Environmental Trends 2007

Ecosystems

Protected Areas in B.C.

Over half of the ecosections in B.C. have at least 6 percent of their land in protected areas (2007).

Source: Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

• The total number of protected areas in B.C. has more than doubled since 1991, and is much higher than the Canadian average of 9 per cent. Legally designated protected areas cover 13.4 per cent of the provincial land base. Another 0.6 per cent of the province has been identified for legal protection, mostly on the central coast, where about 65 new conservancies have been announced. When they are legally designated, these conservancies will add about 570,000 hectares to the protected area system.

• Although ecosystems within the province are not equally represented in the protected area system, they are better represented today than they were in 1991 . Almost one-third of the 127 terrestrial ecosections now have over 12 per cent of the area protected, compared with only one-sixth of the ecosections with 12 per cent protected in 1991.

• In 1991, over half of B.C. ecosections had less than one per cent of their area protected; in 2007, there were only 16 terrestrial ecosections with less than one per cent protected area.

• Marine ecosystems are the least represented in the protected areas system, with 7 out of the 12 marine ecosections having less than 5 per cent of their areas protected.

• The area of protected low elevation forests has more than doubled (to 7.6 per cent) since 1991, as has the area of high elevation forests. Protecting older forests at low elevation is particularly challenging because these areas are under greater pressure from forestry, agriculture and expanding urban development.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth Report [pdf].

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