Over 11,000 potential restoration sites in the MWC!

Montreal - October 8, 2021 - While only 3% of the MMC's terrestrial natural environments are formally protected, a study by start-up Habitat has identified more than 11,000 potential sites for ecological restoration through reforestation. The finding is part of a new report released this week by the environmental consulting firm, which evaluates the impact of different conservation targets and scenarios for protecting and restoring the MWC's natural environments. 

This report presents a large-scale study in which each scenario was evaluated according to the following criteria: biodiversity, species at risk, adaptation to the climate crisis, restoration potential and susceptibility to development, ecological connectivity and maintenance of hydrological functions. Conducted in collaboration with the Quebec division of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Canada), the study shows first of all that it is a priority to protect the remaining natural ecosystems of the MWC, which represent 24.9% of the territory, but above all the need to go beyond protection and conservation measures to ensure the ecological integrity of the territory. 

Geomatics analyses identified over 11,000 brownfield sites that could be developed for conservation and contribute to ecosystem resilience. Of these sites, an analysis of habitat quality for biodiversity and their ability to resist invasion by exotic species targeted 1,245 priority sites for restoration within the 82 municipalities of the MMC. The MRCs with the largest area of potential restoration sites are Laval, Mirabel and Longueuil.

Restoration actions on these lands could greatly contribute to achieving the goal of the Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan of increasing the proportion of the MMC's land area under forest cover to 30%. However, fallow lands also have high ecological value for biodiversity (e.g., for certain vulnerable and threatened species or for pollination) and should not all be reforested.  

"Urban sprawl is causing great pressure on habitats and biodiversity, in addition to having greatly increased the fragmentation of the territory," says Christian Messier, professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and in Montreal and co-founder of Habitat. Indeed, between 1985 and 2015, the urban area increased by nearly five times more than the area of protected land. The protection and conservation of natural environments are therefore among the fundamental issues of the MMC, but in light of this study, it is clear that significant efforts must also be focused on restoration, mainly through reforestation of natural environments with high potential for recovery, using a wide variety of tree species.

"Urban sprawl in recent decades has resulted in the isolation of many natural fragments and the loss of 80% of ecological connectivity in the region. Restoring brownfields in the MWC can greatly enhance ecological functions of ecosystems, including improving connectivity with surrounding environments. Connected landscapes help ensure the resilience of ecosystems and the biodiversity they support in the face of increasing environmental pressures," says Andrew Gonzalez, co-founder of Habitat and professor in the Department of Biology at McGill University.