A Personal History the BIOLOGICAL SURVEY of CANADA
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THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA: A Personal History Biological Survey of Canada H.V. Danks Commission biologique du Canada THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA: A PERSONAL HISTORY H.V. Danks Biological Survey of Canada Monograph Series No. 8 (2016) ii Published by the BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA©2016 All illustrations in this book are copyright by individual authors or agencies, and their unauthorized use is prohibited. For further information contact the Biological Survey of Canada. The Biological Survey of Canada is an incorporated not-for-profit group devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada. It develops and coordinates national initiatives in systematics, biodiversity surveys, and publication of knowledge products. The monograph series of the Biological Survey of Canada comprises invited, fully reviewed publications relevant to the biodiversity of Canada. ISBN: 978-0-9689321-9-3 doi: 10.3752/9780968932193 iii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1 THE GENESIS OF AN IDEA ...................................................................... 2 Background ................................................................................................. 2 The Department of Agriculture ................................................................. 2 The Entomological Society of Canada ...................................................... 4 Elements of the original plan ..................................................................... 5 SECURING INITIAL FUNDING ............................................................... 7 A steering committee .................................................................................. 7 The Biological Council of Canada ............................................................ 8 The Entomological Society of Canada’s proposal ................................... 9 Terms of the Pilot Study contract ........................................................... 12 STAFFING THE SECRETARIAT ............................................................ 13 THE PILOT STUDY, 1977–1978............................................................... 17 The Pilot Study office ............................................................................... 17 The Scientific Committee for the Pilot Study ........................................ 17 Conducting the Pilot Study ...................................................................... 22 Completing general elements of the contract......................................... 25 Developing Canada and its Insect Fauna ............................................... 28 Difficulties with the Lead Department ................................................... 30 FINDING A WAY FORWARD, 1978 ........................................................ 32 MAINTENANCE ON CONTRACT, 1978–1982 ..................................... 36 THE SURVEY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM .................................... 39 The Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) ................. 39 The Scientific Committee ......................................................................... 40 Roles of the Secretariat ............................................................................ 52 Secretariat travel ...................................................................................... 55 Scientific priorities, projects and initiatives of the Biological Survey of Canada ................................................................................................ 57 The Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification .............................. 87 The Biological Survey at annual meetings of the Entomological Society of Canada .................................................................................. 88 The Biological Survey Foundation .......................................................... 89 Impact of the Survey ................................................................................ 90 The Head of the Secretariat retires ......................................................... 91 THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA CONTINUES ................. 95 CODA: LESSONS FROM THE HISTORY OF THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY .................................................................................................... 96 iv Appendices Appendix 1. Chronological list of members of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada, 1977-2009 ....................................... 99 Appendix 2. List of entomologist members of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada, 1977-2009, and their affiliations... 106 Appendix 3. Selected references related to the Biological Survey concept, and to the Pilot Study and its aftermath ................................................... 109 Appendix 4. Output from the scientific projects and initiatives of the Biological Survey of Canada (by project) .................................................111 Appendix 5. References for the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification ............................................................................................. 134 Appendix 6. General references for the Biological Survey of Canada (by category): Scientific briefs, Resource documents, Newsletters, Reports and documentation in the Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada, Web site, Symposia and workshops, Official letters, Survey publicity, Other references ........................................................... 137 Appendix 7. Publications of H.V. Danks .................................................... 147 Appendix 8. Glossary of selected acronyms ............................................... 154 Figures Figures 1-14. Products of the Biological Survey of Canada: Publications from the Pilot Study, Publications from the Northern Contract, Keys to myriapods, Annotated list of workers (third edition), Leaflets about the Biological Survey and its publications, Monographs of the Biological Survey Foundation, Arthropods of Canadian grasslands, Proceedings from various symposia, Briefs on various topics, Briefs about insect collections, Briefs about the study of arthropod biodiversity, Sample issues of newsletters, Web site 2005, Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification ............................................................................................. 155 Figures 15-21. Senior entomologists who were members of the Scientific Committee during the Pilot Study: George Ball, Ken Davey, Antony Downes, Keith Kevan, Gene Munroe, Geoff Scudder, Glenn Wiggins ... 163 Figures 22-50. Some entomologists who were members of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada: George Ball, Valerie Behan-Pelletier, Chris Buddle, Rob Cannings, Doug Currie, Ken Davey, Antony Downes, Kevin Floate, Terry Galloway, Donna Giberson, David Langor, David Larson, Dennis Lehmkuhl, Steve Marshall, Valin Marshall, John Matthews, David McCorquodale, Richard Ring, Rob Roughley, v David Rosenberg, Geoff Scudder, Joe Shorthouse, John Spence, Felix Sperling, Jon Sweeney, Terry Wheeler, Glenn Wiggins, Dudley Williams, Neville Winchester ...................................................... 164 Figures 51-57. Groups of members of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada (identified in the captions)......................... 172 Figures 58-67. The Head of the Secretariat at different times during his career ........................................................................................................ 176 Credits for photographs ............................................................................. 179 The Biological Survey of Canada: a personal history 1 INTRODUCTION The history of the Biological Survey of Canada launched for insects in 1977 reflects not only scientific ideas but also personal and political dynamics, especially during the first few years. These general aspects of the development of the Survey, together with its purpose and achievements, are emphasized here. The great success of the Survey depended on its many cooperators across the country and on members of the advisory committee, who contributed both active study of the fauna and guidance to the project as a whole. Therefore, I report here not just what was done but also who did it, extending the length of the text but showing more accurately how the Survey was able to move forward. The aims and opinions of those who helped to launch the program coincided to a remarkable degree. The scientific results of the Survey are available in a very large number of publications. However, the focus here is not on what these discoveries tell us about the fauna of insects and related groups in Canada, but on how the Survey came into being, how it operated, and why it was effective. Therefore, specific scientific content is dealt with in only enough detail to support the narrative, and no attempt is made to summarize the Survey’s many interesting findings. For the same reason, there are no summaries of the Survey’s recommendations about procedures for study and other needs. However, several detailed appendices list scientific publications and other products that provide those specifics. This treatment includes my personal perspectives and recollections as head of the Survey from 1977 until 2007. The text is nevertheless written in the third person to avoid a constant stream of personal pronouns. The period covered runs until about 2009, when the Biological Survey changed form, although the early history of the