Jim Schieck is the Research Scientist at Alberta Innovates -- Technology Futures, and the Scientific Director at Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. In his presentation on cumulative effects on biodiversity, he focuses on an alternative way to gather information for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
Schieck suggests companies focus on regional analysis, with detailed information in a focused area, as needed. With this different focus, all available information from the region can be used to further inform the assessment. Complex modeling of species-habitat use for detailed prediction of cumulative effects can be done.
Maps of vegetation and the human footprint through Alberta already exist, and can be used .There is a detailed amount of habitat and vegetation information over broad spatial scales for Alberta, and the same exist for human footprint information. Graphs can also be made to express data about known flora and fauna, and habitat suitability can be mapped based on data about animal species' preferences. These models can be used to predict future outcomes, as well as express current conditions.
Schieck predicts that EIA can be integrated with regional planning and management, so costs can be shared. There could be one place designated for storage of all assessment information, and results could be updated regularly. He sees several barriers to change. Present regulation requires each developer to do their own cumulative effects assessment, and the change of focus from collecting new data in the development area to modelling existing species information in the region is a significant. High quality GIS layers for vegetation and habitat are needed in each region for properly detailing mapping and this is something that will take significant investments in money and time.
Schieck suggests that one should pilot the new methods in a chosen area to the degree needed for EIA to show the value of this way of gathering information. This presentation was a part of the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada, Resource Access and Ecological Issues Forum, from November 2013.
