Although Canada's population is rising more slowly than the global average, the growth, coupled with high consumption levels and the push for greater economic prosperity, places pressure on Canada's wild ecosystems and threatens biodiversity. Canadians consume more energy per capita than any other people on Earth. Over-consumption in prosperous countries, including Canada, threatens biodiversity globally. Habitat Loss Roughly 80 percent of species decline in Canada is caused by habitat loss. We have already eliminated 71 percent of Prairies wetlands and 68 percent of southern Ontario wetlands.
Wetlands are the prime habitat of one-third of the species at risk of extinction in Canada.
Protecting only 12 percent of Canada's land base in parks will not protect Canada's biodiversity over the long run. The parks we establish must be large, essentially undeveloped and inter-connected by natural corridors. Land use practices on the rest of the land base must maintain, not destroy, biodiversity to provide a 100 percent solution. Unrestricted Clearcut Logging Clearcut logging is carried out on more than 90 percent of the forest landscapes in Canada. In these ecosystems, clearcutting accelerates soil erosion, degrades salmon spawning habitat and leads to the loss of biodiversity.