C A N A D A’ S L I V I N G P L A N E T I N D E X
Evaluating the state of nature in Canada is complicated because we’re a big country with a lot of biodiversity. The good news is that we’ve made significant conservation gains over the past thirty years. However, as we move forward, the need for conservation has never been greater.
Overall, the trends for terrestrial species have stayed fairly steady between 1970 and 2003 (Figure 5). However, Figure 5 also shows that mammal populations dropped by 40 percent during this period.
2.0
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Grassland nesting birds
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1.6
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1.4
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Index (1970=1.0)
1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6
Index (1970=1.0)
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1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6
1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6
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CANADIAN LIVING PLANET REPORT 2007 5
TECHNICAL NOTES
0.4
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Canada’s freshwater LPI Freshwater birds
SCENARIOS
Index (1970=1.0)
Fig. 7: CANADA’S FRESHWATER LIVING PLANET INDEX, 1970–2003
Fig. 6: LPI OF CANADA’S GRASSLAND NESTING BIRDS, 1970–2003
Canada’s terrestrial LPI Terrestrial birds Terrestrial mammals
1.8
One of the main problems facing terrestrial species is the loss of habitat. For example, most large mammals such as lynx don’t have the big protected areas they need to survive.i Meanwhile, grassland birds are suffering as the prairies they depend on disappear.
That’s worrying, especially because a third of terrestrial mammal species in Canada were already in decline before 1970.
Fig. 5: CANADA’S TERRESTRIAL LIVING PLANET INDEX, 1970–2003 2.0
On the other hand, bird populations as a whole have not fared quite so badly. This indicates that they’re generally coping well and have benefited from conservation efforts. But while the general trend is better than the trend for mammals, certain species such as grassland birds have declined (Figure 6).
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
ON LAND: MAMMALS IN TROUBLE
LIVING PLANET
EVALUATING THE STATE OF CANADA’S NATURE