Species and Areas Under Protection: Challenges and Opportunities for the Canadian Northern Corridor

The Canadian Northern Corridor (CNC) is a proposed multimodal transportation right-of- way, with accompanying infrastructure, that would run largely through northern Canada, with the goal of connecting all three coasts. Given the magnitude of the project, there are many implications for the lands and waterways, as well as for humans and other species in those areas, that the CNC will either intersect directly or affect indirectly through cascading effects. This study used literature searches focused on the intersection of biodiversity, conservation research, government policies and engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems. Given the diversity of topics and the amount of research available in some areas (e.g., entire reviews have been written solely focused on the ecological effects of roads), this study highlights, rather than comprehensively treats, potential biodiversity challenges associated with the CNC. Biodiversity is a term that refers to the diversity (variability or complexity) of life, typically at one or more of the following levels: genes, species and ecosystem. Major development projects may: 1) reduce genetic diversity within species, 2) increase odds of species loss in the region, and 3) degrade the quality and extent of a variety of ecosystems. Wetlands will be an important consideration for the CNC project. Wetlands are a globally threatened ecosystem, disappearing at roughly three times the rate as forests. Canada is known as a significant reservoir of fresh water, holding approximately 20 percent of the world’s freshwater supply. Relevant to the CNC, more than half of this water drains northward into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay. The dominant habitat that the CNC will traverse is the boreal forest, which holds 25 percent of the world’s wetlands and 85 percent of Canada’s wetlands. Geographical regions of concern are northern Ontario and northern Manitoba. The specific risks to wetlands from the CNC project include habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, which creates smaller populations isolated from other populations, leading to reduced probability of persistence through time, ultimately reducing biodiversity. Given their reliance on wetlands for breeding and early life development, amphibians may also be negatively impacted. Globally, amphibians are the most threatened vertebrates, mitigated somewhat by the fact that presently only two at-risk amphibian species have ranges projected to overlap with the CNC.