Réserves écologiques in Québec
In the Canadian province of Québec there are 72 nature reserves known as Réserves écologiques . The term nature reserve does not adequately describe them, however, because they serve conservation, research and, to a limited extent, teaching and pedagogy. Most of all, apart from four exceptions, they are closed to the public. These exceptions are Serpentine-de-Coleraine , Forêt-la-Blanche , Tourbières-de-Lanoraie and the Île-Brion . They are all subordinate to the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs du Québec , i.e. the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Parks of Québec. According to the classification system of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources , all écologiques of the province belong to category la, and thus the highest conceivable protection. This means that neither the mining nor the search for raw materials, road construction, energy generation, but also hunting, fishing or trapping are permitted.
The first protected area of this type was created in 1975, and since then another 71 have been added. The youngest is the Shannonmoor , which was only protected in 2011 , 30 km from the provincial capital. The vast majority of these areas are relatively small. 20 reserves are even smaller than one square kilometer, 22 more are less than 5 km², a further 17 are up to 10 km², and nine other areas are between 10 and 30 km². By far the largest are the three protected areas Grande-Rivière with 173, Matamec with 186 and Louis-Babel with 235 km². In total, the reserves cover an area of only 950.85 km² with an area of the province of 1,542,056 km². Well under 1 ‰ of the area of the province is therefore under strict protection, but there are also areas with limited protection, such as the 43 Parc national areas, of which only three can be considered as real national parks . Other, much larger primeval forests, such as the 1300 km² Broadback Valley Forest , are not protected.
Various goals were pursued with the establishment of the Réserves, but above all those of the protection and representation of certain ecoregions and certain animal and especially plant communities. The natural spaces should also be protected, albeit in a somewhat diffuse way, such as those represented by moors, dunes, forests and virgin forests, islands, cliffs or lakes. This seemed to be particularly urgent as the timber and agriculture industries have largely destroyed the natural flora and fauna. Some species, such as the puma , which has been exterminated since 1938 , have recently returned or are regenerating from previously unrecognized residual populations ; moose, coyotes and white-tailed deer also live at least in the larger areas. In one case, the Réserve écologique Marcel-Léger , an artificial island that has not been used for decades is being protected and investigated because it is a particularly good way of observing the reconquest by fauna and flora . Three reserves are also part of biosphere reserves , namely the Réserve écologique Thomas-Fortin , Louis-Babel and Grands-Ormes .
Research is developing slowly. In many cases, areas have been designated as Réserves écologiques for decades, and yet little work is done on the identification of species and the implementation of the necessary protective measures, including in the surrounding areas of the small protected areas. In many cases, those animal or plant species are recorded that were the reason for the protection, such as caribou or bats, but not insects or amphibians . The habitats, to which the small protected areas belong, are also often cut up. At least a register of endangered and threatened species in the province has been established.
Most of the protected areas are located in the greater vicinity of the urban agglomerations in the south of the province or on the Gaspésie, so far there is not a single one in the north of Labrador. The islands of Anticosti and Brion are partially or completely protected.
The protected areas are often named after localities in the vicinity, be it after communities, moraines, lakes or moors, but often they also bear the names of important Québec natural scientists, in the case of the cross-border Réserve écologique internationale Thomas-Sterry-Hunt also those of an American, who taught in Quebec, however.
Four other areas have been under provisional protection since 2002, namely the Réserve écologique projetée de la Grande Rivière , then de la Matamec (partie Nord) , finally Paul-Provencher and du Ruisseau-Clinchamp . The protection of these areas expired on December 19, 2012. In addition, there was the Réserve écologique projetée du Mont-Gosford , whose protection status expired on April 15, 2013, but which is now under permanent protection. In 2018 only three areas were planned, namely Matamec (partie nord) , Paul-Provencher and Ruisseau-Clinchamp , whose protection status expires on December 19, 2024.