How Much Habitat Is Enough

An important challenge for Canadian society in addressing the natural environment, one of the three elements of sustainability along with society and economy, is to ensure that there is adequate wetland, riparian, forest and grassland habitat to sustain minimum viable wildlife populations and help maintain selected ecosystem functions and attributes. The goal of the How Much Habitat is Enough? series is to provide science-based information and guidelines related to these natural systems and the biodiversity for which we all are the stewards. The information is tailored to be of use to government and non-government restoration practitioners, planners and others involved in natural heritage planning, conservation and preservation.

An important challenge for Canadian society in addressing the natural environment, one of the three elements of sustainability along with society and economy, is to ensure that there is adequate wetland, riparian, forest and grassland habitat to sustain minimum viable wildlife populations and help maintain selected ecosystem functions and attributes. The goal of the How Much Habitat is Enough? series is to provide science-based information and guidelines related to these natural systems and the biodiversity for which we all are the stewards. The information is tailored to be of use to government and non-government restoration practitioners, planners and others involved in natural heritage planning, conservation and preservation.

Rehabilitation & protection efforts are under way in the Great Lakes basin to reverse the habitat loss that has occurred over the past two centuries. This fact sheet outlines the guidelines being used to provide direction on amount, type, and location of habitat rehabilitation for the following types of habitat: wetlands, riparian areas, and forests. It then presents case studies showing examples of how critical habitat in the basin is being restored using the guidelines.