The losses are clustered largely in southern Canada because the greatest diversity of wild species and habitats is found there, and pressure for development is also the highest. The loss and degradation of wetlands is particularly serious. Approximately 30 percent of the species designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as at risk of extinction depend on wetlands. Canada's modern lifestyle, with its heavy dependence on industrial, household, and agricultural chemicals, also poses a serious risk to endangered species. In 1995, the use of the insecticide carbofuran was restricted after it was proven that it had detrimental effects on the endangered Burrowing Owl.
Modern society puts species in jeopardy in even more ways.
Acid rain, for example, can kill pond and other aquatic life, and has a negative effect on soils and forest growth. Some wildlife biologists already believe that acid rain and ultraviolet radiation are at least partial culprits in the population declines of some species of waterfowl and amphibians. The federal government is developing endangered species legislation to protect the species that it is responsible for, such as migratory birds, species on federal lands or waters, fish, and marine mammals. Canada was one of the first industrialized nations to sign the international Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992. By doing so, Canada affirmed its commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and endangered species.