Biodiversity in Ontario's Greenbelt (PDF) - David Suzuki Foundation

The Greenbelt was
created by the Ontario
Government in 2005
in recognition of the
significance of the region’s
natural and agricultural
values — and the risk
that these areas might be
gobbled up by residential
and industrial uses.
While loss and fragmentation of habitat is an imminent threat to 97 per cent of species at risk in
the Greenbelt, the connection between habitat protection and human health and well-being is often
overlooked. Adequately protecting the habitat of the redside dace, a tiny fish with 80 per cent of its
Canadian habitat in the Greenbelt, for instance, could have profound benefits for people. The fish is
extremely sensitive to environmental changes in the rivers and streams it calls home — even small
declines in water quality or quantity can lead to the loss of redside dace populations. As a result, the
species can signal problems such as a deterioration of drinking water or the onset of drought. On a
more positive note, keeping redside dace populations healthy can help ensure that water sources are
clean and plentiful. This little fish reveals a simple truth: humans and other life all require healthy,
functioning ecosystems to survive. We’re in it together.
The Greenbelt was created by the Ontario Government in 2005 in recognition of the significance
of the region’s natural and agricultural values — and the risk that these areas might be gobbled up by
residential and industrial uses. The Greenbelt acknowledges and accommodates a multitude of land
uses within its 728,434 hectares (1.8 million acres), while aiming to maintain agricultural land as well as
natural and hydrological systems. The Greenbelt Plan was designed to build on the ecological protection
already in effect under two earlier and precedent-setting land use plans, the Niagara Escarpment Plan
and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. It works in concert with other policy and legislation
such as the Endangered Species Act, 2007; the Provincial Policy Statement; and the Growth Plan for
the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
In coordination with these laws and policies, the Greenbelt Plan articulates a vision of planning that is
system based, protecting more than individual natural features to incorporate the areas that surround,
connect and support them. System-based planning requires that decision-makers consider the impact
that a development or activity has on the landscape as a whole, rather than just on the project area.
In 2008, the David Suzuki Foundation released Ontario’s Wealth, Canada’s Future: Appreciating the
Value of the Greenbelt’s Ecological Services. Building on that research, this subsequent report, Biodiversity
in Ontario’s Greenbelt, showcases the significance of the Greenbelt for the diversity of life
in Ontario and emphasizes the importance of system-based planning. Beginning with an overview of
Greenbelt species and ecosystems, the first section of this report highlights their value and diversity,
and then outlines trends for
species at risk in the region. The
second section discusses historical
and ongoing threats to species
in the Greenbelt, focusing
on the threat of habitat loss and
degradation for the redside dace,
Jefferson salamander, common
snapping turtle and hooded warbler.
The third section describes
a more promising path forward,
assessing current policy and
ongoing voluntary stewardship
initiatives on public and private
land. The conclusion includes recommendations
for ensuring that
species and their habitat are protected
in the Greenbelt.
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Biodiversity in Ontario’s greenbelt