Methodology — Constrain and frame the analysis

To develop the map of priority areas for ecological corridors, Parks Canada developed a set of criteria to constrain and frame the analysis. Criteria require that priority areas:

1. be located where ecological corridors are the most effective conservation tool
2. represent diverse ecosystems in Canada
3. connect both protected and unprotected natural habitats
4. be of national importance for connectivity conservation based on national-scale data

The right conservation tool in the right place

The geographic scope included areas of Canada where ecological corridors would be effective as a conservation tool. Ecological corridors are most needed and effective in landscapes that are impacted by habitat loss and fragmentation. In northern Canada, large tracts of unfragmented and intact wilderness still exist. Although impacted by climate change and development, the best strategy to maintain connectivity in the North is to continue to work towards establishing large intact protected areas, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), and/or Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

While in the southern to mid-latitudes of Canada, the landscape has undergone or is undergoing rapid habitat loss and fragmentation. It is also where the majority of species at risk occur in Canada. This is where ecological corridors are urgently needed as an effective tool to maintain or restore connectivity on the landscape.

To define the focal area, a boundary was drawn distinguishing the more intact areas in the north from heavily fragmented and modified lands in the south. This line, seen in the map of NPAECs as gray shading, was identified through a series of computational steps using national data on land use and fragmentation.

Represent diverse ecosystems

In order to represent the full range of ecosystems and species in the southern to mid-latitudes of Canada, the country was divided by ecozones. Ecozones are large geographic areas with roughly the same land features, climate and species of plants and animals. At least one priority area is present in each ecozone.

Connect protected and unprotected natural habitats

Ecological networks for conservation aim to connect natural habitats via ecological corridors. Some natural habitats are protected and formally recognized for their biodiversity conservation outcomes. These areas include Protected Areas, IPCAs, and OECMs. However, vast areas of natural habitat remain unprotected and are equally important to the diversity of ecosystems and species in Canada. These habitats also need to be part of ecological networks. The term ‘unprotected natural habitat’ refers to areas with documented and recognized ecological and cultural values but remain unprotected. Examples include Key Biodiversity Areas and Biosphere Reserves.

Be of national importance

In Canada, the second largest country in the world, identifying areas where ecological corridors are most urgently needed at a national scale was a challenge. National-scale data were used to locate priority areas where conserving and restoring connectivity would have the biggest impact towards sustaining biodiversity and ecosystems. This coarse-scale approach was useful given the large spatial scale of the analyses and the types of national geospatial data that were available. The resulting NPAECs are coarsely defined geographic areas identified as being nationally important for connectivity conservation. Ecological corridors will be nested within the priority areas. Local and regional data can inform fine-scale identification and creation of ecological corridors by local and regional jurisdictions, land managers and stewards.