Protecting Sensitive Lands 
What is Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (SEI)?
Sensitive ecosystems are landscapes within our area which are ecologically fragile and/or are recognized as rare.
The Central Okanagan Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory was undertaken in 2007 in response to a need for scientific information pertaining to wildlife habitat and sensitive ecosystems. This inventory identifies rare and fragile terrestrial ecosystems along low to mid-elevations in the Central Okanagan.
Where do sensitive ecosystems occur?
This inventory recognizes both sensitive ecosystems (SE) and other important ecosystems (OIE). Sensitive ecosystems include wetlands, riparian, old forest, grasslands, broadleaf woodlands, coniferous woodlands and sparsely vegetated ecosystems.
Why protect lands?
Tweny-eight per cent of the Central Okanagan (6,041 ha) is made up of sensitive ecosystems, while other important ecosystems comprised 0.5 per cent (102 ha) of the area's 21,500 ha.
The study also illustrates that seasonally flood fields, broadleaf woodland, mature forest, old forest, wetland and sparsely vegetated ecosystems are all extremely rare in the study area. Riparian and grassland ecosystems are slightly less rare, but are still infrequent.
