Terrestrial ecoregions
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The terrestrial ecoregions of Canada are all within the Nearctic realm, which includes most of North America. The Nearctic, together with Eurasia's Palearctic realm, constitutes the Holarctic realm of the Northern Hemisphere.[1]
British Columbia is the most biodiverse province with 18 ecoregions across 4 biomes. By contrast, Prince Edward Island is the least biodiverse with just one ecoregion - the Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests - encompassing the entire province.
Biome
|
Ecoregion
|
Province/Territory
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Central Canadian Shield forests
|
Ontario, Quebec
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Eastern Canadian forests
|
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Eastern Canadian Shield taiga
|
Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Interior Alaska–Yukon lowland taiga
|
Yukon
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Mid-Continental Canadian forests
|
Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Midwestern Canadian Shield forests
|
Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Muskwa–Slave Lake forests
|
Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Newfoundland Highland forests
|
Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Northern Canadian Shield taiga
|
Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Northern Cordillera forests
|
British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Northwest Territories taiga
|
Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
South Avalon–Burin oceanic barrens
|
Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Southern Hudson Bay taiga
|
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec
|
Boreal forests/taiga
|
Yukon Interior dry forests
|
British Columbia, Yukon
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
Eastern forest–boreal transition
|
Ontario, Quebec
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests
|
Ontario, Quebec
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests
|
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
New England–Acadian forests
|
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
Southern Great Lakes forests
|
Ontario
|
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|
Western Great Lakes forests
|
Manitoba, Ontario
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Alberta Mountain forests
|
Alberta, British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests
|
Alberta, British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
British Columbia mainland coastal forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Cascade Mountains leeward forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Central British Columbia Mountain forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Central Pacific coastal forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Fraser Plateau and Basin complex
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Haida Gwaii forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
North Central Rockies forests
|
Alberta, British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Northern transitional alpine forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Okanagan dry forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate coniferous forests
|
Puget lowland forests
|
British Columbia
|
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
|
Canadian aspen forests and parklands
|
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
|
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
|
Montana valley and foothill grasslands
|
Alberta
|
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
|
Northern mixed grasslands
|
Manitoba, Saskatchewan
|
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
|
Northern short grasslands
|
Alberta, Saskatchewan
|
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
|
Northern tall grasslands
|
Manitoba
|
Tundra
|
Alaska–St. Elias Range tundra
|
British Columbia, Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Arctic coastal tundra
|
Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Baffin coastal tundra
|
Nunavut
|
Tundra
|
Brooks–British Range tundra
|
Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Davis Highlands tundra
|
Nunavut
|
Tundra
|
High Arctic tundra
|
Northwest Territories, Nunavut
|
Tundra
|
Interior Yukon–Alaska alpine tundra
|
Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Low Arctic tundra
|
Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec
|
Tundra
|
Middle Arctic tundra
|
Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec
|
Tundra
|
Ogilvie–MacKenzie alpine tundra
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Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Pacific Coastal Mountain icefields and tundra
|
British Columbia, Yukon
|
Tundra
|
Torngat Mountain tundra
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Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec
|
Canada is unique among countries in that it borders three marine realms: the Arctic, Temperate Northern Atlantic, and Temperate Northern Pacific. These realms can be further subdivided into three marine biomes and fifteen marine ecoregions based upon biological distinctiveness.[2]
Quebec is the only province that borders both the Arctic and Temperate Northern Atlantic realms.
Biome
|
Ecoregion
|
Province/Territory
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Arctic
|
Baffin Bay-Davis Strait
|
Nunavut
|
Arctic
|
Beaufort - Amundsen - Viscount Melville - Queen Maud
|
Northwest Territories, Nunavut
|
Arctic
|
Beaufort Sea continental coast and shelf
|
Northwest Territories, Yukon
|
Arctic
|
High Arctic Archipelago
|
Northwest Territories, Nunavut
|
Arctic
|
Hudson Complex
|
Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec
|
Arctic
|
Lancaster Sound
|
Nunavut
|
Arctic
|
Northern Grand Banks - Southern Labrador
|
Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Arctic
|
Northern Labrador
|
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut
|
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
|
North American Pacific Fjordland
|
British Columbia
|
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
|
Oregon, Washington, Vancouver coast and shelf
|
British Columbia
|
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
|
Puget Trough/Georgia Basin
|
British Columbia
|
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
|
Gulf of Maine - Bay of Fundy
|
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
|
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
|
Gulf of St. Lawrence - Eastern Scotian Shelf
|
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
|
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
|
Scotian Shelf
|
Nova Scotia
|
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
|
Southern Grand Banks - South Newfoundland
|
Newfoundland and Labrador
|
- ^ Ricketts, Taylor H; Eric Dinerstein; David M. Olson; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (1999). Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC.
- ^ SPALDING, MARK D.; FOX, HELEN E.; ALLEN, GERALD R.; DAVIDSON, NICK; FERDAÑA, ZACH A.; FINLAYSON, MAX; HALPERN, BENJAMIN S.; JORGE, MIGUEL A.; LOMBANA, AL; LOURIE, SARA A.; MARTIN, KIRSTEN D. (2007). "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas". BioScience. 57 (7): 573–583. doi:10.1641/b570707. ISSN 0006-3568.