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Ontario

While many of the habitats in Ontario have some level of protection, to stop wildlife loss protections must be prioritized for areas that are home to an abundance of species at risk.

Intensive human activity has led to large numbers of at-risk species in southern Ontario, where small, unconnected sites inadequately protect threatened wildlife. In northern Ontario, where soils and wetlands store high amounts of carbon, areas with high soil carbon and climate refuges are lacking protection. Ontario’s Polar Bear Provincial Park, alongside Hudson’s Bay, is well-sited with adequate size, connectivity and protection of shorelines. While being an area important to an iconic Canadian species, the park is also protecting areas of high soil carbon.

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Regional Spotlight

Because increasing development and privatization of land in southern Ontario makes large, intact and connected protected areas difficult to establish, other effective conservation measures are needed to protect habitat for at-risk species.