Canada’s Terrestrial Ecozones of Canada

What is an Ecozone? It is an area of land that has specific types of landforms, soil, climate, and animals. Canada has 15 different Ecozones.

1. Arctic Cordillera 2. Northern Arctic 3. Southern Arctic 4. Atlantic Maritime 5. Boreal Cordillera 6. Boreal Plains 7.Boreal Shield

8. Hudson Plains 9. Prairie 10. Mixedwood Plains 11. Montane Cordillera 12. Pacific Maritime 13. Taiga Cordillera 14. Taiga Plains 15. Taiga Shield

Arctic Cordillera Ecozone Location: Eastern Baffin and Devon Islands and most Ellesmere and Bylot Islands Physical: only major mountainous environment with ice caps on mountains Climate: very cold Animals: variety of birds, walrus, narwhal and beluga whale Example of National Park: Auyuittuq National Park

Northern Arctic Ecozone Location: most of Nunavut and part of NWT and Northern Quebec Physical: lowland plains covered with glacial parts Climate: very dry and cold Animals: polar bear, caribou, muskox, wold, artic hare Example of National Park: Aulavik National Park

Southern Arctic Ecozone Location: Area around Hudson’s Bay (Nunavut, Northern Quebec and Labrador Physical: strong rolling lowland plains Climate: cold, with long winters, short cool summers Animals: muskox, grizzly and polar bears, moose Example of National Park: Ivvavik National Park

Atlantic Maritime Ecozone Location: From St Lawrence River through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia and PEI Physical: Appalachian upland and coastal plain Climate: cool moist Animals: white tailed deer, moose, raccoon, skunk Example of National Park: Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Boreal Cordillera Ecozone Location: mid section of Canadian Rockies. Northern BC and Southern Yukon Physical: mountain ranges Climate: long cold winters and short warm summers Animals: black and grizzly bears, mountain goats, lynx Example of National Park: Kluane National Park

Boreal Plains Ecozone Location: NW BC to SE Manitoba Physical: flat plains Climate: cold winters and warm summers Animals: woodland caribou, coyote, chipmunks Example of National Park: Wood Buffalo National Park

Boreal Shield Ecozone Location: U shaped, N Saskatchewan, E to Newfoundland Physical: lots of farm land, lakes and rivers Climate: cold winters and warm summers Animals: black bear, caribou, raccoon Example of National Park: Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Hudson Plains Ecozone Location: Northern Ontario and Quebec near Hudson’s Bay Physical: mainly wetlands Climate: cold Animals: moose, caribou, arctic fox Example of National Park: Wapusk National Park

Prairie Ecozone Location: semi-circular and near Canada and USA border (Alberta-Manitoba) Physical: flat plains Climate: cold winters and hot summers Animals: jack rabbit, elk, coyote Example of National Park: Elk Island National Park

Mixedwood Plains Ecozone Location: Lower Great Lakes Physical: agriculture soils and gentle mountain Climate: warm summers and cool winters Animals: white tailed deer, black bears, skunks Example of National Park: Point Pelee National Park

Montane Cordillera Ecozone Location: S BC and SW Alberta Physical: rugged mountains and interior plains Climate: long cold winters and short warm summers Animals: bighorn sheep, badgers, fishers Example of National Park: Glacier National Park

Pacific Maritime Ecozone Location: the land on the Pacific Coast Physical: mountains, and glacial boundaries Climate: very little difference between winter and summer….cool Animals: white-tailed deer, mountain lions Example of National Park: Pacific Rim National Park

Taiga Cordillera Ecozone Location: N Rocky Mountain, Yukon and SW NWT Physical: steep mountains and narrow valleys Climate: dry and cold Animals: Dall’s sheep, mountain goats, lynx Example of National Park: Ivvavik National Park

Taiga Plains Ecozone Location: SW NWT and N BC Physical: plains Climate: cold Animals: moose, bison, wolf Example of National Park: Wood Buffalo National Park

Taiga Shield Ecozones Location: On both sides of Hudson Bay Physical: lots of forests and open tundra Climate: cold Animals: artic fox, moose, wolf Example of National Park: none