Monitoring Community
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) conducts world-class monitoring of about 2,564 species and habitats to support decision-making about provincial biodiversity. The goal of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute is to provide reliable, objective information to the people who manage our resources. Several publications are now available including:
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 Status of Biodiversity in the Grassland and Parkland Regions of Alberta (2016)
This report describes the status of human footprint, species, and habitat in two of Alberta's Natural Regions, the Grassland Natural Region and the Parkland Natural Region as well as High Value Landscape within the Prairie Region. |
Status of Biodiversity in the Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. Forest Management Agreement Area (2016)
This report is a summary of the status of biodiversity in the Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) Forest Management Agreement area. It examines how the current condition of biodiversity and human footprint changed between 1999 and 2012. |
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Status of Biodiversity in the Upper Peace Region (2015)
This report describes the status of species, native habitat, and human footprint in the Upper Peace Region. The report also focuses on the current status of hundreds of species and highlights those that show the most sensitivity to human development. The information in this report can be used as a foundation for evaluating the sustainability of resource development in the Upper Peace Region. |
Status of Biodiversity in the Lower Peace Region (2015)
This report describes the status of species, native habitat, and human footprint in the Lower Peace Region. The report also focuses on the current status of hundreds of species and highlights those that show the most sensitivity to human development. The information in this report can be used as a foundation for evaluating the sustainability of resource development in the Lower Peace Region. |
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Status of Biodiversity in the Oil Sands Region of Alberta (2014)
The Oil Sands Region of Alberta consists of three provincially recognized oil sands administrative units called oil sands areas - the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake Oil Sands Areas. This report describes the status of species, habitat and footprint in these areas.
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Assessing the Influence of Industrial Development on Caribou in the Lower Athabasca Planning Region of Alberta (2013)
Simulations offering insight into the most efficient means of mitigating the effects of in-situ development on caribou movement. |
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Status Report on Landbirds in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone - Preliminary Assessment (2012)
Reports on the status of common bird species that are monitored by the ABMI in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone (BPE). The BPE represents 58 per cent of Alberta's total land area and covers a vast expanse of northern Alberta including the communities of High Level, Fort McMurray, Peace River, Grand Prairie, and Cold Lake, and extending south, past Rocky Mountain House.
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Status Report for the South Saskatchewan Planning Region – Preliminary Assessment (2011)
This report describes the status of biodiversity in the Grassland Natural Region (Grassland Region) in the South Saskatchewan Planning Region. The report states that 49 per cent of the South Saskatchewan Planning Region (SSPR) has been directly altered by human activities including agriculture, urbanization and energy operations. When considering only the Grassland Region of the SSPR, 57 per cent of the landscape has been directly altered by human activities.
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Status of Birds and Vascular Plants in Alberta’s Lower Athabasca Planning Region – 2009 Preliminary Assessment (2009)
The inaugural core report states that approximately seven per cent of the landscape in the Lower Athabasca has been altered by human activities including agriculture, energy, and forestry operations. While there is clearly an impact from industrial and commercial development, the report concludes that the region's living resources are 94 per cent intact.
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( 2012, 2010, 2007) and Wall-to-Wall Land Cover Inventory (2010 and 2000)
ABMI Wall-to-Wall Human Footprint Inventory (scale 1:15,000) is a complete representation of provincial scale anthropogenic footprint information for Alberta. It includes energy, forestry, agriculture and urban development and is updated every two years. The Wall-to-Wall Land Cover Inventory is updated every 10 years.
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ABMI Information Collection
ABMI provides information on the state of Alberta’s biodiversity, land-cover and human footprint in order to facilitate the responsible management of our environment. The ABMI has a firm commitment to regularly engage local, national, and international scientific experts during all aspects of science development. All data collection and analysis protocols receive extensive peer review by the greater scientific community.
ABMI has divided our province into 1,656 evenly-spaced monitoring sites. Visiting approximately 330 sites each year, the entire province is surveyed once every five years. ABMI collects information on about 2,000 species via site visits, aerial photography, and even satellite imagery. The program monitors change in highly relevant species, habitats, and human land use.
ABMI is dedicated to openness, transparency, and scientific rigour. Both the data collected and the scientific methods employed are freely available to interested parties through the 
ABMI Data Portal. ABMI is a not-for-profit society that is arms-length from both government and industry.
- Based on excerpts from Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute website (2012) -
Monitoring results will be used to assess and report on progress toward regional outcomes and objectives.
