Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A REPORT ON APPLYING REAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TO THE CBI

The report details the proof of concept testing (POCT) of the Canadian Biodiversity Index (CBI), a tool designed to provide a consistent mechanism for assessing biodiversity status and trends across Canada. Testing was conducted on two ecounits: Netley-Libau Marsh in Manitoba and Banks Island in the Northwest Territories. The POCT confirmed the CBI's potential as a national index, particularly its flexible 0-100 normalized scale that allows for the comparison of diverse indicators. However, the testing revealed significant challenges regarding the availability and quality of historical indicator data and the subjectivity involved in setting 'Desired Future States' (DFS) and scoring ranges. Key recommendations include renaming the 'Landscape and Global Factors' theme to 'External Influences', adopting an average of theme scores rather than a 'weakest-link' approach for overall ecounit scoring, and implementing a finer scoring scale (rounding to the nearest 5) to better detect trends.

• The CBI's normalized 0-100 scale is a primary strength, enabling the comparison of indicators that measure different biological elements and use different units of measure.
• Data availability and quality represent the most significant obstacle to implementing the CBI, as historical data is often missing, incomplete, or collected in formats unsuitable for trend analysis.
• The original 'Landscape and Global Factors' theme (Theme 3) proved difficult to apply due to scale inconsistencies; it is recommended to be renamed 'External Influences' to focus on pressures outside the ecounit that provide early warning signals.
• The 'weakest-link' approach to scoring—where the lowest-scoring indicator determines the theme and ecounit score—may be too pessimistic, as it can result in perpetually low scores for most ecounits regardless of other improvements.
• An alternative scoring method, calculating the ecounit score as an average of the four theme scores, was found to better differentiate between ecounits and provide a more representative overall biodiversity score.
• Using 20-point category ranges can mask gradual biodiversity declines; calculating scores to the nearest 5 or 10 is recommended to detect trends earlier and allow for more precise comparisons.
• The CBI can serve as a framework for designing future monitoring programs by identifying key indicators and ensuring data is collected in a way that supports long-term trend comparisons.
• The use of a data gap analysis chart during testing proved highly effective for visualizing temporal data availability and highlighting the value of centralized data management organizations.

APA

Grosshans, R., Murray, C., Pintér, L., Smith, R., & Venema, H. (2006). Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A REPORT ON APPLYING REAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TO THE CBI. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measure_cbi.pdf

Chicago

Grosshans, Richard, Carol Murray, László Pintér, Risa Smith, and Henry Venema. Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A REPORT ON APPLYING REAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TO THE CBI. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2006. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measure_cbi.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grosshans |first1=Richard |last2=Murray |first2=Carol |last3=Pintér |first3=László |last4=Smith |first4=Risa |last5=Venema |first5=Henry |title=Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A REPORT ON APPLYING REAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TO THE CBI |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=5 July 2006 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measure_cbi.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grosshans2006field, author = {Grosshans, Richard and Murray, Carol and Pintér, László and Smith, Risa and Venema, Henry}, title = {{Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A REPORT ON APPLYING REAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TO THE CBI}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2006}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measure_cbi.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }