Biodiversity is the variety of life found on earth, including all living organisms, the ecosystems they are a part of, and the interactions and processes that link them together.

Nova Scotia hosts a variety of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, barrens, highland plateaus and coastal areas. These ecosystems support more than 11,000 known native species and provide many ecosystem services, including air and water purification, climate regulation, flood water retention, provision of food and medicine, and recreation, which are integral to human health and Nova Scotia’s economy. 

Like many regions globally, Nova Scotia’s biodiversity faces pressure from a number of factors. Nova Scotia faces unique challenges as a small province with about two-thirds privately owned land.  The conservation and sustainable use of Nova Scotia’s biodiversity requires all Nova Scotians to work together.

Nova Scotia’s Biodiversity Act

On 1 October 2021, the Biodiversity Act (PDF) came into force. This Act enables Nova Scotians to conserve and protect our province's biodiversity with an emphasis on shared responsibility, education, information sharing and capacity building.

Under the Biodiversity Act the Nova Scotia government must report to the public on the state of the province’s biodiversity.

State of Biodiversity Reporting

Regular reporting on the state of biodiversity in Nova Scotia is an important way that we deliver on our commitment to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The purpose of this report is to:

• show key findings about the status and trends of biodiversity in Nova Scotia
• help Nova Scotians understand what puts pressure on biodiversity
• make suggestions for actions we can take to protect biodiversity, including ecosystem health, if indications show it is vulnerable in the province
• set the groundwork for knowledge sharing, collaboration on biodiversity research, stewardship, and future monitoring of environmental change and resource use

The following modules of the State of Nova Scotia’s Biodiversity are available:

• Introduction
• Species
  • General status of species
  • Species at risk
  • Sustainable wildlife use
  • Wildlife health and disease
• Ecosystems
  • Ecosystem diversity and conservation
  • Ecosystem conservation status ranking
• Pressures on biodiversity
• Actions supporting biodiversity

If you have any comments or questions regarding biodiversity in Nova Scotia, contact biodiversity@novascotia.ca