PEM Panel -- Breakout 19A Greg Utzig

PEM PANEL Are we ready to spend $$$ on a provincial level PEM? Where do we start? What are the questions we should be asking?

What are our client needs ? –Who are our potential clients? –What are their needs now? –What are their anticipated future needs?

Given what we know today, what data inputs or input layers do we need to develop? –Limit the critical variables that we need for answering the our clients priority questions (5-10?) –Limit to those we can actually reliably collect –Stored as continuous gradient data sets where appropriate - what are the corporate level implications of moving toward more continuous info?

What knowledge bases do we need to develop to effectively utilize the data layers? What process models do we need to develop to to effectively utilize the data layers? Given present demographics of inventory/ecological practitioners - opportune time to capture knowledge (documented as hypotheses to be tested and revised)

Maps are a presentation tool - distinct from data storage tools Maps are ephemeral - a snapshot representation of an evolving and dynamic data base Conceptual Shift

Given the shift to emphasis on maintaining ecosystem integrity at multiple scales, including landscapes and watersheds, and the integration of terrestrial, hydrologic and aquatic processes: What are the fundamental entities necessary to support a watershed or landscape framework?

How should the detailed taxonomic levels of BEC be utilized for representing and communicating the underlying continuous data sets ? How can the BEC system be utilized to improve communication of knowledge to decision-makers (e.g. for organizing information and supporting map production)?

Where to go with PEM now? Given the above background, significant effort should be committed to: –coordinated + consistent + comparable PEM pilots –focused, co-ordinated, disciplined, etc. –including test datasets distributed throughout the Province –a formal program framework (multi-year plan)