Material Traces: Mapping Habitat Loss in Northern British Columbia

This material research examines the movement of data between digital and analog space, tracing its migration between states, the falling away of its meaning and its reconstruction. This idea was tested by visualizing ecological data models through an automated reduction process to simulate a continuity of wildlife migratory patterns. This process explores material as a vector for accumulated knowledge, illustrating a recession of Woodland Caribou populations in British Columbia through a contraction of their herd ranges over a twenty-two year period. The use of modern GIS and digital manufacturing processes references visually a history of narrative and spatial representation, such as bass relief carving, cartographic projection, and cognitive mapping, relevant today as the meaningful interface between man, the wilderness, the wood matrix and landscape changes. The wood matrix, our forestry industry is composed of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The primary sector processes raw materials, including saw milling, pulp and paper, and composite panel manufacturing. The secondary ‘value-added’ sector covers re-manufactured wood products, engineered components, mill work, furniture, pallets and containers. Tertiary sector covers equipment supply, education, research, consulting, transport and distribution. These historical examples of spatial representation and digital manufacturing processes have informed the production of artifacts, which record a body of data that points towards a probabilistic future, a forewarning of a vanishing point of biodiversity.