Mapping Human Footprint: Uncovering the Hidden Impact on Ecosystems in Canada

As human activities increasingly transform ecosystems, the pressure on biodiversity across Canada is growing. The diverse geography of the second-largest country in the world — from the icy expanses of the Arctic to bustling urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver, and the world’s longest coastlines connecting three oceans — presents a complex puzzle for resource management.

The human footprint varies greatly across this vast landscape, with significant differences in impact between regions. A recent study found that the Great Lakes Plains and Prairies experience high levels of human pressure, with over 75% and 56% of these areas, respectively, facing substantial human impact. In contrast, the Arctic and Northern Mountains remain relatively untouched, with less than 0.02% and 0.2% of their regions showing significant human footprint.

While global human footprint maps often depict Canada as largely intact, these maps can overlook critical regional data, such as the impacts of mining and forestry. Recent updates have begun to address these gaps, but a comprehensive national map is still lacking, leaving our understanding of Canada’s human impacts incomplete.

Understanding Human Impact

Human activities, from urban development to industrial extraction, can have a range of effects on natural systems, sometimes combining in complex ways that are difficult to predict. Understanding these interactions is crucial for planning conservation efforts and reducing environmental damage.

Traditionally, studies have looked at human activities one project at a time, without considering their combined effects. But a more complete picture emerges when we look at all human pressures together. This comprehensive approach, known as human footprint mapping, helps us see where human activities are most intense and guides decisions are on where development should be limited to protect the environment.

In 2022, researchers at the University of Northern British Columbia’s Conservation Solutions Lab created Canada’s first national human footprint map, combining data from 12 different types of human activities. This map offers a more accurate picture of human impact across the country, highlighting areas that global maps often miss.

The map reveals that Canada has an area-weighted average human footprint score of 1.48, with the highest observed score reaching 55 out of a possible 66. The distribution of pressures across the country reveals distinct spatial patterns, with elevated scores predominantly in Southern Canada, where the majority of the population resides. Analysis of the 12 pressures used indicates that 82% of Canada’s land areas have a human footprint score of less than 1, categorizing them as intact.

The project used advanced geospatial tools and satellite imagery of 300 meters to create a detailed national map, focusing on the impact of human activities on areas that often don’t receive enough attention.

Regional Efforts in Mapping Human Impact

Across Canada, regional efforts are underway to map and assess the human footprint on biodiversity using advanced technologies like GIS, satellite imagery, and sensors. The shift from traditional resource management methods to high-tech solutions makes it possible to track changes over time with a high degree of accuracy, and has dramatically improved our ability to visualize and understand these impacts.

Alberta

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) has been at the forefront of mapping biodiversity and human activities in Alberta. The ABMI defines human footprint as “the visible alteration or conversion of native ecosystems to temporary or permanent residential, recreational, agricultural, or industrial landscapes”.

Launched in 2014 by the ABMI, the Alberta Human Footprint Monitoring Program (AHFMP) tracks and analyzes human-induced disturbances and land use changes. Managed in partnership with the Government of Alberta, the program also collaborates with the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) and fRI Research, a non-profit involved in research to improve land and resource management.

It utilizes satellite imagery to assess changes on federal, provincial, and private lands throughout Alberta, providing insights into how the landscape evolves over time. The program employs extensive fieldwork and data collection to monitor biodiversity and habitat changes, enabling policy decisions and conservation strategies.

Building on the insights gained from the AHFMP, ABMI developed the Human Footprint Inventory (HFI) — an open-access dataset complemented by an online status and trends report. Using 1.5-meter SPOT satellite imagery and various reference data sources, the HFI categorizes human footprint into 20 sublayers based on 113 feature types, including roads and well pads. It reveals that as of 2021, human activities occupied 31% of Alberta’s land, marking a 4.3% increase since 2000. This dataset supports various biodiversity models, including the Intactness Index, which focuses on habitat connectivity and landscape indicators.

ABMI is also leveraging publicly available satellite data and cloud-based computing platforms like Google Earth Engine to under the impacts of industrial activities and climate change on boreal forests. Disturbance is a key component of boreal forest ecosystems, influencing their structure and function. In Alberta, both natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as forest harvest areas, impact carbon dynamics and biodiversity.

The recovery of the Woodland Caribou in Alberta’s boreal regions depends heavily on maintaining undisturbed habitats, with seismic lines being a significant concern as they increase predator access to caribou. Traditional methods have underreported these narrow, low-impact seismic lines, complicating habitat restoration efforts. To address this, the ABMI and AHFMP have developed an advanced seismic line mapping method using high-density lidar data, machine learning, and human verification. This new approach has significantly improved the accuracy and speed of seismic line detection, identifying up to 90% more linear kilometers of seismic lines compared to previous inventories, thereby enhancing habitat restoration strategies.

Similarly, the fusion of lidar and machine learning methods is enhancing vegetation classification on human footprint features in Alberta’s boreal forests, where over 19% of the land is affected by human activities, and much of it does not naturally recover. By combining high-resolution satellite imagery and lidar data with machine learning algorithms, ABMI provides accurate information on vegetation structure and composition, which is vital for land-use planning and conservation efforts.

The Ghost Region in Alberta illustrates how integrating local knowledge with geospatial data can inform land-use planning. ABMI is spearheading an initiative to support landscape management in this region, guided by the 2008 Land Use Framework and the Alberta Land Stewardship Act. The project focuses on combining ABMI’s comprehensive geospatial datasets with local insights to effectively manage public lands. A focus group comprising various stakeholders is collaborating with ABMI’s data — featuring inventories and reports on human impact — to tackle management challenges in these critical headwater areas.

British Columbia

Building on the legacy of the first national human footprint map in Canada, research at the University of Northern British Columbia on human footprint mapping explored accuracy, uncertainty, and biases in cumulative pressure mapping. The study, which utilizes the Human Footprint Index (HF), assesses the impact of different combinations of 16 input layers on mapping human pressures. It focuses on identifying key layers for accuracy and addressed uncertainties and biases in intensity scores. The research compared common cumulative functions, such as additive and antagonistic models, and highlighted the need for thorough validation to understand how variations in intensity scores and cumulative functions affect the HF outcomes.

The Geospatial Centre of Biodiversity Pathways at the University of Northern British Columbia, is collaborating with the ABMI and the West Moberly First Nations, to develop high-resolution maps of human pressures. They have created an initial human footprint map using current spatial data, covering types of human pressures categorized into agricultural, forestry, transportation, urban, energy, and human-created water bodies. This map is crucial for conducting cumulative effect assessments within the Peace River watershed and guiding land-use planning objectives for the West Moberly First Nations, including improving the accuracy of oil and gas activity mapping.

Other Notable Initiatives

While they don’t directly mention mapping of the human footprint, various other initiatives across Canada are leveraging advanced geomatics tools to provide unprecedented clarity on how human activities reshape landscapes, making it possible to track changes over time with a high degree of accuracy.

For instance, the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan in Yukon uses detailed mapping to identify areas for ecological protection and sustainable resource development. This includes mapping human activities like mining and tourism to minimize impact on sensitive ecosystems. The plan was developed through extensive consultations with Indigenous communities and stakeholders, ensuring that conservation priorities are balanced with economic opportunities.

Ontario’s Greenbelt Plan relies heavily on mapping to protect over 2 million acres of farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds from urban sprawl. The plan includes GIS data layers that map land use designations, such as protected countryside and urban river valleys. These maps help direct development away from sensitive areas, promoting sustainable land use and preserving natural resources for future generations.

The Nunavut Planning Commission uses interactive maps to manage land use across the territory. These maps include layers for land use designations, valued ecosystem components, and community priorities, incorporating both scientific data and Inuit traditional knowledge.

The Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia is another example of using mapping to balance conservation and sustainable development. The land use plan for this region incorporates detailed mapping of human activities, such as logging and tourism, to ensure that 85% of the forest is protected while allowing sustainable economic activities in the remaining 15%.

At the national level, the Global Forest Watch Canada uses satellite imagery and GIS to monitor and map human activities such as logging, mining, and infrastructure development in Canadian forests. Their maps provide detailed insights into the extent of human impact on forest ecosystems.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada also conducts extensive mapping of human activities to understand their impacts on wildlife and habitats. Their work includes mapping roads, industrial developments, and other human disturbances to inform conservation strategies.

Policy Implications and Canada’s Role in Global Biodiversity Conservation

Canada’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework highlights its dedication to protecting 30% of its land and oceans by 2030, restoring degraded ecosystems, and upholding Indigenous rights. Achieving these ambitious goals requires a deep understanding of the pressures on natural systems nationwide.

The success of human footprint mapping relies on strong collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions, Indigenous communities, and the private sector. Public-private partnerships, such as those in Alberta, have been pivotal in combining resources and expertise to tackle the complexities of mapping human impacts.

While progress has been made, there is still room for improvement, particularly in policy integration and public engagement. Drawing lessons from countries like Norway and Brazil could further enhance Canada’s conservation strategies. With continued innovation and collaboration, Canada is well-positioned to lead in global biodiversity conservation.