Canadian species index
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Animal wildlife is one of the most visible and well-studied aspects of biodiversity. The Canadian species index shows whether monitored vertebrate species have increasing or decreasing population size trends over time. This, in turn, provides an integrated measure of the condition of our environment.
By species group
Key results
Between 1970 and 2016,
- the population size of monitored vertebrate species declined by 4% on average
- birds showed moderate change in average population size
- the population size of monitored mammal and fish species decreased by 42% and 21% on average, respectively
Canadian species index, percentage change, 1970 to 2016

Data table for the long description
Year | National index (percent change) |
Number of species | Bird index (percent change) |
Number of bird species | Mammal index (percent change) |
Number of mammal species | Fish index (percent change) |
Number of fish species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 0.00 | 405 | 0.00 | 296 | 0.00 | 24 | 0.00 | 85 |
1971 | 0.89 | 424 | 0.56 | 305 | -10.71 | 29 | 5.62 | 90 |
1972 | 1.55 | 426 | 1.20 | 309 | -18.74 | 30 | 9.85 | 82 |
1973 | 1.82 | 442 | 1.90 | 312 | -25.26 | 34 | 12.10 | 96 |
1974 | 1.55 | 474 | 2.64 | 335 | -34.37 | 32 | 13.51 | 107 |
1975 | 1.51 | 471 | 3.42 | 346 | -39.60 | 29 | 13.74 | 95 |
1976 | 1.48 | 479 | 4.22 | 346 | -41.62 | 27 | 12.42 | 104 |
1977 | 1.65 | 486 | 5.09 | 349 | -41.70 | 33 | 11.36 | 102 |
1978 | 2.27 | 485 | 5.93 | 351 | -38.67 | 25 | 10.28 | 108 |
1979 | 2.95 | 490 | 6.67 | 351 | -35.94 | 26 | 9.92 | 113 |
1980 | 3.65 | 498 | 7.32 | 352 | -32.17 | 28 | 9.57 | 117 |
1981 | 4.30 | 499 | 7.91 | 353 | -28.14 | 26 | 9.12 | 118 |
1982 | 4.25 | 505 | 8.40 | 354 | -29.11 | 27 | 8.50 | 121 |
1983 | 4.27 | 519 | 8.75 | 363 | -30.83 | 26 | 8.10 | 127 |
1984 | 4.91 | 546 | 9.97 | 360 | -32.04 | 29 | 8.01 | 154 |
1985 | 5.42 | 533 | 11.17 | 366 | -33.46 | 30 | 8.38 | 129 |
1986 | 5.68 | 539 | 12.40 | 365 | -34.53 | 29 | 6.96 | 138 |
1987 | 4.61 | 566 | 12.13 | 362 | -35.88 | 38 | 4.30 | 158 |
1988 | 3.95 | 531 | 12.36 | 362 | -34.77 | 32 | 1.32 | 130 |
1989 | 3.20 | 563 | 12.58 | 363 | -33.41 | 38 | -1.97 | 154 |
1990 | 3.00 | 552 | 12.83 | 366 | -31.80 | 47 | -4.79 | 127 |
1991 | 2.68 | 576 | 13.07 | 368 | -30.62 | 42 | -6.77 | 153 |
1992 | 2.44 | 566 | 13.24 | 372 | -30.50 | 41 | -7.95 | 140 |
1993 | 2.66 | 598 | 13.26 | 372 | -30.91 | 47 | -7.00 | 165 |
1994 | 3.28 | 594 | 13.11 | 374 | -32.02 | 51 | -4.02 | 153 |
1995 | 3.49 | 591 | 12.88 | 376 | -30.41 | 56 | -2.84 | 140 |
1996 | 3.48 | 583 | 12.52 | 371 | -26.66 | 51 | -3.01 | 140 |
1997 | 3.33 | 572 | 12.09 | 372 | -23.57 | 58 | -4.37 | 120 |
1998 | 2.41 | 604 | 11.56 | 372 | -24.19 | 55 | -6.24 | 155 |
1999 | 1.67 | 578 | 10.96 | 371 | -25.91 | 60 | -7.46 | 121 |
2000 | 1.13 | 603 | 10.29 | 375 | -27.02 | 57 | -8.05 | 147 |
2001 | 0.82 | 588 | 9.91 | 374 | -28.78 | 60 | -7.99 | 132 |
2002 | 0.24 | 614 | 9.18 | 373 | -30.09 | 56 | -8.70 | 159 |
2003 | -0.28 | 653 | 8.33 | 374 | -29.83 | 49 | -9.04 | 203 |
2004 | -0.90 | 660 | 8.31 | 376 | -27.76 | 51 | -12.20 | 207 |
2005 | -1.07 | 678 | 8.55 | 381 | -25.41 | 48 | -13.55 | 226 |
2006 | -0.89 | 662 | 9.05 | 372 | -23.53 | 43 | -13.80 | 224 |
2007 | -0.58 | 679 | 9.69 | 382 | -21.95 | 43 | -14.13 | 243 |
2008 | -0.57 | 658 | 10.47 | 384 | -21.80 | 36 | -14.98 | 232 |
2009 | -0.24 | 649 | 11.22 | 384 | -22.66 | 36 | -14.90 | 221 |
2010 | -0.16 | 653 | 11.87 | 382 | -25.03 | 41 | -14.91 | 223 |
2011 | -0.19 | 645 | 12.35 | 383 | -28.70 | 37 | -14.73 | 219 |
2012 | -1.20 | 645 | 12.58 | 381 | -35.71 | 27 | -16.01 | 232 |
2013 | -2.85 | 590 | 12.48 | 364 | -38.59 | 31 | -18.86 | 191 |
2014 | -4.12 | 605 | 12.45 | 364 | -41.72 | 26 | -21.03 | 212 |
2015 | -4.83 | 562 | 12.44 | 346 | -42.59 | 9 | -22.51 | 205 |
2016 | -4.39 | 530 | 12.45 | 345 | -41.56 | 20 | -21.48 | 164 |
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.97 kB)
How this indicator was calculated
Note: Trends are calculated based on the proportional change in population size for monitored vertebrate species. All species are weighted equally, such that a species that doubled in population would be balanced out by a species that declined by half. The vertical axis is scaled to reflect the change in population required to balance out the opposite decrease or increase and is not symmetrical around zero. Direct comparisons with the previous version of the index cannot be made as there are differences across the whole time-series. See Recent changes.
Source: Zoological Society of London (2019).
The national index includes 913 species of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The number of species represents 51% of the 1 779 native vertebrate species that regularly occur in Canada.Footnote 1 While there is an overall decrease in the national average trend across all monitored species, some species are increasing while others are decreasing.
The bird index includes 393 species, and represents the largest number of species in the indicator. This accounts for 87% of native bird species. While the average change in bird species populations is moderately positive, populations of shorebirds, grassland birds and aerial insectivores are in steep decline,Footnote 2 as are some of Canada's most common bird species (such as the Dark-eyed Junco, a forest bird).Footnote 3
The fish index includes 367 species of freshwater and marine fish, and accounts for 35% of native fish species.
The mammal index includes 106 species, which make up 55% of native mammal species. Fragmentation and loss of remaining habitat are threatening many mammal species. A wide range of species, from large bears to small squirrels, can have difficulty surviving in isolated and fragmented habitats.Footnote 4
Amphibians and reptiles are included in the national Canadian species index. However, given the poor geographical extent and coverage across the reporting period, the index for amphibians and reptiles may not be representative and is therefore not shown separately. Amphibians and reptiles have a high proportion of species at risk of extinction. The Status of wild species indicator shows that 68% (30 of 44) of reptile species and 36% (17 of 47) of amphibian species are at risk of disappearing.
By system
Key results
Wildlife species can be assigned to the terrestrial, freshwater or marine system based on the location where the species was monitored and the species' biology. From 1970 to 2016,
- the index for the terrestrial system, which includes the majority of bird and mammal populations,
and some reptiles and amphibians, decreased by 9% - the index for the marine system, which includes the majority of fish populations, mammals (such as whales and seals), birds (such as terns) and 1 reptile (the leatherback turtle), decreased by 12%
- the index for the freshwater system, which includes birds (such as waterfowl), 2 mammals (beaver and river otter), fish, and the majority of amphibian and reptile populations, increased by 39%
Canadian species index by system, percentage change, 1970 to 2016

Data table for the long description
Year | Terrestrial index (percent change) |
Number of terrestrial species | Freshwater index (percent change) |
Number of freshwater species | Marine index (percent change) |
Number of marine species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 0.00 | 244 | 0.00 | 67 | 0.00 | 95 |
1971 | -0.89 | 252 | 2.81 | 71 | 5.05 | 103 |
1972 | -1.83 | 255 | 4.53 | 75 | 9.62 | 97 |
1973 | -2.78 | 259 | 5.16 | 74 | 12.92 | 110 |
1974 | -4.38 | 278 | 5.42 | 73 | 15.51 | 124 |
1975 | -5.05 | 282 | 5.64 | 78 | 16.71 | 112 |
1976 | -5.01 | 281 | 5.24 | 79 | 16.59 | 120 |
1977 | -4.57 | 285 | 5.05 | 79 | 16.17 | 123 |
1978 | -3.62 | 281 | 6.32 | 76 | 15.47 | 129 |
1979 | -2.89 | 283 | 7.94 | 77 | 15.39 | 131 |
1980 | -2.00 | 284 | 9.72 | 83 | 15.20 | 132 |
1981 | -1.15 | 285 | 11.86 | 83 | 14.66 | 132 |
1982 | -1.33 | 285 | 13.80 | 80 | 13.76 | 141 |
1983 | -1.35 | 293 | 15.35 | 83 | 12.95 | 144 |
1984 | -0.19 | 288 | 16.16 | 85 | 12.42 | 174 |
1985 | 0.51 | 294 | 17.01 | 86 | 12.68 | 154 |
1986 | 1.51 | 294 | 18.01 | 90 | 11.62 | 157 |
1987 | 1.28 | 296 | 17.78 | 90 | 8.93 | 181 |
1988 | 1.39 | 287 | 18.29 | 91 | 6.59 | 155 |
1989 | 1.65 | 295 | 18.50 | 93 | 3.87 | 176 |
1990 | 1.93 | 304 | 21.58 | 97 | 1.49 | 152 |
1991 | 1.94 | 304 | 22.95 | 95 | -0.08 | 178 |
1992 | 1.65 | 304 | 25.03 | 109 | -1.27 | 154 |
1993 | 1.05 | 309 | 28.39 | 106 | -1.22 | 185 |
1994 | -0.01 | 313 | 32.85 | 118 | 0.17 | 164 |
1995 | -0.62 | 317 | 35.10 | 117 | 0.75 | 158 |
1996 | -0.57 | 308 | 33.79 | 118 | 1.35 | 158 |
1997 | -0.77 | 316 | 32.27 | 122 | 2.02 | 135 |
1998 | -2.11 | 312 | 31.06 | 126 | 2.05 | 167 |
1999 | -3.85 | 319 | 31.84 | 121 | 2.21 | 139 |
2000 | -4.94 | 318 | 32.59 | 122 | 2.09 | 163 |
2001 | -5.96 | 316 | 34.29 | 130 | 2.15 | 143 |
2002 | -6.74 | 316 | 35.56 | 141 | 0.88 | 157 |
2003 | -7.04 | 309 | 35.51 | 142 | -0.32 | 204 |
2004 | -6.94 | 312 | 34.83 | 133 | -2.07 | 218 |
2005 | -6.68 | 312 | 33.42 | 131 | -2.28 | 240 |
2006 | -6.47 | 302 | 33.88 | 138 | -2.49 | 226 |
2007 | -6.17 | 302 | 34.80 | 120 | -2.62 | 268 |
2008 | -6.03 | 295 | 35.50 | 132 | -3.19 | 241 |
2009 | -5.97 | 294 | 36.06 | 122 | -2.83 | 242 |
2010 | -6.19 | 293 | 36.89 | 126 | -2.88 | 241 |
2011 | -6.66 | 292 | 37.62 | 120 | -2.92 | 244 |
2012 | -7.65 | 290 | 38.14 | 130 | -4.68 | 233 |
2013 | -8.30 | 287 | 37.61 | 99 | -7.93 | 209 |
2014 | -8.74 | 286 | 37.88 | 109 | -10.60 | 214 |
2015 | -8.84 | 267 | 38.47 | 96 | -12.38 | 200 |
2016 | -8.79 | 275 | 39.43 | 67 | -11.52 | 192 |
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.25 kB)
How this indicator was calculated
Note: Trends are calculated based on the proportional change in population size for monitored vertebrate species. All species are weighted equally, such that a species that doubled in population would be balanced out by a species that declined by half. The vertical axis is scaled to reflect the change in population required to balance out the opposite decrease or increase and is not symmetrical around zero.
Source: Zoological Society of London (2019).
The decrease in the terrestrial and marine systems indices are comparable to the decrease in the national index. The freshwater system index increased by 39% primarily due to increases in freshwater birds. Freshwater birds, such as ducks, geese and swans, increased by 62% from 1970 to 2016.
About the indicator
About the indicator
What the indicator measures
The Canadian species index represents the average percent change in the sizes of Canadian vertebrate species' populations since 1970. The index is an "average of trends", rather than a measure of change in the total number of animals: each species, whether it is common or rare, has the same effect on the index. The index reports general trends rather than progress towards desired levels.
Why this indicator is important
Animal wildlife populations depend on healthy habitats and can be negatively impacted by threats such as pollution or hunting. Trends in animal populations are a good proxy measure of overall trends in biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Healthy wildlife populations
This indicator supports the measurement of progress towards the following 2019 to 2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy long-term goal: All species have healthy and viable populations.
The indicator also contributes towards reporting on Target 2 of the 2020 Biodiversity goals and targets for Canada: "By 2020, species that are secure remain secure, and populations of species at risk listed under federal law exhibit trends that are consistent with recovery strategies and management plans."
Related indicators
The Species at risk population trends indicator shows whether population and distribution trends of species at risk that are listed under the Species at Risk Act are consistent with recovery or management objectives.
The General status of wild species indicator reports extinction risks across a broad set of species and can reveal early signs of trouble before species reach a critical condition.
The Trends in Canada's bird populations indicator reports average population trends of various groups of native Canadian bird species.
The Population status of Canada's migratory birds indicator provides a snapshot of the general state of birds in Canada that are listed in the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Data sources and methods
Data sources and methods
Data sources
Data on changes in the size of vertebrate populations are gathered from a variety of sources and collated in the Living Planet Index database by the Zoological Society of London. Sources include the peer-reviewed scientific literature, government reports, and reliable online databases. Examples of important sources for Canada include the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Library.
More information
Population data were gathered from the literature, by performing online searches and by contacting experts. Birds have been monitored at the national level since about 1970 with high-quality data readily available for this species group. Fewer data are available for other species groups. To help address the imbalance in the data available for the different species groups, targeted searches were carried out for under-represented groups. Searches were also conducted to locate data for under-represented regions.
Data include counts of individuals, as well as proxy measurements such as indices of abundance, spawning density, or detection rates of individuals. Each record is also tagged with geographical and ecological information to allow for further analysis. Together, these records form the data set used to calculate the indices.
Information for 913 (51%) of the 1 779 native regularly occurring vertebrate species has been captured in the data set.Footnote 5 Birds are the best represented species group, with about 87% of all bird species regularly occurring in Canada represented.
While many fish species are included (367 species), they account for only 35% of the total number of fish species regularly occurring in Canada.
While mammal species are included (106 species), they account for only 55% of the total number of mammal species regularly occurring in Canada.
Amphibians and reptiles are the least represented species group, as the data for the species regularly occurring in Canada have poor geographical coverage across the reporting period.
The index has been calculated for the period 1970 to 2016, the time period where sufficient data exist for credible estimates.
Methods
The trend in the population size of each species is estimated using all the information available for that particular species. This may include measurements from just one site/location, or measurements from a combination of sites/locations for the same species. These trends are averaged across all species to generate the Canadian species index.
The Canadian species index is broadly similar to the Living Planet Index. The Living Planet Index for Canada uses the same methods as the Canadian species index and reports different sub-indices.Footnote 6
More information
Data collection and tagging
To be included in this index, a time series, drawn from Canadian data contained in the Living Planet Index database must meet all of the following criteria:
- contain data for at least 2 points in time since 1970
- have been collected for a defined population using comparable methods across years
- use units of population size or a reliable proxy, such as spawning biomass or density
- have a referenced and traceable source
Each time series is referred to as a "population."
Each record is tagged with contextual information such as geographical region, species group and habitat type. Data tags allow a subset of the database to be extracted for targeted analysis. Information for these tags is drawn from the original data source if possible; however, additional reference material is also used. Species that occur in more than one system type (terrestrial, freshwater or marine) are tagged as belonging to the system in which they were observed and on which they rely on for at least part of their life cycle. For example, a time series containing the number of salmon spawning in rivers would be considered freshwater, while one containing observations at sea would be considered marine. These 2 time series would be considered different populations even though they may constitute the same population in the biological sense of the term.
Preprocessing
Species selection
Data for the overall index were restricted to vertebrate species that regularly occur in Canada. Classification was based on the Wild Species 2015 report. Species that were classified as "Not Applicable" were not included in the dataset as this classification is reserved for species that are not considered a suitable target for conservation. This includes exotic, hybrid or accidental species occurring infrequently and unpredictably in Canada. Species classified as "Presumed Extirpated" or "Probably Extirpated" were also excluded from the dataset, since they no longer occur in Canada.
Increasing population sizes are generally interpreted as a sign of environmental improvement. However, a few bird species are known to have a population size that is above acceptable bounds (see Population status of Canada's migratory birds), and for these species, an increase in population is a negative outcome. Three (3) species, Snow Goose (both subspecies), Ross's Goose and Canada Goose, have been excluded from the index for this reason.Footnote 7
Species whose scientific name could not be matched to the taxonomic authorities used in the Living Planet Database were also excluded.
Population modelling
For each population, a record of abundance over time is created. Modelling is used to reduce the effect of random variations and measurement noise. For time series containing at least 6 data points, trends were modelled using Generalized Additive Modelling. For shorter time series, and for any series that could not be modelled with Generalized Additive Modelling, a linear regression model was used. For time series with only 2 data values, this is equivalent to a straight line connecting the 2 points. Time series are not extrapolated beyond the start and end date of observations.
In some years and for some time series, a 0 was recorded. In a few cases, this may be due to a local extinction, but more often, it is because wildlife are not observed. A failure to observe wildlife may be because there are few wildlife to observe, which is a genuine signal of low numbers. It could also mean that wildlife were simply not detected. When this happens, for example, if unusual weather conditions made movement patterns unpredictable; then a 0 would represent a missing value. For the purposes of the indicator, 0's have been treated as missing values, resulting in a conservative estimate of change.
Calculation of the index
Trends within a time series
For each time series, proportional change dt is calculated for each year for which data exist, as follows:
dt = log10(Nt /N(t-1))
where:
Nt = modelled population size estimate in year t
N(t-1) = modelled population size estimate in year t-1
Index calculation
- For species with more than 1 time series, the average proportional change (lambda, λ) is calculated for each year across all time series (including all subspecies) for that species. Formally, for species i in year t:

where:
λi,t = average proportional change for species i in year t
di,j,t = proportional change for time series j, for species i in year t
m = number of time series for species i in year t
For a species with only 1 time series, λi,t = di,t
- The overall annual change is calculated as the average lambda across all species with data for that time step. In other words, the index for 2014 is the average λi for all species with population estimates in 2013 and 2014. Species are weighted equally, regardless of data availability.
- The index for a particular year is the sum of annual changes since 1970.
Percentage changes are calculated by taking the antilog of the index.
Sub-indices are calculated using the same methodology, but for a selected subset of species or populations.
Assessment of uncertainty
The degree of variability within the species-level lambdas (λ) for a given year provides an indication of whether trends are similar across the species included in the index. A narrow interval means that most species are changing by similar proportions, while a wide interval means that there is a wide range of patterns. Because indexed species are not a random or representative selection of the species in the environment, this can only be a partial assessment of uncertainty. The uncertainty due to a non-representative sample of species cannot be measured.
Distribution of species-level lambda values, national and by system, 1970 to 2016

Data table for the long description
Year | National index, average lambda | National index, standard deviation | National index, number of species | Terrestrial index, average lambda | Terrestrial index, standard deviation | Terrestrial index, number of species | Freshwater index, average lambda | Freshwater index, standard deviation | Freshwater index, number of species | Marine index, average lambda | Marine index, standard deviation | Marine index, number of species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | n/a | n/a | 405 | n/a | n/a | 244 | n/a | n/a | 67 | n/a | n/a | 95 |
1971 | 0.00383 | 0.05820 | 424 | -0.00388 | 0.05216 | 252 | 0.01205 | 0.08182 | 71 | 0.02138 | 0.07060 | 103 |
1972 | 0.00282 | 0.05439 | 426 | -0.00413 | 0.05278 | 255 | 0.00720 | 0.06130 | 75 | 0.01853 | 0.06156 | 97 |
1973 | 0.00119 | 0.05226 | 442 | -0.00424 | 0.05156 | 259 | 0.00263 | 0.03475 | 74 | 0.01286 | 0.06146 | 110 |
1974 | -0.00116 | 0.05203 | 474 | -0.00721 | 0.05547 | 278 | 0.00105 | 0.02569 | 73 | 0.00983 | 0.05572 | 124 |
1975 | -0.00017 | 0.04846 | 471 | -0.00304 | 0.04894 | 282 | 0.00089 | 0.02660 | 78 | 0.00448 | 0.05785 | 112 |
1976 | -0.00013 | 0.04418 | 479 | 0.00018 | 0.04058 | 281 | -0.00165 | 0.03919 | 79 | -0.00042 | 0.05423 | 120 |
1977 | 0.00073 | 0.04892 | 486 | 0.00201 | 0.04976 | 285 | -0.00075 | 0.04128 | 79 | -0.00157 | 0.05239 | 123 |
1978 | 0.00264 | 0.04329 | 485 | 0.00428 | 0.03916 | 281 | 0.00520 | 0.03520 | 76 | -0.00264 | 0.05447 | 129 |
1979 | 0.00284 | 0.03654 | 490 | 0.00331 | 0.02975 | 283 | 0.00656 | 0.03180 | 77 | -0.00028 | 0.04850 | 131 |
1980 | 0.00298 | 0.03612 | 498 | 0.00393 | 0.03346 | 284 | 0.00712 | 0.02509 | 83 | -0.00072 | 0.04495 | 132 |
1981 | 0.00271 | 0.03767 | 499 | 0.00378 | 0.03471 | 285 | 0.00839 | 0.02781 | 83 | -0.00202 | 0.04665 | 132 |
1982 | -0.00024 | 0.04455 | 505 | -0.00083 | 0.04282 | 285 | 0.00748 | 0.03010 | 80 | -0.00343 | 0.05305 | 141 |
1983 | 0.00009 | 0.04387 | 519 | -0.00006 | 0.04116 | 293 | 0.00586 | 0.03128 | 83 | -0.00313 | 0.05352 | 144 |
1984 | 0.00265 | 0.05002 | 546 | 0.00508 | 0.05388 | 288 | 0.00303 | 0.03411 | 85 | -0.00202 | 0.04972 | 174 |
1985 | 0.00213 | 0.04745 | 533 | 0.00301 | 0.05417 | 294 | 0.00316 | 0.03783 | 86 | 0.00100 | 0.04152 | 154 |
1986 | 0.00107 | 0.04961 | 539 | 0.00430 | 0.04813 | 294 | 0.00373 | 0.04740 | 90 | -0.00412 | 0.05617 | 157 |
1987 | -0.00444 | 0.05141 | 566 | -0.00097 | 0.02524 | 296 | -0.00088 | 0.04430 | 90 | -0.01060 | 0.07944 | 181 |
1988 | -0.00273 | 0.04692 | 531 | 0.00049 | 0.03775 | 287 | 0.00189 | 0.03447 | 91 | -0.00941 | 0.06276 | 155 |
1989 | -0.00314 | 0.04537 | 563 | 0.00109 | 0.03507 | 295 | 0.00079 | 0.02985 | 93 | -0.01123 | 0.06155 | 176 |
1990 | -0.00084 | 0.05022 | 552 | 0.00123 | 0.03315 | 304 | 0.01114 | 0.07134 | 97 | -0.01008 | 0.05618 | 152 |
1991 | -0.00137 | 0.04477 | 576 | 0.00002 | 0.04232 | 304 | 0.00485 | 0.04695 | 95 | -0.00677 | 0.04673 | 178 |
1992 | -0.00102 | 0.04143 | 566 | -0.00121 | 0.03860 | 304 | 0.00728 | 0.03288 | 109 | -0.00519 | 0.04865 | 154 |
1993 | 0.00093 | 0.05609 | 598 | -0.00261 | 0.03407 | 309 | 0.01153 | 0.08248 | 106 | 0.00022 | 0.06304 | 185 |
1994 | 0.00262 | 0.06310 | 594 | -0.00457 | 0.04906 | 313 | 0.01481 | 0.09348 | 118 | 0.00609 | 0.05927 | 164 |
1995 | 0.00087 | 0.04750 | 591 | -0.00267 | 0.03193 | 317 | 0.00730 | 0.06559 | 117 | 0.00250 | 0.05634 | 158 |
1996 | -0.00002 | 0.05793 | 583 | 0.00025 | 0.04017 | 308 | -0.00423 | 0.07340 | 118 | 0.00256 | 0.07106 | 158 |
1997 | -0.00065 | 0.04902 | 572 | -0.00089 | 0.03884 | 316 | -0.00498 | 0.06264 | 122 | 0.00286 | 0.05431 | 135 |
1998 | -0.00387 | 0.05602 | 604 | -0.00588 | 0.04171 | 312 | -0.00399 | 0.08041 | 126 | 0.00016 | 0.05594 | 167 |
1999 | -0.00316 | 0.05015 | 578 | -0.00780 | 0.04055 | 319 | 0.00258 | 0.06676 | 121 | 0.00065 | 0.05149 | 139 |
2000 | -0.00231 | 0.04434 | 603 | -0.00496 | 0.03643 | 318 | 0.00246 | 0.05378 | 122 | -0.00051 | 0.04966 | 163 |
2001 | -0.00133 | 0.05572 | 588 | -0.00469 | 0.03278 | 316 | 0.00554 | 0.05914 | 130 | 0.00025 | 0.08098 | 143 |
2002 | -0.00252 | 0.05026 | 614 | -0.00361 | 0.03216 | 316 | 0.00411 | 0.04855 | 141 | -0.00540 | 0.07412 | 157 |
2003 | -0.00225 | 0.08376 | 653 | -0.00138 | 0.03631 | 309 | -0.00016 | 0.13959 | 142 | -0.00523 | 0.08582 | 204 |
2004 | -0.00271 | 0.06920 | 660 | 0.00045 | 0.03459 | 312 | -0.00220 | 0.06421 | 133 | -0.00770 | 0.10338 | 218 |
2005 | -0.00071 | 0.05989 | 678 | 0.00121 | 0.02605 | 312 | -0.00455 | 0.06355 | 131 | -0.00090 | 0.08434 | 240 |
2006 | 0.00077 | 0.05340 | 662 | 0.00096 | 0.02513 | 302 | 0.00149 | 0.07581 | 138 | -0.00095 | 0.06525 | 226 |
2007 | 0.00134 | 0.04112 | 679 | 0.00141 | 0.02152 | 302 | 0.00295 | 0.05047 | 120 | -0.00054 | 0.05383 | 268 |
2008 | 0.00005 | 0.04743 | 658 | 0.00064 | 0.02171 | 295 | 0.00225 | 0.04565 | 132 | -0.00256 | 0.06597 | 241 |
2009 | 0.00142 | 0.04829 | 649 | 0.00031 | 0.02402 | 294 | 0.00181 | 0.05829 | 122 | 0.00160 | 0.06161 | 242 |
2010 | 0.00034 | 0.04891 | 653 | -0.00102 | 0.02755 | 293 | 0.00264 | 0.05550 | 126 | -0.00021 | 0.06249 | 241 |
2011 | -0.00013 | 0.05143 | 645 | -0.00220 | 0.03028 | 292 | 0.00231 | 0.04687 | 120 | -0.00020 | 0.07010 | 244 |
2012 | -0.00441 | 0.05928 | 645 | -0.00461 | 0.04093 | 290 | 0.00162 | 0.04686 | 130 | -0.00790 | 0.07902 | 233 |
2013 | -0.00727 | 0.05772 | 590 | -0.00311 | 0.03242 | 287 | -0.00167 | 0.04551 | 99 | -0.01506 | 0.08088 | 209 |
2014 | -0.00573 | 0.05654 | 605 | -0.00205 | 0.02970 | 286 | 0.00088 | 0.03874 | 109 | -0.01280 | 0.08106 | 214 |
2015 | -0.00324 | 0.05121 | 562 | -0.00048 | 0.03008 | 267 | 0.00183 | 0.04578 | 96 | -0.00872 | 0.07010 | 200 |
2016 | 0.00204 | 0.04533 | 530 | 0.00025 | 0.03279 | 275 | 0.00302 | 0.03176 | 63 | 0.00421 | 0.06142 | 192 |
Note: n/a = not applicable.
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 4.69 kB)
Note: The dots show the average annual lambda across all species; vertical bars show the standard deviation of average annual lambda across all species.
Source: Zoological Society of London (2019).

Data table for the long description
Year | Bird index, average lambda | Bird index, standard deviation | Bird index, number of species | Mammal index, average lambda | Mammal index, standard deviation | Mammal index, number of species | Fish index, average lambda | Fish index, standard deviation | Fish index, number of species | Reptile and amphibian index, average lambda | Reptile and amphibian, standard deviation | Reptile and amphibian, number of species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | n/a | n/a | 296 | n/a | n/a | 24 | n/a | n/a | 85 | n/a | n/a | no data |
1971 | 0.00241 | 0.02996 | 305 | -0.04918 | 0.13283 | 29 | 0.02375 | 0.08424 | 90 | n/a | n/a | no data |
1972 | 0.00276 | 0.02902 | 309 | -0.04095 | 0.12219 | 30 | 0.01704 | 0.07033 | 82 | n/a | n/a | 5 |
1973 | 0.00301 | 0.02822 | 312 | -0.03630 | 0.11754 | 34 | 0.00882 | 0.06726 | 96 | -0.00469 | 0.01304 | 0 |
1974 | 0.00316 | 0.02733 | 335 | -0.05646 | 0.12253 | 32 | 0.00544 | 0.05721 | 107 | -0.00469 | 0.01304 | 0 |
1975 | 0.00329 | 0.02742 | 346 | -0.03610 | 0.11397 | 29 | 0.00087 | 0.05937 | 95 | -0.00469 | 0.01304 | 1 |
1976 | 0.00335 | 0.02622 | 346 | -0.01472 | 0.09968 | 27 | -0.00507 | 0.05879 | 104 | -0.02763 | 0.05739 | 2 |
1977 | 0.00360 | 0.02555 | 349 | -0.00062 | 0.13466 | 33 | -0.00411 | 0.05473 | 102 | -0.05254 | 0.08420 | 2 |
1978 | 0.00344 | 0.02486 | 351 | 0.02197 | 0.09832 | 25 | -0.00426 | 0.05869 | 108 | -0.00469 | 0.01304 | 1 |
1979 | 0.00301 | 0.02373 | 351 | 0.01894 | 0.05981 | 26 | -0.00140 | 0.05358 | 113 | -0.00232 | 0.01302 | 1 |
1980 | 0.00264 | 0.02205 | 352 | 0.02484 | 0.07681 | 28 | -0.00138 | 0.04765 | 117 | -0.00232 | 0.01302 | 2 |
1981 | 0.00239 | 0.02070 | 353 | 0.02505 | 0.08533 | 26 | -0.00179 | 0.05072 | 118 | 0.00206 | 0.01499 | 3 |
1982 | 0.00196 | 0.02026 | 354 | -0.00589 | 0.10430 | 27 | -0.00248 | 0.05953 | 121 | -0.04480 | 0.12127 | 3 |
1983 | 0.00140 | 0.02063 | 363 | -0.01068 | 0.11062 | 26 | -0.00162 | 0.06012 | 127 | 0.01417 | 0.04175 | 3 |
1984 | 0.00484 | 0.04344 | 360 | -0.00765 | 0.08500 | 29 | -0.00034 | 0.05583 | 154 | -0.00271 | 0.02227 | 8 |
1985 | 0.00474 | 0.04300 | 366 | -0.00920 | 0.05254 | 30 | 0.00149 | 0.04685 | 129 | -0.04859 | 0.12987 | 7 |
1986 | 0.00475 | 0.04281 | 365 | -0.00700 | 0.04694 | 29 | -0.00572 | 0.06218 | 138 | 0.00603 | 0.04988 | 8 |
1987 | -0.00104 | 0.04642 | 362 | -0.00905 | 0.04569 | 38 | -0.01095 | 0.06241 | 158 | -0.00290 | 0.03467 | 7 |
1988 | 0.00092 | 0.02249 | 362 | 0.00743 | 0.09042 | 32 | -0.01259 | 0.06571 | 130 | -0.00578 | 0.03202 | 8 |
1989 | 0.00083 | 0.02263 | 363 | 0.00897 | 0.07158 | 38 | -0.01435 | 0.06633 | 154 | -0.00909 | 0.02838 | 12 |
1990 | 0.00097 | 0.02104 | 366 | 0.01038 | 0.06713 | 47 | -0.01265 | 0.05988 | 127 | 0.06451 | 0.18152 | 13 |
1991 | 0.00091 | 0.01876 | 368 | 0.00743 | 0.09489 | 42 | -0.00912 | 0.05106 | 153 | 0.00534 | 0.11790 | 13 |
1992 | 0.00066 | 0.01918 | 372 | 0.00075 | 0.08565 | 41 | -0.00554 | 0.05275 | 140 | 0.00534 | 0.06283 | 14 |
1993 | 0.00006 | 0.02308 | 372 | -0.00254 | 0.06749 | 47 | 0.00444 | 0.08872 | 165 | -0.00929 | 0.07872 | 16 |
1994 | -0.00057 | 0.02371 | 374 | -0.00703 | 0.10826 | 51 | 0.01370 | 0.08783 | 153 | -0.02330 | 0.13241 | 19 |
1995 | -0.00088 | 0.02260 | 376 | 0.01015 | 0.05857 | 56 | 0.00533 | 0.07471 | 140 | -0.03138 | 0.09135 | 21 |
1996 | -0.00137 | 0.02133 | 371 | 0.02280 | 0.07849 | 51 | -0.00077 | 0.08182 | 140 | -0.03077 | 0.12852 | 22 |
1997 | -0.00169 | 0.02134 | 372 | 0.01792 | 0.07480 | 58 | -0.00613 | 0.07558 | 120 | 0.00206 | 0.03809 | 22 |
1998 | -0.00203 | 0.02228 | 372 | -0.00354 | 0.07247 | 55 | -0.00859 | 0.07511 | 155 | -0.00247 | 0.13914 | 26 |
1999 | -0.00237 | 0.02317 | 371 | -0.00996 | 0.06558 | 60 | -0.00567 | 0.06250 | 121 | 0.01459 | 0.12944 | 24 |
2000 | -0.00263 | 0.02269 | 375 | -0.00656 | 0.06643 | 57 | -0.00277 | 0.06431 | 147 | 0.01483 | 0.05636 | 22 |
2001 | -0.00148 | 0.04699 | 374 | -0.01059 | 0.06372 | 60 | 0.00027 | 0.06975 | 132 | 0.01576 | 0.05409 | 26 |
2002 | -0.00290 | 0.03044 | 373 | -0.00807 | 0.06064 | 56 | -0.00337 | 0.07495 | 159 | 0.02319 | 0.05813 | 27 |
2003 | -0.00341 | 0.03841 | 374 | 0.00158 | 0.07285 | 49 | -0.00160 | 0.13777 | 203 | 0.00219 | 0.12631 | 26 |
2004 | -0.00006 | 0.02107 | 376 | 0.01265 | 0.06812 | 51 | -0.01536 | 0.11135 | 207 | 0.02273 | 0.08651 | 23 |
2005 | 0.00094 | 0.02071 | 381 | 0.01391 | 0.07689 | 48 | -0.00675 | 0.09102 | 226 | -0.00714 | 0.04999 | 23 |
2006 | 0.00200 | 0.01974 | 372 | 0.01081 | 0.04178 | 43 | -0.00124 | 0.08121 | 224 | -0.01994 | 0.06699 | 11 |
2007 | 0.00255 | 0.01856 | 382 | 0.00889 | 0.03894 | 43 | -0.00166 | 0.06018 | 243 | -0.00072 | 0.02613 | 6 |
2008 | 0.00307 | 0.02491 | 384 | 0.00085 | 0.05302 | 36 | -0.00435 | 0.06635 | 232 | 0.00731 | 0.03113 | 8 |
2009 | 0.00295 | 0.02588 | 384 | -0.00481 | 0.05809 | 36 | 0.00042 | 0.06653 | 221 | 0.00144 | 0.05920 | 7 |
2010 | 0.00253 | 0.02642 | 382 | -0.01352 | 0.06120 | 41 | -0.00003 | 0.06598 | 223 | -0.00769 | 0.08619 | 6 |
2011 | 0.00187 | 0.02746 | 383 | -0.02182 | 0.08862 | 37 | 0.00088 | 0.06575 | 219 | -0.00070 | 0.07243 | 5 |
2012 | 0.00088 | 0.02866 | 381 | -0.04493 | 0.11187 | 27 | -0.00653 | 0.07590 | 232 | 0.03154 | 0.03578 | 4 |
2013 | -0.00040 | 0.02541 | 364 | -0.01990 | 0.06814 | 31 | -0.01500 | 0.08166 | 191 | -0.01140 | 0.10135 | 3 |
2014 | -0.00011 | 0.02578 | 364 | -0.02276 | 0.06047 | 26 | -0.01180 | 0.08192 | 212 | -0.00670 | 0.05906 | 2 |
2015 | -0.00005 | 0.02843 | 346 | -0.00655 | 0.04247 | 9 | -0.00822 | 0.07388 | 205 | 0.02471 | 0.02207 | 1 |
2016 | 0.00006 | 0.03083 | 345 | 0.00779 | 0.04896 | 20 | 0.00574 | 0.06616 | 164 | 0.00955 | n/a | 1 |
Note: No species data was available for reptiles and amphibians for 1970 and 1971. n/a = not applicable.
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 4.64 kB)
Note: The dots show the average annual lambda across all species; vertical bars show the standard deviation of average annual lambda across all species.
Source: Zoological Society of London (2019).
Recent changes
The previous version used the Wild Species 2005 and 2010 reports to determine regularly occurring vertebrate species in Canada. The current release uses the Wild Species 2015 report.Footnote 8 The number of regularly occurring species differs between the 2 versions of the indicator, because one of the goals of the Wild Species report series is to continually increase the number of species assessed until coverage is complete.
The vertical axes on the graphs in Figure 1 and 2 are labelled with the average percent change, whereas the previous version was labelled with the index of change.
The vertical axes were scaled to reflect the change in population required to balance out the opposite decrease or increase and are not symmetrical around zero. For example, a population that has increased by 100% must decrease by 50% to return to its original size.
Many of the indices for monitored bird populations use the same raw data included in the State of Canada's Birds 2019 report, and were estimated using an updated population trend model. This updated population trend model uses a Generalized Additive Mixed model structure and provides a method of smoothing the temporal change, with limited assumptions about the pattern of population change.
Finally, new data for earlier time periods continue to be added to the database, improving estimates of change over time. For these reasons, direct comparisons with the previous version of the index cannot be made.
Caveats and limitations
The Canadian species index was developed from the Living Planet Index. The methodology for the Canadian species index has been improved and revised, so the 2 indices are not comparable.
The national trend is the average rate of change across all monitored vertebrate species. The indices may reflect changes in data availability. Data are not available for all species and do not always cover the geographic range of each species or the whole time period reported.
The indices may reflect changes in the trend due to real environmental change or because species with a different trajectory have been added to the index. Often, these 2 factors are both present.
The index uses previously collected data. It is therefore biased towards certain species (for example, species that are easy to observe, species that are managed for human use or for conservation, and species with aesthetic appeal). Birds are well represented, but most other vertebrate groups are not. Some species are represented by data that come from a local study involving a small part of the total population. While there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the trends for these species, combining data for many species leads to more interpretable results.
The index should be interpreted with these limitations in mind.
There are similarities with the Canadian species index and the indicators used in the State of Canada’s Birds report, in that both are averages of trends. However, there are also differences, as the Canadian species index for birds includes a slightly different set of species and data sources, and does not incorporate estimates of uncertainty in the data.
The Canadian species index does not measure the change in the total number of birds or other species groups. By contrast, a recent scientific study showed an overall decline in birds because it was much more sensitive to changes in populations of abundant species than changes in rare species, and many of our most abundant species have declined (for example, Dark-eyed Junco, Savannah Sparrow).Footnote 3
More information
The Canadian species index has been developed from the Living Planet Index, originally conceived by the World Wildlife Fund and now developed in partnership with the Zoological Society of London. The index is based on a peer-reviewed method that can integrate many types of population measurements.Footnote 9 Footnote
The index is descriptive. Because the underlying data have been collected for other purposes, the set of species contained in the index has unknown sampling biases. For this reason, it does not meet the requirement for randomized sampling that is necessary for traditional statistical hypothesis testing, and changes in the index cannot be tested for statistical significance. Trends in the index provides an indication of trends in the environment, and can be used to identify where additional analysis or information is required.
Averaging trends across all populations within each species can obscure important variability among subspecies, varieties or geographic regions. Averaging trends across species may also obscure important information. Analysis of different parts of the dataset can help uncover these patterns.
Population size measurements always include some uncertainty, because not every individual animal can be found and counted at every sampling interval. The effect of uncertainty in measurement cannot be separated from genuine changes in population size. Random variability may lead to a few more or less individuals being counted. If this variability leads to a large proportional change, as is the case when the average number of individuals found is small, the resulting uncertainty in the index can be large. However, uncertainty does average out over longer time series and over species. For this reason, interpretation of small subsets of data must be done with an understanding of the context of the biology of the species that are included and the strengths and weaknesses of the monitoring protocols.
Only vertebrate species are included in the index, because they are the only group with sufficient population-level data. Invertebrates and plants tend to be monitored using area of occurrence, a type of data not readily integrated into the index.
Resources
Resources
References
Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (2006) Wild Species 2005: The General Status of Species in Canada. National General Status Working Group. Retrieved in May 2019.
Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (2011) Wild Species 2010: The General Status of Species in Canada. National General Status Working Group. Retrieved in May 2019.
Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (2016) Wild Species 2015: The General Status of Species in Canada. National General Status Working Group. Retrieved in May 2019.
Collen B, Loh J, Whitmee S, McRae L, Amin R and Baillie JEM (2009) Monitoring Change in Vertebrate Abundance: the Living Planet Index. Conservation Biology 23(2): 317-327.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative Canada (2019) The State of Canada's Birds 2019. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved in June 2019.
Rosenberg KV, Dokter AM, Blancher PJ, Sauer JR, Smith AC, Smith PA, Stanton JC, Panjabi A, Helft L, Parr M, Marra PP (2019) Decline of the North American avifauna. Science 366(6461): 120-124. Retrieved on November 1, 2019.
WWF-Canada (2017) Living Planet Report Canada. Retrieved in May 2019.
Related information
Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI)
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