ECO Overview of Biodiversity
This is an overview of the ECO's past reporting on biodiversity in Ontario. Click here for more information about the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and our activities.
Click here for a list of ECO articles about biodiversity.
Ontario is an ecologically diverse region of Canada, stretching from the northern Arctic tundra on the shores of Hudson Bay to the remnants of Carolinian forest bordering the southern Great Lakes. This extensive range of landforms and climates has created habitat for more than 2,900 species of vascular plants, 160 species of fish, 80 species of amphibians and reptiles, 400 species of birds and 85 species of mammals. This rich tapestry of life, including the diverse ecosystems and landscapes that support these species, forms the biological diversity of Ontario.
Biological diversity, also called biodiversity, can be understood as the variety of native species, the genetic variability of each species, and the variety of different ecosystems they form. It is the result of billions of years of evolution, creating ecological systems so complex that humans are only now beginning to understand their dynamics.
Canada is among the 190 countries that are parties to the international Convention on Biological Diversity. The commitment of the international community, made in 2002, is “to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth.” This 2010 Biodiversity Target was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. The international community has agreed that, “Unprecedented additional efforts are needed, and these must be squarely focused on addressing the main drivers of biodiversity loss.”
In our 2001/2002 Annual Report, Developing Sustainability, the ECO called for a comprehensive provincial strategy (p. 153) to address the issue of biodiversity loss in Ontario. We also stated that a number of provincial laws that deal with biodiversity issues, such as the Endangered Species Act and the Provincial Parks Act, were outdated and in need of revision. At the time, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) stated that its existing measures were sufficient and that the creation of a provincial strategy was unnecessary.
In our 2002/2003 Annual Report, Thinking Beyond the Near and Now we outlined a potential framework for a biodiversity strategy (p. 49). The suggested framework was a compilation of four sub-strategies aimed at specific biodiversity issues. Specifically, these sub-strategies covered protected areas, natural heritage planning and management, the protection and recovery of species at risk, and invasive species. Again, MNR remained uncommitted to developing its own strategy.
In our 2003/2004 Annual Report, Choosing our Legacy, we discussed the spread of invasive species (p. 47) that threaten Ontario’s biodiversity. Specifically, the report highlighted the potential ruin that could be brought to bear on many provincial habitats if invasive species like the Asian Long Horned Beetle are not controlled. The report discussed the need for MNR to develop a strategy to address invasive species.
In October 2004, MNR announced the development of a biodiversity strategy for Ontario. The strategy emphasized the need to protect the genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity of Ontario, and to use and develop the biological assets of Ontario sustainably, while capturing the benefits from such use for Ontarians. Our 2004/2005 Annual Report, Planning our Landscape, provided a brief commentary on the 2005 Update on Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy (p. 67-69).
Our 2005-2006 Annual Report, Neglecting our Obligations presented a detailed review of Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy. Based on the shortcomings of the strategy, the Ontario government was urged to treat the issue of conserving biodiversity as a government-wide responsibility. It was asserted that each ministry that could aid in conserving biodiversity should be held accountable for its actions in this regard.
In our 2007/2008 Annual Report, Getting to K(No)w, we warned that the loss of biological diversity was at a crisis point in Ontario. We stated that the lack of action by the Ontario government was overwhelmingly disappointing. Moreover, we also asserted that the Statements of Environmental Values (SEVs) of all ministries prescribed under the EBR should specify this obligation to conserve Ontario’s biodiversity, in addition to detailing the measures that will be put into effect by each branch of government.
