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