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Canada’s 15 Terrestrial Ecozones
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What is an Ecozone? It is a geographic zone that can be defined by similar characteristics The characteristics can include: landforms, climate, soils, vegetation, wildlife, and human activity Canada has 15 ecozones
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Arctic Cordillera Bylot Island Pond Inlet, Baffin Island
Ice Tongue, Ellesmere Island
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Arctic Cordillera Northern Nunavut, including sections of Baffin Island and Ellesmere Island Most inhospitable ecozone Little to no vegetation About 1,000 permanent residents, mostly Inuit Too harsh for reptiles, amphibians or insects
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Arctic Wolf Snowy Owl Walrus
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Arctic Landscape during summer months
Northern Arctic Polar Bear Pass, Bathurst Island Arctic Landscape during summer months Barren Land Caribou Snow Goose
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Northern Arctic Northern Nunavut and NWT Coldest and driest ecozone
There is total permafrost, and this can extend to over 1km in thickness Little vegetation
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Southern Arctic Wetlands, Yukon Polar Bear Arctic Hare
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Southern Arctic Northern edge of continental NWT and northern Quebec
Landscape formed through glaciation The tree line is at the very south edge of this ecozone Population is around 10,000
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Taiga Plain Beaver pond in Northern Alberta Keg River, Alberta Moose
Western Toad (found only in BC and the Yukon Moose
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Taiga Plain Centred around the Mackenzie River
Population is around 22,000, with most people making their income off the land – mining, forestry, etc.
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Taiga Shield Osprey American Marten Lynx
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Taiga Shield Stretches eastward from NWT to Quebec
Part of the Canadian Shield, which has some of the world’s oldest rock deposits Landforms include: wetlands, shrub lands and forests
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Lower Laurentians, Quebec
Boreal Shield Saguenay Fjord, Quebec Lower Laurentians, Quebec Shawbridge, Quebec
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Boreal Shield Largest ecozone in Canada (reaches across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland Glaciers responsible for wetlands, lakes in the area Many diverse landscapes
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Beaver American Black Bear Great Blue Heron Eastern Red Cedar
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Atlantic Maritime Harbour Seal
(top and left) Gooseberry Bay, Nova Scotia
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Atlantic Maritime Comprises the Maritime provinces
Very high precipitation rates – this area is home to the most storms in all of Canada New Brunswick is densely forested, and that industry is very large in this ecozone, in addition to fisheries
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Mixedwood Plains Niagara Falls, Ontario Groundhog Killdeer Raccoon
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Mixedwood Plains Southern Ontario and Quebec
Most heavily populated ecozone Major land use is agriculture Smallest ecozone Highly changeable weather patterns
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Boreal Plain Buffalo Jump Prov. Park, Alberta Alberta landscape
American Badger Great Horned Owl
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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
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Prairie Plain Alberta Hay Field Canola Field Long-tailed Weasel
The Bad Lands
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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
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Taiga Cordillera Mountain Goat Gyrfalcon American Pika
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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
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Boreal Cordillera Kluane Lake, Yukon Glacier in Yukon
Kaskawalsh Glacier, Kluane
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Boreal Cordillera Southern Yukon and northern British Columbia
Mining is a primary industry (Klondike Gold Rush) Landforms include: mountains, plateaus and valleys
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Kluane Lake, Yukon Arctic Ground Squirrel Whitebark Pine
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Pacific Maritime Mountain Lion (Cougar) California Sea Lion
BC Rainforest Salmon Glacier, BC
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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
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Montane Cordillera Burstall Pass
Helmcken Falls (Wells Gray National Park, BC) Jasper Provicial Park California Big Horn Sheep Wolverine
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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)
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Hudson Plains Bearded Seal Balsam Poplar American Mink
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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
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Source: Canadian Biodiversity Website. (2012). Retrieved from:
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