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Ecosystem Management Study

The Surrey Ecosystem Management Study (EMS) is a science-based study that identifies and maps the Green Infrastructure Network (GIN) in the City of Surrey.

It is the first phase of a broader initiative, originating from the City of Surrey’s Sustainability Charter (2008), to strategically manage environmentally significant lands and ecosystem values throughout the City.

The EMS provides the following:

a mapping inventory of environmental features and ecological assets;
a mapping inventory of vegetation types and structures;
a delineation of a City-wide GIN into Ecosystem Hubs, Sites and Corridors;
a GIN ecosystem valuation of Hubs and Corridors; and
management strategies to support the GIN.

Green Infrastructure Network

The Ecosystem Management Study focuses on 4 main elements of Surrey’s landscape, which together form the City’s Natural Green Infrastructure Network (GIN):

Hubs – large contiguous areas of complex ecological processes (at least 10 ha in size);
Sites – smaller areas of natural vegetation (between 0.25 and 10 ha in sizes);
Corridors –pathways that offer species and ecological process connection between hubs (100 meters wide);
The Matrix – the rest of the land base with varying ecological value.

Review the complete Surrey Ecosystem Management Study (23 MB)

The second future phase of the project included a detailed Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (BCS), which was developed to:

identify and quantify biodiversity and wildlife habitat resources in Surrey's GIN;
set objectives for species and populations of wildlife (targets);
determine habitat criteria such as corridor widths, sites and hubs to maintain biodiversity;
ensure target levels of biodiversity are conserved; and
provide indicators to monitor progress of the EMS.