Research, Wildlife and Landscape Science

Examining how wildlife appear and interact in altered landscapes will help assess risk to native species as they respond to habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, and also help identify landscapes of high conservation value.

Properties of various industrial chemicals, drugs, effluents and pesticides pose various health risks to wildlife populations. The immune, reproductive, growth, nervous and endocrine systems, as well as behaviour, can be adversely affected by endocrine disruptors, pesticides and herbicides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and various emerging chemicals. Research into these contaminants, their passage through ecosystems and food webs, and their impacts on wildlife and overall ecosystem health provides information for regulating harmful substances.

Exposure to heavy metals, like lead and mercury, can cause behavioural and reproductive impairment in various wildlife species. Understanding the abundance, movement and effects of heavy metals in ecosystems can inform regulatory and policy decisions to reduce the amount and concentration of heavy metals in the Canadian environment.

Anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and release of novel manufactured nanomaterials into the environment necessitate the generation of toxicity data to better understand how molecules interact within ecosystems and biota, and inform, facilitate and advise on regulations and standards designed to protect the Canadian environment.

Researchers develop, validate and standardize laboratory testing procedures to assess and test chemical and microbiological contaminants in soil and their impacts on soil communities, including invertebrates, plants and microorganisms. Information helps evaluate risks of toxic pollutants to biota and ecosystems, and can evaluate the effectiveness of remediation efforts.

Toxicogenomics is a rapidly evolving field that is used to determine the effects of toxic substances and stressors on biological systems. Environment Canada researchers work in this emerging field to develop a greater understanding of how organisms respond to priority environmental contaminants and to identify the first signs of threats to Canadian wildlife.