Canada’s 15 Terrestrial Ecozones

Mixedwood Plains Niagara Falls, Ontario Groundhog Killdeer Raccoon

Mixedwood Plains Southern Ontario and Quebec Most heavily populated ecozone Major land use is agriculture Smallest ecozone Highly changeable weather patterns

Boreal Plain Buffalo Jump Prov. Park, Alberta Alberta landscape American Badger Great Horned Owl

Boreal Plain Population around 750,000 scattered in small communities Canada’s oil and gas industry Located in the central to northern sections of the Prairie Provinces Rocky Mountains create rainshadow effect

Prairie Plain Alberta Hay Field Canola Field Long-tailed Weasel The Bad Lands

Prairie Plain Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Major land use is agriculture 80 per cent of the population resides in cities Glaciers formed landscape – the “Bread Basket” created when an inland lake dried up leaving fertile land

Taiga Cordillera Mountain Goat Gyrfalcon American Pika

Taiga Cordillera The border between Yukon and NWT This area represents the most northern section of the Rocky Mountains Landforms consist of mountains and valleys

Boreal Cordillera Kluane Lake, Yukon Glacier in Yukon Kaskawalsh Glacier, Kluane

Boreal Cordillera Southern Yukon and northern British Columbia Mining is a primary industry (Klondike Gold Rush) Landforms include: mountains, plateaus and valleys

Kluane Lake, Yukon Arctic Ground Squirrel Whitebark Pine

Pacific Maritime Mountain Lion (Cougar) California Sea Lion BC Rainforest Salmon Glacier, BC

Pacific Maritime Comprises BC’s west coast This ecozone has the wettest weather and tallest trees in Canada Climate is dictated by Pacific Ocean There are still glaciers found in high elevations

Montane Cordillera Burstall Pass Helmcken Falls (Wells Gray National Park, BC) Jasper Provicial Park California Big Horn Sheep Wolverine

Montane Cordillera Southern BC and western Alberta The most diverse ecozone because of its 2 mountain ranges Susceptible to orographic (relief) precipitation Many national parks (e.g., Banff, Jasper)

Hudson Plains Bearded Seal Balsam Poplar American Mink

Hudson Plains Area surrounding Hudson Bay This area represents the largest system of natural wetlands in the world Large vegetation (trees) found only at higher and drier elevations

Source: Canadian Biodiversity Website. (2012). Retrieved from: http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/index.htm