Wildlife inventory and research

CBA Ltd. has extensive experience with wildlife inventory and monitoring projects throughout British Columbia. John Cooper has been instrumental in establishing provincial guidelines (Resource Information Committee Standards, RISC) for wildlife surveys and monitoring. Members of the CBA team have expertise with identification and inventory of a wide variety of wildlife including terrestrial grastropods, insects, birds, small and large mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

This multi-taxa investigation of forested habitats in the Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS) zone of Central Interior British Columbia includes an inventory of CWD, vegetation in all layers, small mammals (e.g. mice, voles), songbirds, woodpeckers, and owls in early, mid and late seral lodgepole pine stands, as well as retention patches and mature (70 yrs.+) non-pine-leading stands.

A stand level monitoring program, following RISC standards, was set up by establishing sampling arrays (each with 17 stations) of artificial cover objects (ACOs) in 14 different blocks in the Nimpkish Valley (TFL 37) on Vancouver Island. Ten arrays were placed in partial retention cut blocks where harvesting had occurred within 5 years, and four in uncut reference areas of mature or old-growth forest.

CBA has conducted numerous projects involving inventory and conservation of amphibians. From 1997-1999 we conducted research on the Northern Leopard Frog at Creston, BC including inventory, habitat assessments, capture and marking of frogs, radio-telemetry monitoring of frog movements and overwintering sites. CBA has also conducted inventory and habitat assessments of amphibians for many industrial projects including wind farms, mines, forestry, and land developments (1995-present).

CBA has conducted > 50 bird inventory, research and assessment projects throughout British Columbia including studies on loons, grebes, waterfowl, herons, raptors, shorebirds, hummingbirds, forest songbirds, grassland songbirds, wetland birds, grouse, gulls and terns, Sandhill Crane, and others. Studies have been conducted on the Queen Charlotte Islands, Vancouver Island, Fort Nelson, Peace River, Okanagan, Thompson, Kootenay, Cariboo, Chilcotin, Tatshenshini, Vancouver and Omineca regions.

CBA Ltd. has completed habitat modelling for numerous wildlife species across western Canada, including projects for Alberta Fish and Wildlife (northern goshawk, American three-toed woodpecker; 2004), Canfor Ltd. (wolverine, American three-toed woodpecker; 2003-2004), Weyerhauser Ltd. (mule deer, marten; 1999), Western Forest Products Ltd. (northern goshawk), and BC Timber Sales (mountain goat, mule deer, moose, grizzly bear, caribou; 2008).