage the broadest participation. Working with its partners, EMAN both endorses standard protocols and develops them in areas where either consolidation is required, or no work has been done. The development of protocols is done through consultation with scientists, researchers and experts related to the variable or indicator under study. Most protocols includes simple methods that universities, schools, and the interested public can use as well as sophisticated methods requiring special expertise or special equipment. Widespread adoption of the methods should yield valuable information on Canadian ecosystems and biodiversity and how they are changing.
The protocols which follow comprise a mix of international and Canadian methods. Many of the Canadian methods have not been widely tested by people outside the specific field of expertise and therefore EMAN is requesting those interested, to provide feedback on the quality of the method descriptions and their experience in using them.
For further information on EMAN's approach to monitoring biodiversity please see:
Roberts-Pichette, Patricia. 1995 unpublished. Framework For Monitoring Biodiversity Change (Species and Species Groups)Within The
Ecological Monitoring And Assessment Network In Canada
(Ecological Monitoring Coordinating Office, Burlington, Ontario.)
Monitoring Protocols
EMAN offers three different protocol areas tailored to meet the various goals and
objectives of different monitoring activities:
- Biodiversity Monitoring Protocols
These protocols have been prepared and/or peer-reviewed for EMAN by the
Biodiversity Science Board’s expert teams and, individual scientists or, have
been previously developed, peer-review and are endorsed by EMAN. These
protocols have been subject to a peer-review process and aare
recommended for intensive research-based projects.
- EMAN Ecosystem Monitoring Protocols (EMPs)
Recently, the EMAN CO, in cooperation with its partners, has developed or
modified existing protocols which compliment plot-based monitoring
programmes or which can be used on their own for more specific research
purposes. The EMAN CO has been focusing on developing a set of
standardizsed ecosystem monitoring protocols (EMPs) that will work
together as a suite, to detect and track ecosystem changes over time, and
which can be used in protected areas and working landscapes. These
EMPs are based on environmental indicators that identify significant
changes in ecosystems so as to trigger and guide the design of future
investigation. These protocols have been developed for widespread use.
- Community-based Monitoring Protocols
This suite of community-based or “citizen science” monitoring protocols are simply EMAN Ecosystem Monitoring Protocols (EMPs) which have been rewritten in order to make them more relevant and accessible to schools, community groups, individuals, naturalists, backyard enthusiasts, or Scouts and Guides who are engaging in the monitoring of different aspects of environmental quality. They maintain the same degree of scientific rigour as the EMPs. These community-based programmes are being administered through a partnership between EMAN Coordinating Office, the Canadian Nature Federation, and the University of Guelph as NatureWatch
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