The goal of the Ontario Biodiversity Science Forum is to focus the biodiversity science agenda and foster science partnerships by:
1. Identifying knowledge gaps and understanding the state of science.
2. Recommending science priorities.
The Ontario Biodiversity Science Forum aims to improve our understanding of the state of science and knowledge gaps. This includes ecosystem functions and relationships (e.g., interspecific and intraspecific competition, predator-prey relationships, population-habitat linkages, impacts of problem wildlife and reintroduced wildlife on agriculture, taxonomy, genetic diversity, light pollution).
Another important goal is to identify gaps in available expertise (e.g., Ontario taxonomy/ systematics) and recommend solutions to address such gaps.
The Science Forum will also work to improve our understanding of the economic and non-economic valuation of biodiversity.
The Ontario Biodiversity Science Forum will recommend science priorities, such as evaluating existing and aiding the development of new habitat/ecosystem and species/population management guides, best management practices, and other conservation tools.
The 2009 Ontario Biodiversity Science Forum Workshop specifically examined allowable harm analysis being carried out by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in order to better understand the restoration potential of Species at Risk.