An appraisal of inter-disciplinary resource surveys (ecological land classification)

Abstract

This paper presents an appraisal of the inter-disciplinary or “ecological land classification” approach to resource surveys. Recently evolved, this approach has been used widely in Canada as a land-use planning tool for northern environments, national parks and other relatively large and unaltered areas. A brief review of principles and concepts related to resource surveys and an outline of the development of the inter-disciplinary approach is followed by an evaluation of its major strengths and weaknesses for planning purposes. Six appraisal criteria are used: economy; flexibility; replicability; ecological validity; communicability; applicability. Major strengths of the approach include: (a) potential time and money savings through logistical integration of field data collection; (b) hierarchial data-acquisition and analysis applicable to a variety of geographic areas and mapping scales; (c) standardized procedures used to collect baseline data; (d) nested data facilitating computer storage and analysis. Major weaknesses of the approach include: (a) difficulty in incorporating wildlife (data; (b) lack of precisely defined classification criteria; (c) over-emphasis on physical features in delineating land units; (d) potentially useful baseline information lost in producing single map product; (e) lack of collection and integration of human-ecological and land-use information. Based on the results of this appraisal, the authors conclude that many of the weaknesses of the interdisciplinary approach are created by imposing the ecosystem concept on the classification process. To help circumvent these weaknesses, several design modifications are recommended which take into account both the confines of human knowledge concerning ecosystem definition as well as the practical needs of possible users.