For example, thinning alpine glaciers have an impact on water availability in the Prairies, since meltwater from glaciers is a contributor to summer streamflows. Note The largest temperature increases in Canada are measured in the northwest, driving major changes in ecosystems in the region. The decline in water storage in these areas is consistent with observations on temperature increases, permafrost thaw and glacier retreat. Note For example, in the Northern Arctic Cordillera, water storage has been decreasing at an average rate of 105 mm per year, followed by the Southern Arctic Cordillera (-103 mm/year) and the Ellesmere Basin (-96 mm/year) (Table 3.1). The largest decreases Note in water storage from 2002 to 2016 were in ecoprovinces located in the Arctic Cordillera and Northern Arctic, as well as the Boreal Cordillera in the Yukon and northern British Columbia (Map 3.1), where large quantities of freshwater are frozen in permafrost, glaciers and ice caps. These changes occur as a result of changing climate conditions, such as increasing temperatures causing glacier melt and changing precipitation patterns. Total water storage change is an estimate of the change in water stored in the environment as groundwater, soil moisture, surface water, snow and ice estimated using gravity-based measurements from satellites. These freshwater resources are integral to the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and provide essential benefits to humans. Freshwater resourcesĬanada has abundant freshwater resources, with water held in lakes, wetlands, glaciers, snow and aquifers and runoff flowing into lakes, rivers and streams. There are many other aspects of ecosystem condition however, data for many other characteristics have not yet been compiled for Canada at a national scale or by ecosystem type. Some of the key ecosystem condition characteristics for terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems presented in this section relate to abiotic characteristics such as water availability and air quality biotic characteristics covering forest disturbance and urban greenness and landscape characteristics on fragmentation and degree of modification. For example, these pressures may be related to activities that affect land use, pollution emissions and climate change. 3.1 Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem conditionĬanada’s diversity of ecosystems, ranging from northern wildernesses, to urban, industrial and agricultural landscapes across the south, can face vastly different pressures from human activity. In ecosystem accounting, the assessment of ecosystem condition includes measuring the state and changes over time of many different abiotic, biotic and landscape and seascape characteristics. Human activities can have a far-reaching impact on ecosystem condition, Note which relates to the quality of ecosystems and influences their ability to provide ecosystem services.
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