Biodiversity

SHAPE of Nature: Globally threatened ecosystems

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]

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This evaluation reports on the number of globally at-risk ecosystems that have been documented in Canada and for each province/territory.

Key points

• 315 at-risk ecosystems are ranked as Globally Vulnerable, Imperiled or Collapsed.
• Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have the highest number of globally threatened ecosystems.
• 38 at-risk ecosystems are endemic to Canada, and not documented in the US.

Abstract

Canada has 315 globally threatened ecosystems that are ranked by NatureServe as Globally Vulnerable, Imperiled, and Collapsed. These include two levels of classification: ecosystem ‘groups’ (n=50) (the coarsest scale) and ecosystem ‘associations’ (n=265) (the finest scale).

Ontario, BC, and Alberta have the highest number of globally threatened ecosystems that have been documented in Canada (Figure 1).

In eastern and central Canada, many globally threatened ecosystems are associated with prairies, savannahs and alvars. In western Canada threatened ecosystems include sub-alpine, sagebrush, and temperate rainforest associations.

26 ecosystems in Canada are ranked as Critically Imperiled. These include Western Red-cedar / Salal Forest (BC), Northern Tallgrass Bur Oak Openings (MB, ON), and Eastern Serpentine Outcrop (NL).

15 ecosystems in Canada are now included on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems. This list is growing as additional assessments are in progress.

Many globally threatened ecosystems are important habitat for Canada’s species at risk and species of global conservation concern.

There are 38 globally threatened ecosystems found in Canada that have not been documented in the US.

Unlike the US, Canada does not have a national ecosystem classification system. Current classifications are a patchwork of provincial, territorial, and regional systems. All ecosystems, including threatened ecosystems, are poorly documented particularly in northern and eastern Canada. This limits the ability to fully describe and conserve threatened ecosystems across our country.

Recommended citation

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada] (2023). SHAPE of Nature: Globally threatened ecosystems. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://wcscanada.org/resources/shape-of-nature-globally-threatened-ecosystems/