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Canada
Vital Resources - peatlands and wetlands
Peatlands are the dominant type of wetlands in Canada. As in Russia, China, Indonesia and many other countries, peatlands/wetlands are very significant resources in Canada. They occupy large regions in Canada (i.e. particularly the boreal and arctic ecozones) and are found in most parts of the country from the grasslands through to the arctic (Wiken et al, 2003).
Peatlands are: critical habitats for domestic and international species; sources of striking biodiversity (i.e. species, ecosystem/habitat types); areas that provide ecological services, such as water storage and recharge; and important sites for recreation, tourism and cultural reasons.
The Peat Portal - a place to share information and knowledge
The Peat Portal is an international site designed to promote the conservation and protection of the world’s peatlands. The website is sponsored by the Global Environmental Centre (www.gecnet.info). With a specific focus on peatlands/wetlands, the website is designed to assist nations, organizations and individuals to:
- Share and profile information on the issues concerning these ecosystems/habitats
- Report on the status and trends affecting these resources
- Develop indicators and performance standards for conservation and protection
- Examine and promote inventory and monitor systems
- Provide tools and methodologies concerning integrated and ecosystem based approaches to peatland management
- Have technical and scientific forums and discussion groups for resource managers, waterfowl hunters, planners and conservationists
- Outline education tools and teaching aids
- Discuss concerns on biodiversity, habitat conservation, climate change, and sustainable resource development
- Feature recent and ongoing research activities (i.e. workshops, conferences, seminars)
- Develop and refine policies, legislation, conventions and guidelines
- Facilitate cross country and agency discussions on peatland/wetland opportunities and concerns.
The Connection to Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) - developing expertise and conservation policies
WHC has had a long-term interest in the conservation and protection of wetlands as critical wildlife habitats. Concerns by conservationists and hunters on about how to sustain wetland habitats for domestic and international waterfowl populations are prominent examples. Wetlands are very productive habitats for many other animal and plant species, and are one of the few habitats types that are found throughout Canada.
Wetlands occupy about 18% of Canada’s landscapes and are three times larger than the native grassland landscapes. Wetlands/peatlands are increasingly significant elements that are considered in land use plans and resource impact assessments. WHC has played a significant part in promoting means and partnerships to conserve wetlands, and in evaluating the status and stress factors (e.g. climate change, land use changes) on peatlands/wetlands. Most of Canada’s wetlands consist of peatlands and this has major implications on carbon storage and climate change considerations. WHC has directed international studies on peatland conservation, such as the Climate Change Peatland Initiative in Indonesia. This international work, as well as domestic projects, led to partnership initiatives with the Global Environmental Centre to create strategic wetland/peatland policies under the Conference on the Parties dealing with Climate Change and Biological Diversity. These policies assist other nations, in addition to jurisdictions throughout Canada, in wetland conservation and protection.
The Canadian Peat Portal Folder - a profile of Canadian concerns and achievements
In response to a request from the Global Environmental Centre to have Canadian initiatives and achievements profiled and a central contact established, Wildlife Habitat Canada offered to act as the lead in developing the format and content for the Canadian folder. This role is in keeping with WHC's domestic and international interests, and with furthering wetland/peatland expertise and conservation opportunities.
Currently, the Canadian folder consists of six sub-folders:
Peatland and Wetland Protected Areas
Peatland Climate Change
Peatland Indicators and Integrity
Peatland Maps
Reporting on the Status of Peatlands
Peatland Publications & Presentations
The first two sub-folders are examples of conservation issues. How well have we protected representative wetland/peatland ecosystems or critical wetland/peatland wildlife habitats? How will climate change affect the distribution and kinds of wetlands/peatlands?
The third and fourth sub-folders are designed to address items concerning how well we understand wetlands/peatlands in Canada. Do we have indicators about wetland/peatland quality and quantity? Do we understand what key elements maintain the integrity of wetlands/peatlands? Do we have basic reference maps and descriptions of wetlands/peatlands?
The fifth and sixth sub-folders include information regarding the examination of the status of wetlands/peatlands in a broad context. For example, what are the current stress factors affecting wetland/peatland conservation? What is being done to monitor wetland/peatland changes and what have the trends been? What are the gaps and opportunities related to wetland/peatland conservation and protection practices? In the final sub-folder, there is information on what documents are available related to peatland concerns, data and issues.
Canadian Folders in Brief - what do they contain?
What is the intent with each of these current folders?
- Peatland and Wetland Protected Areas
Protected areas usually address one of two key goals – protecting representative ecosystem types and protecting critical habitats. Most of Canada’s network of protected areas do not focus on regional wetland ecosystem protection and most of the critical habitat work addresses waterfowl needs. The paper in this section examines the broader types of protected area interests and assesses the progress which has been made as well as the gaps.
- Peatland Climate Change
Canadian peatlands store an enormous quantity of carbon, especially in the boreal, taiga and lower arctic ecozones. The papers here examine the quantities and locations of stored carbon, the relative degrees of threats to these peatlands by changes in climate, and the results impacts.
- Peatland Indicators and Integrity
It is difficult to assess and track all aspects concerning the conservation and protection of peatlands/wetlands. Indicators are useful means to target on the critical signals and measures concerning the integrity of natural or restored wetlands.
- Peatland Maps
Wetlands occur throughout Canada and are the types of ecosystems and habitats that most Canadian can readily associate with. Their specific geography and types like peatlands vary to some degree in each of Canada’s 15 ecozones. These maps show how wetlands and peatlands vary spatiality and according to factors such as types or quantities.
- Reporting on the Status of Peatlands
What is the status of peatlands in Canada? What types of peatlands and wetlands do we have? How have conditions of peatlands change and what have been the trends in change? What the major factors affecting the change in peatlands and how do they vary across the country?
- Peatland Publications & Presentations
This sub-folder contains a Word document that lists mainly Canadian publications and presentations related to peatland/wetland assessments, data, research, etc.
In partnership with others (e.g. Harold Moore of GeoInsight Corporation, Charles Tarnocai of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Council on Ecological Areas, Ducks Unlimited Canada), WHC is continuing to develop and update the information contained within the Canadian folder and sub-folders on the Peat Portal.
Background Information
Wiken, Ed, Jean Cinq-Mars, Moreno Padilla, Harold Moore and Claudia Latsch. 2003. The State of Canadian Wetlands: Building a Conservation Strategy. In the national conference on Wetlands Stewardship in Canada: Setting a Course Together. February 3 – 5, 2003 – Ottawa ISBN 0-662-34289-5., Ontario. NAWCC, Ottawa K2C 2B5. Report No. 03-2. pgs 5 – 19.
Wiken, Ed B., W. G. B. Smith, Jean Cinq-Mars and David Gauthier. 2003. Habitat Integrity and Biodiversity in Canada: Wildlife Conservation at the Crossroads. WHC background paper for the National Conference on Guidelines and Tools for the Evaluation of Natura 200 Sites in France, Montpellier, March 3-5, 2003
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