Alberta’s Population Growth and the Effects on Natural Resources

With population growth and expansion of cities in Alberta, the over consumption of natural resources has led to damaging effects on forests and wildlife.

The destruction of wildlife habitats continues to be a major threat to ecosystems. With increasing residents in Alberta, new communities are being built to help the influx of population that’s estimated to grow over the years.

Population impacts on the ecosystem mainly through natural resource use and waste production, and is correlated with environmental pressures such as biodiversity loss, air and water contamination, and increased pressure on wildlife habitats and natural resources, which decreases their long-term viability.

Judy Stewart, a practicing lawyer in Alberta, and a teacher at SAIT on water governance and law, as well as, a research fellow at the Canadian Student Resources law at the University of Calgary.

Stewart talks about the effects that over population and expansion have on the local flora and fauna.

“Growth has a lot of impacts, depending on the size of the community and how fast and how rapidly the expansion occurs. Sometimes it's well planned out, and for many years, port or corridors are set aside for particular species that have been identified, especially species at risk or migratory birds,” said Stewart.

“In cases of rapid growth and where the planning hasn't taken place properly. The rapid expansion just destroys everything destroys the natural infrastructure, all the riparian lines and wetlands that are necessary for water and habitat.”

Stewart also talks about the actions that the government is and can take to help in protecting these habitats. As well as the laws that are in place already for wildlife reserves.

“I think local governments, especially small urban centers, need to think about the impacts on habitat through growth, well in advance of writing up their municipal development plans in their area structure plans, and set land aside that they know is critical habitat,” said Stewart.

“Our laws are reflection of the status quo and society's values; they're always going to function. The laws that we have in place right now, showcase a human desire to prosper, to be wealthy to all of those things that we've been taught since we were in grade school,” said Stewart.

Stewart believes that the biggest destruction for habitats and harvesting natural resource is the gravel industry and urban development.

Reshaping the land making the area hard for the previous plants and wildlife to come back.

Grace Wark is a conservation specialist at the Alberta wilderness Association. Which is dedicated to the conservation of wilderness and the completion of a protected areas network.

Wark talks about how the Association has inspired communities to care for wild areas in Alberta through recognition and practise.

“A big part of what we do is outreach in order to ensure that people Across Alberta actually know about what the types of ecosystems we have here, and essentially how they can engage different conservation processes, whether with industry or with their own government,” said Wark.

“What we do as well is get into those spaces, we have a Nose Hill hike every year where we bring a botanist with us, he teaches people about native species that live within areas, and talk about the large plants, different mammals, how we can do our best not to disturb them, and even promote native plants in our own backyards,” said Wark.

Wark also talks about the new communities in Calgary that are taking over different parts of habitats and resources that wildlife call home.

“It’s just a big issue that our boundaries continue to expand in Calgary. We approved in 2018, 14 new communities around the city's fringe. This is not necessarily an issue, but what it means is we're continuing to encroach on the surrounding habitat that's around Calgary,” said Wark.

“As we continue to expand our boundaries as a city, we're not necessarily thinking about the habitat that those new communities are infringing on, as well as, just making sure that we have parks in those new communities. Large scale areas to help protect habitat and also provide healthy happy community benefits.”

The Indigenous community possess a wide knowledge of the land and its ecology. Larry Gauthier, Manager of the Chinook Lodge at SAIT, talks about the lands and ecosystems that have been kept protected and treasured by the communities for generations.

“In our belief system, human beings were given the gift of reason, and if you look at all the plants and animals and our belief system is that the universe gave our Earth our Mother, life,” said Gauthier.

“Western views of resources are them controlling the land; controlling the water, and we don't view the environment in that way. In fact, the environment controls us as human beings,” said Gauthier.

National parks in Canada provide a habitat for many plants and animals, from wildflowers and magnificent trees, to insects and grizzly bears.

 Environmentalists and some organizations goal is to learn what plants and animals exist in a specific area, what habitats they use, and how these organisms and environments change over time.

Conservation measures can retain or repair important ecological cycles illustrating their natural condition because environments are constantly changing through development and industry.