Canadian Bird Conservation Regions
Completion of Requested Changes (2009-2012)
27 August 2013
Eva Jenkins ([email protected])
Andrew Couturier ([email protected])
Bird Studies Canada / Études D’Oiseaux Canada
P.O. Box/B.P. 160, 115 Front St., Port Rowan, ON
Canada
N0E 1M0 www.bsc-eoc.org
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
About Bird Conservation Regions
“Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) are ecologically distinct regions in North America with
similar bird communities, habitats, and resource management issues. They are based on the
scale-flexible hierarchical framework of nested ecological units delineated by the Commission
for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). These ecoregions encompass areas that are similar in
their biotic (e.g., plant and wildlife) and abiotic (e.g., soils, drainage patterns, temperature, and
annual precipitation) characteristics.
BCRs may be partitioned into smaller ecological units when finer scale conservation planning,
implementation, and evaluation are necessary. Conversely, BCRs may be aggregated to
facilitate conservation partnerships throughout the annual range of a group of species,
recognizing that migratory species may use multiple BCRs throughout their annual life cycle.
BCRs also facilitate domestic and international cooperation in bird conservation because these
areas of relatively homogenous habitats and bird communities traverse state, provincial, and
national borders.” -NABCI Tri-national website
How were BCRs developed and how are they maintained?
BCRs were developed initially from 1998 to 1999 by a mapping team comprising members of
the United States, Mexico, and Canada. BCR’s were defined through a process of expert
consultation whereby CEC polygons from various scales were combined or split to create units
corresponding to bird species distribution and requirements, and recognizing practical planning
considerations. It was understood that updates to the BCR layer would be made every three
years, but this did not begin to occur in an official capacity until 2009.
The USFWS created the original BCR layer (Arc/INFO format) in 1999 with help from Bird
Studies Canada (BSC). BSC has hosted the master copy of the file on its website ever since.
Following initial use of the layer, some inconsistencies were found, at which point Environment
Canada made substantial edits to the base map (primarily to improve the resolution of the
Canadian coastline). Subsequently, BSC made further edits to the base map, embedded lakes,
and attributes; and made other fixes to improve the utility of the layer for analysis purposes
(e.g., range map analyses for the Partners in Flight Species Assessment). Changes to
Canadian BCRs, as requested by NABCI Canada, were also incorporated.
Bird Studies Canada continues to be the authoritative keeper of the master BCR file and
maintains and distributes the layer as an in-kind service to NABCI. In the near future, BSC will
develop a new webpage where the updated map layer can be viewed interactively or
downloaded (in a variety of spatial and graphic formats) and where all changes to the BCRs will
be documented, including those noted below.
Changes to Canadian BCRs
From 2009 to 2012, there were a number of changes requested to Canadian BCRs. These
were sent to BSC for implementation. The changes have now been completed and are
described in detail in this document.
BCR 13 (LOWER GREAT LAKES / ST. LAWRENCE PLAIN)
Proposers
Isabelle Robichaud (CWS) (2009)
Description
There was a sliver of BCR 13 in Northern Labrador, which was likely a typo as the surroundings
are BCR 3.
Status—change made
The sliver was changed to BCR 3 (Arctic Plains and Mountains)
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Figure 1. Northern Labrador sliver of BCR 13 (with close-up). The sliver was ~0.06m in diameter.
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BCR 7 (TAIGA SHIELD AND HUDSON PLAINS) AND BCR 8 (BOREAL SOFTWOOD
SHIELD)
Proposer(s)
Atlantic CWS staff
Description
The South-eastern shore of Labrador should be in BCR 7 in accordance with the CEC level III
ecoregion map.
Status—change made
The CEC level III line was used to delineate the boundary between BCRs 7 and 8, and where
there was uncertainty regarding island identity, the National Framework ecoregions layer was
used (as it is a bit more detailed).
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Figure 2. Lake Melville and surrounding coastline with CEC level III ecoregions in orange
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Figure 3. Lake Melville close-up with CEC level III ecoregions in orange and National Ecological
Framework for Canada ecoregions in red
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BCR 14 (ATLANTIC NORTHERN FOREST)
Proposer
Judith Kennedy (CWS)
Description
Add Machias Seal Island (South-west of New Brunswick and Grand Manan Island) to BCR 14 as
it has an important alcid colony.
Status—change made
Copied the island from Geobase and added appropriate attributes.
Figure 4. Relative location of Machias Seal Island (South-west of Grand Manan Island).
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Figure 5. New portion of BCR 14 (Machias Seal Island)
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BCR 3 (ARCTIC PLAINS AND MOUNTAINS) AND BCR 6 (BOREAL TAIGA PLAINS)
Proposer
Isabelle Robichaud (CWS) (July 2009)
Description
Two (2) pieces with BCR values of zero were found on the border of Northwest Territories and
Nunavut.
Status—change made
After adding CEC level III ecoregions and verifying that the curves of the BCRs corresponded,
the small portion was assigned to BCR 6 (in Nunavut) and the large portion was assigned to BCR
3 (in Northwest Territories).
Maps
Figure 6. Arrow shows the general location of the BCRs with value of zero
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Figure 7. Closer view of BCR 0
Figure 8. Corrected BCRs 3 and 6
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BCR 4 (NORTHWESTERN INTERIOR FOREST) AND BCR 5 (NORTHERN PACIFIC
RAINFOREST)
Description
Three (3) slivers of BCR 0 were found on the Alaska-BC border.
Status—change made
The diameter was extremely small (0.04-2.5m), so the choice was not necessarily a strict
delineation of where the Canada-US border falls, but assignment was done based on looking at
the edges of the slivers and placing the sliver in the country that would allow smoothest
continuation of the BCR boundaries.
Figure 9. Sliver with BCR value of zero falling between BCR 4 and BCR 5
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Figure 10. Example of completed change
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BCR 12 (BOREAL HARDWOOD TRANSITION) AND BCR 13 (LOWER GREAT LAKES / ST.
LAWRENCE PLAIN)
Proposer
Atlantic CWS staff
Description
Switch Cockburn Island (West of Manitoulin Island) to BCR 13 instead of 12.
Status—change made
After looking at the map and the CEC level III ecoregions, it became apparent that this
differentiation was already in place in the ecoregions layer, just didn’t seem to have carried
over to the BCRs (Cockburn island was part of Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands as was
Manitoulin while the island further to the West is part of Northern Lakes and Forests). The
change was completed by updating the attributes.
Figure 11. Cockburn Island indicated by the arrow after the applied change
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BCR 12 (BOREAL HARDWOOD TRANSITION) AND BCR 13 (LOWER GREAT LAKES / ST.
LAWRENCE PLAIN)
Proposer
Judith Kennedy (CWS)
Description
Switch St. Joseph Island to BCR 13 instead of BCR 12 as it falls within OMNR ecoregion 6E-17.
Status—change made
The change was completed by updating the attributes.
Figure 12. St. Joseph Island indicated by the arrow after the applied change
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BCR 8 (BOREAL SOFTWOOD SHIELD) AND BCR 12 (BOREAL HARDWOOD TRANSITION)
Proposer
Bruno Drolet (Landbird Quebec) (April 2010))
Description
The BCR shapefile maintained by Bird Studies Canada doesn’t match Landbird Quebec’s:
Northern limit of BCR12 and Southern limit of BCR 8. Their shapefile has more detail and
follows ecoregions from the National Ecological Framework for Canada (CGDI) while BSC’s
existing shapefile follows the more general CEC Terrestrial Ecoregions (Level III).
Status—change made
The change was completed by using the National Ecological Framework line in that area.
Figure 13. Original BCRs
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Figure 14. Proposed (and completed) change
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