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<DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>ACIMS Ecological Community records</SPAN><SPAN> have been developed through a review process, and continue to be refined as new community types are proposed and as more information is gathered on types already on the list. The communities on the lists are first split into terrestrial or aquatic types, then further organized into physiognomic classes. The work to document the ecological communities of Alberta is ongoing and new types not yet documented are to be expected. Some will be rare types that should be added to the tracking list.</SPAN><SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN>There are many different kinds of ecological communities, ranging from those that are natural, to those that are dominated by cultivated species. Only natural, near-natural and some modified/managed communities are considered of conservation concern from the ecological community perspective. For example, communities that have formed in roadside ditches or those that have been planted or substantively altered by cultivation may well provide habitat for species of conservation concern, and hence be significant for other reasons, but they would not be considered rare communities</SPAN><SPAN>. </SPAN><SPAN>Ecological communities can be divided into three main pattern types; (1) Matrix communities are widespread and cover large areas across the landscape, (2) Large patch communities are less extensive and cover less of the landscape, but overall may still form large, uninterrupted patches, and (3) Small patch communities form small, discrete areas, usually associated with specific, specialized habitats, such as cliff faces or saline seepages</SPAN><SPAN>. </SPAN><SPAN>Together, matrix and large patch communities usually make up the main, representative vegetation of an area. Small patch communities, although small in area, contain a disproportionately large percentage of the total flora, and also support a specific and restricted set of associated fauna (e.g. invertebrates or herpetofauna) dependent on specialized conditions. Rare ecological communities are often, but not always, small patch types. An occurrence for a tracked community should meet the minimum patch size specification.</SPAN><SPAN> This data updates on a daily basis.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV> |