Biodiversity in Québec

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What Is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity, sometimes called biological diversity, refers to all the Earth’s species and ecosystems together with the ecological processes of which they are a part. It encompasses every living thing, including variants formed by genetic engineering or selective breeding. This diversity constitutes the biosphere, the interwoven fabric of living organisms that makes human life possible on Earth.

In Québec

Québec is one of the largest administrative divisions in North America, occupying close to 1.7 million km2. This land mass, three times the size of France, is home to close to 40,000 species of wild plants and animals, millions of domesticated animals, and many varieties of agricultural and horticultural plants. A number of ecozones and biomes are found in Québec, including tundra, taiga, spruce forest, fir forest, deciduous forest, and the St. Lawrence River.

• Québec’s actions and commitments (French)
• Do you know what nature does for us? - Information capsules on ecological services (French)
• Sites of interest (French)

Québec Biodiversity Monitoring Network

The Québec Biodiversity Monitoring Network ( PDF 4,7 MB) is the first large-scale project to highlight certain environmental issues that the province is facing.

The network seeks to assess the capacity of natural environments and communities to cope with climate change and adapt to it. The purpose is to enable Québec to deal proactively with the impact of climate change by equipping itself to monitor rapid changes in its biodiversity and the services that it renders.

This network stems from collaboration between the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques and the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs. It is financed under the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy.