Ecotones in the far north in Ontario are priority areas for biodiversity and carbon storage

The Hudson Bay Lowlands is the world’s third largest wetland and recognized as a globally important carbon store and habitat for endangered and declining northern species. This intact peatland-dominated landscape serves as a focal point for understanding the challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through an analysis of biodiversity (mammals, birds, and fish distribution models) and ecosystem carbon stocks, we identify critical areas that support the co-occurrence of these values. Our findings show that the ecotone between the Hudson Plains ecozone (i.e., Hudson Bay Lowlands) and Boreal Shield ecozone, and the coastal ecotone between the Hudson Bay Lowlands and Arctic ocean, are areas with high species representation and high carbon storage. This assessment provides a step towards an integrated conservation strategy assessing the unique boreal and peatland ecosystems in the far north in Ontario. Identifying areas that support multiple values is important for evidence-informed land-use planning and for use in regional assessments as this largely intact region faces increasing development pressures, especially from mining. The results we present here can be used in land-use planning by Indigenous Peoples and other decision-makers as part of a holistic approach for the conservation and stewardship of this globally important landscape.