ACIMS definitions

Legal land descriptions are based on the Alberta Township Survey system. This system is a grid network that divides the province into equal-sized parcels of land.
 

A biodiversity unit for which a conservation status rank can be assigned. Elements can be recognized at different taxonomic levels. Elements in the ACIMS database include species, subspecies, and varieties. They also include ecological communities and other non-taxonomic biological entities (for example, migratory species aggregation areas). 

The Element concept is part of NatureServe methodology.

Specific locations (area of land or water) where an element is or was present on the landscape. Element Occurrences (EO) should have conservation value as evidenced by potential continued presence or reoccurrence at this location.

The EO concept is part of NatureServe methodology. EOs can be created from multiple observations, using the EO Data Standard from NatureServe.

A distinct assemblage of plant species with similar total species composition and vegetation structure that can often be associated with specific environmental conditions. Given the right conditions, it can reoccur predictably.

The process of listing the species reported for Alberta and assigning conservation status ranks, that is part of the Government of Alberta’s commitments under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada (1996). Reports are published every 5 years, but work is continually ongoing to update species records in the ACIMS system.

Refers to taxonomic levels below the rank of species such as subspecies and varieties.

Occurrences of species or communities that are rare (or of conservation concern) and for which there are no restrictions regarding public access to location data.

The raw data collected during field surveys or associated with biological specimens. These raw observations can be used to create Element Occurrences, if they meet the criteria in the Element Occurrence Data Standard.

Observations may represent an ephemeral event – for example, a bird flying overhead – that does not represent potential continued presence or reoccurrence at a location and would not be candidates to be added to an Element Occurrence.

Those elements for which only EOs that meet specific criteria are tracked. For example, only EOs in selected geographic areas are tracked.

Occurrences of species that are rare (or of conservation concern) but in these cases the precise location details cannot be distributed without due cause. In most cases these locations are not freely available because the species are legally listed (for example, under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act) or are of particular concern to the Alberta government.

Conservation status ranks are assigned to Elements at the global, national and subnational levels. Elements that have been added to the ACIMS database are assigned S-Ranks for Alberta according to NatureServe Methodology. S-Ranks are calculated using the NatureServe Rank Calculator.

ACIMS actively collects data for Elements on the track list (Tracked Elements). This observation data is then processed to create Element Occurrences which are available through ACIMS data products (only Elements that are currently tracked appear in ACIMS data products).

Watched Elements are those for which ACIMS is collecting data, but which are not being processed to create EOs. There are several reasons why Elements may be on the watch list rather than the track list, including lower conservation concern, and uncertainty about conservation status.

These are animals with a backbone (vertebral column), and members of the Vertebrata. Groups of vertebrate animals present in Alberta include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. 

In contrast, the informal term ‘invertebrate animal’ or ‘invertebrate’ is often used to refer to animal species without a backbone. Examples of invertebrate animal groups include insects, molluscs, and sponges. 

While ACIMS does contain some vertebrate data it is not publicly available through data products and must be requested.

The Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System is the primary location for vertebrate data in Alberta.