97% of Short-billed Dowitchers breed in the boreal forest
Credit: Jeff Nadler

When many of us think about the word ‘biodiversity’, we often think of it to mean species diversity—the number of species present within a specific area. However, biodiversity represents so much more than just how many species occur where. There are a number of other considerations that should be incorporated, from predator-prey dynamics (whose balance can be vital for entire ecosystems) to genetic variability and large-scale mammal migration cycles.

While much of the international conservation focus has been on protecting ‘hotspots’—namely those smaller, often tropical forest areas packed with high numbers of species—a new report by the Boreal Songbird Initiative and Ducks Unlimited is claiming that when a broader, more comprehensive definition of biodiversity is taken, the boreal forest instantly gains considerably more importance globally when it comes to preserving biodiversity.

Check out BSI & DU’s new report 10 Cool Canadian Biodiversity Hotspots: How a New Understanding of Biodiversity Underscores the Global Significance of Canada’s Boreal Forest:

To better illustrate this new understanding of biodiversity and how it relates to the boreal forest specifically, we highlighted 10 specific areas that demonstrate exemplary features of biodiversity. Each place contains unique features and reasons for protection, and overall the 10 collectively act as a good geographical representation of the various types of boreal forest (and corresponding plant and animal communities) featured within Canada’s boreal forest.

(Click to enlarge)

While the boreal forest in general has gained significant recognition globally over the past decade or so, there is still a long ways to go. We hope this report will act as one of the many stepping stones that continue to educate the global community on just how important the boreal forest is for all of us—birds, people, and otherwise!