Counting Canada's Natural Capital

This study, prepared for the Canadian Boreal Initiative, examines the ecosystem goods and services provided by Canada's boreal region, including water storage and purification, climate regulation, and carbon storage. The economic value of the non-market services provided by the boreal region is estimated at $93.2 billion per year. By comparison the net market value of resource extraction activities is estimated at $37.8 billion. The value of the current total carbon stored in Canada's boreal is estimated at $3.7 trillion. Flood control and water filtering services are identified as the most economically significant service provided by the boreal, with an annual value of more than $80 billion per year. The report makes a series of recommendations regarding gaps in data and information about the state of the boreal, and future management decision-making about the region.