. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 492 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. Ill developing world, agricultural expansion has been alleged to be the main habitat-displacing activity (Pearce and Moran 1994). The Canadian Committee on Ecological Areas developed a registry of significant sites that provides a framework for conserving habitats essential for the preservation of biodiversity. Of the 177 ecoregions recognized, 148 (83%) have 1% of their areas pro- tected (Gauthier 1992). Canada already has about 3500 publicly owned protected areas, covering about 788 000 km2, with an addi
. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 492 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. Ill developing world, agricultural expansion has been alleged to be the main habitat-displacing activity (Pearce and Moran 1994). The Canadian Committee on Ecological Areas developed a registry of significant sites that provides a framework for conserving habitats essential for the preservation of biodiversity. Of the 177 ecoregions recognized, 148 (83%) have 1% of their areas pro- tected (Gauthier 1992). Canada already has about 3500 publicly owned protected areas, covering about 788 000 km2, with an additional 10 000 km2 held by non-government groups (Reid 1995). Nevertheless, considerable work is still required to develop a com- prehensive, nation-wide system of ecological reserves in Canada (Catling 1996). In Canada, more than 90% of Canadian agriculture is located within five ecological zones: Pacific Maritime, Boreal Plain, Prairie, Mixed-Wood Plain and Atlantic Maritime (Reid 1995). These areas obviously deserve particular attention. Paradoxically, agriculture as formerly practised often significantly benefitted surrounding biodiversi- ty (Hampicke 1978). By planting small cultivated plots amidst various landscapes, transitional habitats were created that tended not only to preserve but also to promote diversity. Only in the last few decades has this tendency been dramatically reversed. It is ironic that most of the world's current destruction of habitat is to advance agriculture, forestry, and industry, all of which are in danger of destroying bio-resources that are critical for their own future progress. Much of the landscape of our planet has been fragmented into mosaics of human-dominated vege- tation interspersed with small patches of more or less natural vegetation. One minimal measure for protec- tion of biodiversity that needs to be undertaken is very simple: protect representative areas of land- scape, along with their unique habitats and native species, in prese
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