High Biodiversity and Carbon Sink Potential

This project was initiated in light of the Government of Canada’s commitment to conserving 25% of lands and oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030. This pledge has implications for resource development, particularly in the COSIA Area of Interest (AOI), which includes the Athabasca, Cold Lake, and Peace River oil sands deposits. The goal of this assessment was to identify areas of high biodiversity and carbon storage potential within the AOI and their overlap with Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) and Sub Regional Planning Areas (SRPAs). The assessment was undertaken by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in collaboration with the COSIA biodiversity working group. The comprehensive analysis involved data collection, gap analysis, and a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) to support informed decision-making for sustainable resource development. The AOI spans 14 million hectares of boreal forest, wetlands, and peatland complexes, necessitating an extensive search for spatial data related to carbon storage and biodiversity. Datasets were chosen in collaboration with DUC and the COSIA biodiversity working group to represent the best available data for the assessment. Analyses encompassed Phase 1, focusing on a baseline assessment and gap analysis, and Phase 2, which employed MCE to identify areas of high biodiversity and carbon storage potential.

The extent of PCAs in the COSIA AOI is 8.6%, with SRPAs intersecting the AOI covered by 9.7% PCAs. Wetlands account for over 6.4 million ha (almost half the total AOI area) with 10% in PCAs and 10.4% covering SRPAs intersecting the AOI, and are estimated to store 5.8 billion tonnes of soil organic carbon; ~610 million tonnes of carbon (11%) are in PCAs and SRPAs intersecting the AOI. Seven caribou ranges overlap with the AOI, with 14% of total overlapping range area protected in SRPAs intersecting the AOI. Phase 1’s gap analysis reveals three distinct natural sub-regions—Central Mixedwood, Dry Mixedwood, and Lower Boreal Highlands—encompass nearly 90% of the AOI. Here, percentages within PCAs are 5.9%, 1.0%, and 11.3% respectively. Biodiversity and carbon datasets were categorized into five classes using quantiles. In Phase 2, areas of high biodiversity and carbon sink potential were identified through MCE or suitability analysis. Two scenarios were run, with Scenario 2 producing separate biodiversity and carbon outputs, along with a combined suitability output. Areas of high potential include the centre of the Wabasca SRPA and in the north within/around Birch River, Birch Mountains, and Kitaskino Nuwenene Wildland Provincial Parks.